The Wicked North

Last updated
The Wicked North
Sire Far North
Grandsire Northern Dancer
DamWicked Witchcraft
DamsireGood Behaving
Sex Stallion
Foaled1989
Country United States
Colour Chestnut
BreederE Zurek
OwnerPhilip Hersh
Trainer David Bernstein
Record17: 8-4-1
Major wins
Bing Crosby Handicap (1993)
Californian Stakes (1994)
Oaklawn Handicap (1994)
San Antonio Handicap (1994)
Awards
U.S. Champion Older Male Horse (1994)
Last updated on December 9, 2006

The Wicked North (foaled 1989, died 2011) was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He won three Grade I stakes in 1994, for which he was voted U.S. Champion Older Male Horse. He died at the Hagyard Equine Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky in 2011. [1]

Thoroughbred Horse breed developed for racing

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. In Canada, a similar grading system is maintained by the Jockey Club of Canada. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.

Lexington, Kentucky Consolidated city-county in Kentucky, United States

Lexington, consolidated with Fayette County and often denoted as Lexington-Fayette, is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 60th-largest city in the United States. By land area, Lexington is the 28th largest city in the United States. Known as the "Horse Capital of the World," it is the heart of the state's Bluegrass region. It has a nonpartisan mayor-council form of government, with 12 council districts and three members elected at large, with the highest vote-getter designated vice mayor. In the 2018 U.S. Census Estimate, the city's population was 323,780 anchoring a metropolitan area of 516,697 people and a combined statistical area of 746,330 people.

Contents

Background

The Wicked North, a chestnut horse with a white blaze and one white sock, was sired by the Northern Dancer stallion Far North out of the stakes-winning broodmare Wicked Witchcraft. [2] He was an unusually large thoroughbred, reportedly weighing about 1,300 lbs at one point in his career. [3] As a yearling, The Wicked North was bought at auction by the retired plumbing contractor Philip Hersh for $10,000. [4] He was trained in California by David Bernstein and ridden in all his Grade I wins by Kent Desormeaux.

Horse markings Colored areas, usually white, on a horse that differ from the body color

Markings on horses are usually distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life. Most markings have pink skin underneath most of the white hairs, though a few faint markings may occasionally have white hair with no underlying pink skin. Markings may appear to change slightly when a horse grows or sheds its winter coat, however this difference is simply a factor of hair coat length; the underlying pattern does not change.

Pound (mass) unit of mass in imperial, US customary, and avoirdupois systems of units

The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement. Various definitions have been used; the most common today is the international avoirdupois pound, which is legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, and which is divided into 16 avoirdupois ounces. The international standard symbol for the avoirdupois pound is lb; an alternative symbol is lbm, #, and ℔ or ″̶.

California State of the United States of America

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 9.7 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second-most populous, after New York City. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

Racing career

Until he was five years old The Wicked North was mainly campaigned over sprint distances with his most significant win coming in the Grade III Bing Crosby Handicap.

In 1994 Bernstein moved The Wicked North up in distance, [5] and he showed much improved form. He won the Californian Stakes, the Oaklawn Handicap and the San Antonio Handicap. He also finished first in the Santa Anita Handicap but was disqualified.

The Californian Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of June at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade II event is open to horses age three and up willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. This race serves as a key prep to the Hollywood Gold Cup.

The Oaklawn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in April at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The San Antonio Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Raced on the dirt, it is for horses age four and older. In 2017, the distance was shortened from ​1 1⁄8 miles to ​1 1⁄16 miles. The race was originally run under handicap conditions but is now run under allowance weight conditions, with specified weight reductions for horses who meet certain conditions. The San Antonio has been a Grade II event since 1990. The current purse is $300,000.

He started odds-on favourite for the Hollywood Gold Cup but finished fourth after sustaining a serious injury to his suspensory ligament. He was unable to race again and was retired to stud.

A suspensory ligament is a ligament that supports a body part, especially an organ.

Honors and awards

The Wicked North was voted U.S. Champion Older Male Horse for 1994 at the Eclipse Awards.

Stud career

The Wicked North stood as a stallion at the True North farm at Versailles, Kentucky until 2008 when he was retired after suffering from equine protozoal myeloencephalitis.

He spent the remainder of his life at the Old Friends retirement centre at Georgetown, Kentucky.

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References

  1. ↑ "Champion The Wicked North euthanized (includes video)". Thoroughbred Times. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  2. ↑ "The Wicked North Horse Pedigree". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  3. ↑ "The Wicked North Wins San Antonio Handicap". Articles.latimes.com. 1994-02-14. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  4. ↑ "The Wicked North Rallies". The Daily Gazette. 1994-04-17. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
  5. ↑ "The Wicked North Rallies". The Daily Gazette. 1994-04-17. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
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