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)
San Francisco 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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Henry (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

John Henry was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by Ole Bob Bowers out of Once Double. John Henry had 39 wins with $6,591,860 in earnings, was twice voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, and was listed as #23 on Blood Horse magazine's Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.

Unbridled was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.

Silver Charm is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and 1998 Dubai World Cup. He stood at stud in the United States and Japan, and is now retired at Old Friends Farm in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A.P. Indy</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

A.P. Indy was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His time in the Belmont Stakes tied Easy Goer for the second-fastest running in the history of the race, behind his damsire Secretariat.

Lemon Drop Kid is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Best known for winning the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was also the champion older horse of 2000 after winning the Brooklyn, Suburban, Whitney Handicaps and the Woodward Stakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distorted Humor</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Distorted Humor is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder Gulch</span> Thoroughbred racehorse

Thunder Gulch was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his wins in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1995, which earned him the title of U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt.

Free House was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that Blood-Horse Publications called one of the best California-bred horses of all time.

Horse Chestnut was a champion thoroughbred racehorse bred in South Africa by Harry F. Oppenheimer at his Mauritzfontein Stud in Kimberley. His sire Fort Wood was a son of the British champion sire, Sadler's Wells. He was defeated once in his racing career of 10 starts. He was nominated as the first equine inductee into the South African Equine Hall of Fame in 2019 but lost the vote to Sea Cottage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go for Gin</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Go for Gin was an American thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1994 Kentucky Derby. He was sired by Cormorant out of the dam Never Knock. He was ridden in the Derby by Chris McCarron, who had previously won the race on Alysheba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Spun</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Hard Spun is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Friends Equine</span> Thoroughbred racehorse retirement facility

Old Friends is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). The organization started with one leased paddock and two horses, but it now owns 136 acres, Dreamchase Farm, with additional leased pasturage. It is the only Thoroughbred retirement facility in the United States that accepts stallions on a regular basis. Old Friends is currently home to over 150 retired Thoroughbred athletes.

Concern was a multi-millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by top stallion Broad Brush, who in turn was a son of Ack Ack. His dam was Fara's Team. Foaled in Maryland, Concern was best known for his wins in the 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic and the grade two Arkansas Derby. Born at owner Robert Meyerhoff's Fitzhugh Farm in Phoenix, Maryland. To date, Concern is one of only four Maryland-bred horses ever to surpass the three million dollar mark in earnings. The other three were Cigar, Knicks Go and Awad. He finished racing with a record of 7–7–11 in 30 starts and career earnings of $3,079,350.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulch (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Gulch was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Owned and bred by Peter M. Brant, he was sired by the outstanding North American stud and graded stakes race winner Mr. Prospector out of the graded stakes race winning Rambunctious mare Jameela.

Turkoman was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.

Bold Bidder (1962–1982) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.

Broad Brush was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Maryland. He was by the Hall of Fame stallion Ack Ack out of the Hoist The Flag mare Hay Patcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogygian</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Ogygian was a multiple Grade 1 stakes (G1) winning Thoroughbred race horse and an important broodmare sire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game On Dude</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

Game On Dude is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse gelding. He won fourteen graded stakes races, including eight Grade I stakes: the Santa Anita Handicap in 2011, 2013, and 2014 the only horse to have won that race three times; he also won the Goodwood Stakes twice, the 2013 Pacific Classic Stakes, and the Hollywood Gold Cup twice. He has beaten many of the leading North American racehorses including Awesome Gem, Tizway, Ruler on Ice, Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty, Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge and has been rated among the best thirty racehorses in the world in the annual World Thoroughbred Rankings. Upon his retirement, he was compared favorably as one of the greatest racing geldings of all time, along with Kelso, John Henry and Forego.

Northern Afleet was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He is best known as the sire of dual Triple Crown Classic winner Afleet Alex and Breeders' Cup winners World Approval and Amazombie

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.