Retrospective List of Unofficial Champion Stayers
This list of top stayers from the past, commencing from the beginning of the “graded stakes era” in North America in 1973 and continuing to the present day, is intended to complement my on-going Stayers’ Watch series (see listing under “Features”) and the Unofficial Champion Stayer Award.
The precedent for naming “retrospective” champions was set in the early 1970s, when the late Kent Hollingsworth, then editor of The Blood Horse, pored over old racing publications and statistics and compiled a list of “champions” from before 1936, the year the Daily Racing Form began naming annual champions. This list, first published in a limited-edition book called The Great Ones, eventually gained quasi-official status and is regularly reprinted. In fact, Hollingsworth’s list is considered so authoritative that it is not unusual for a writer to state that, say, Sir Barton was named Horse of the Year for 1919 — when in fact there was no such title at that time.
Top horses for each year were selected based on their records in races of 1 1/2 miles or longer, adjusted according to each race’s grade-level. Victories in dirt races are given more weight to take into account North American racing tradition — which in part explains, for example, Easy Goer (1989) being ranked above two turf horses who raced more often at these distances. Horses listed as “honorable mentions” are for cases where either the rankings are very close, or the horse’s accomplishments, while not championship-calibre, warrant special mention.
Disclaimer: I make no claims that this list is definitive. I realize that I bring to this project only a fraction of the knowledge and historical perspective that Kent Hollingsworth brought to The Great Ones. However, I hope that this list prompts discussion of the need to promote stamina as well as speed in the Thoroughbred among racing authorities and fans alike.
| Year | Horse | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Cloudy’s Knight | 1st: Kentucky Cup Turf, Sycamore S., Valedictory S., W.L. McKnight H.; 2nd: Breeders’ Cup Marathon |
| 2008 | Champs Elysees | 1st: Northern Dancer Turf S., Hollywood Turf Cup; 2nd: Jim Murray Memorial H.; 3rd: Pattison Canadian International Championship also Canadian Horse of the Year |
| 2007 | English Channel | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S.; 2nd: Sword Dancer Invitational H. also Champion Turf Horse largest winning margin in Breeders’ Cup Turf history (7 lengths) |
| 2006 | T.H. Approval | 1st: Sunset H., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H.; 2nd: San Luis Rey H., San Luis Obispo H. |
| 2005 | Relaxed Gesture | 1st: Canadian International Championship; 2nd: Sword Dancer Invitational H. |
| Meteor Storm (honorable mention) |
1st: W.L. McKnight H.; 2nd: San Luis Rey H., Canadian International Championship | |
| 2004 | Better Talk Now | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Sword Dancer Invitational H. |
| 2003 | (vacant) | (No North American horse won more than one graded stayers’ race during the year) |
| 2002 | With Anticipation | 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 2nd: Breeders’ Cup Turf |
| Continental Red (honorable mention) |
1st: San Luis Rey H.; 2nd: San Luis Obispo H., Sunset H.; 3rd: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Kentucky Cup Turf H. | |
| 2001 | Blueprint | 1st: San Luis Rey H., Sunset H.; 3rd: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. |
| 2000 | John’s Call | 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H., Turf Classic Invitational S., Cape Henlopen S.; 3rd: Breeders’ Cup Turf |
| 1999 | Single Empire | 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey H.; 3rd: Hollywood Turf Cup S. |
| 1998 | Buck’s Boy | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Turf Classic Invitational S., Pan American H., Riggs H. also Champion Turf Horse |
| 1997 | Chief Bearhart | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Canadian International Championship, Elkhorn S.; 2nd: Stars and Stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf S. also Champion Turf Horse and Canadian Horse of the Year |
| 1996 | Windsharp | 1st: San Luis Rey H., San Luis Obispo H.; 2nd: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. last female champion stayer |
| 1995 | Sandpit | 1st: San Luis Rey H., Caesar’s Palace Turf Championship H. 1994 Bien Bien 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey H.; 2nd: San Luis Obispo H. |
| 1993 | Kotashaan | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, San Luis Rey H., San Luis Obispo H., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Oak Tree Invitational S. also Champion Turf Horse and Horse of the Year |
| 1992 | Fraise | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 2nd: Hollywood Turf Cup S., Turf Classic Invitational S. |
| 1991 | Miss Alleged | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Hollywood Turf Cup S. also Champion Female Turf Horse |
| 1990 | El Señor | 1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 3rd: Breeders’ Cup Turf |
| 1989 | Easy Goer | 1st: Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup last champion stayer to race primarily on dirt surfaces |
| El Señor (honorable mention) |
1st: Sword Dancer Invitational H., Hialeah Turf Cup; 2nd: Turf Classic Invitational S. | |
| Frankly Perfect (honorable mention) |
1st: Hollywood Turf Cup S., San Luis Rey H.; 2nd: Sunset H. | |
| 1988 | Great Communicator | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Hollywood Turf Cup S., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Obispo H.; 2nd: San Luis Rey S., Oak Tree Invitational H. |
| 1987 | Theatrical | 1st: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Turf Classic Invitational S., Sword Dancer H., Hialeah Turf Cup H. also Champion Turf Horse |
| 1986 | Dahar | 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey S.; 2nd: Sunset H., Hollywood Turf Cup S., Hollywood Invitational Turf H. |
| 1985 | Vanlandingham | 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Jockey Club Gold Cup; 3rd: Hollywood Turf Cup Invitational S. also Champion Male Older Horse and Champion Turf Horse |
| Nassipour (honorable mention) |
1st: Rothmans International, Dixie H., Seneca H.; 2nd: Niagara S.; 3rd: Pan American H. | |
| 1984 | John Henry | 1st: Hollywood Invitational H., Sunset H., Turf Classic Invitational S.; 3rd: San Luis Rey S. also Champion Turf Horse and Horse of the Year |
| 1983 | All Along | 1st: Rothman’s International, Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic also Champion Female Turf Horse and Horse of the Year |
| Erin’s Isle (honorable mention) |
1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., San Luis Rey S., Hollywood Invitational Turf H.; 3rd: Sword Dancer H., Turf Classic | |
| 1982 | Lemhi Gold | 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Sword Dancer H., San Marino H.; 2nd: Hollywood Invitational Turf H. also Champion Older Male Horse |
| 1981 | John Henry | 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, San Luis Rey S., San Luis Obispo H., Sword Dancer S., Oak Tree Invitational S., Hollywood Invitational Turf H. also Champion Male Older Horse, Champion Turf Horse, and Horse of the Year |
| 1980 | John Henry | 1st: San Juan Capistrano Invitational H., Hollywood Invitational Turf H., Oak Tree Invitational S., San Luis Rey Stakes, Hialeah Turf Cup H.; 2nd: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Sword Dancer Invitational H.; 3rd: Turf Classic Invitational S. also Champion Turf Horse |
| 1979 | Bowl Game | 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic Invitational S., Hialeah Turf Cup H., Arlington H.; 2nd: Brooklyn H. also Champion Turf Horse |
| 1978 | Exceller | 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hollywood Invitational H., Sunset H., Oak Tree Invitational S., San Juan Capistrano Invitational H. only horse to defeat two Triple Crown champions, Affirmed and Seattle Slew, in same race (Jockey Club Gold Cup) |
| 1977 | Johnny D | 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic S.; 3rd: Canadian International Championship S., Man O’ War S., Lawrence Realization S. also Champion Turf Horse |
| Majestic Light (honorable mention) |
1st: Man O’ War S.; 2nd: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Turf Classic S., Canadian International Championship S. | |
| Exceller (honorable mention) |
1st: Canadian International Championship S.; 2nd: Man O’ War S.; 3rd: Washington D.C. International Invitational S. | |
| 1976 | Youth | 1st: Washington D.C. International Invitational S., Canadian International Championship S. also Champion Turf Horse |
| 1975 | Snow Knight | 1st: Man O’ War S., Canadian International Championship S., Seneca H. |
| Forego (honorable mention) |
1st: Woodward S., Suburban H. also Champion Older Male Horse and Horse of the Year |
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| 1974 | Forego | 1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Woodward S. also Champion Older Male Horse, Champion Sprinter, and Horse of the Year |
| Astray (honorable mention) |
1st: San Juan Capistrano H., San Luis Rey S., San Luis Obispo H.; 3rd: Bowling Green H. | |
| 1973 | Secretariat | 1st: Belmont S., Man O’ War S., Canadian International Championship S.; 2nd: Woodward S. also Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse, Champion Turf Horse, Triple Crown Champion, and Horse of the Year |
| Prove Out (honorable mention) |
1st: Jockey Club Gold Cup, Woodward S. defeated Secretariat in Woodward S., and Riva Ridge (Champion Older Male Horse) in Jockey Club Gold Cup |
