In world literature, a “hero” is envisioned as the epitome of strength and valor, who accomplishes incredible feats in noble and compelling ways.  Seeking minimal remuneration or reward, the hero (or heroine) elevates legions of followers to new and greater heights by virtue of his/her charisma.

            American society today embraces its heroes, especially sports heroes.  Ignorant of their faults and foibles, Americans have been known to rally around a failing team or an injured athlete more than any other country in the world.  In this same vein, they relish the efforts of our four-legged animal athletes.  Horseracing fans in the 1920s elevated Man O’ War to the status of a national landmark.  His funeral in 1947 was broadcast over radio and covered by press from all over the world.  As American society struggled from the grip of the Great Depression, it celebrated the underdog Seabiscuit in his conquest to upset Triple Crown winner, War Admiral at the Pimlico Special in 1938.  By some people’s standards, it was dubbed the greatest “sporting event” in American history.  For those of another generation, there was the Great Match Race of 1975 between Filly Triple Crown winner, Ruffian, and her male counterpart Kentucky Derby-winning colt, Foolish Pleasure.  Advocates of the “feminist” movement were still reeling from the upset of Bobby Riggs at the hands of Billy Jean King.  Ruffian had become their newest poster child whose victory in “the Match” was almost guaranteed.  Before a record-setting audience of 50,000 Belmont fans and 20,000,000 national TV viewers (the largest audience to date), Ruffian’s leg snapped like a twig in the first quarter mile and her life was shattered.  Sports announcer, Jack Whitaker, said it all, “Nothing can take away the horror of seeing a horse breakdown.  It is like seeing a masterpiece destroyed.”

            Her fans represented a cross-section of American society from girl scouts to grandmothers and nuns to truck drivers.  After thirty-two years, her death does not rank up there with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy or the invasion of Pearl Harbor, but there are thousands of people who could tell you where they were when they heard the news about Ruffian.  In the record books, she is an undefeated queen never headed or beaten in any race which she finished.  In each stakes or champion race, she either equaled or set a new track record.  Although the near black equine shooting star passed, her memory has not.

            Almost thirty years passed before another equine super star, Smarty Jones,   would win the public’s hearts and become America’s horse. To make the story more interesting, the colt departed from Kentuckiana tradition and was Pennsylvania-born and bred.  In somewhat of a Seabiscuit repeat, the Chapmans were also automobile dealers whose “little horse” was challenging the “big boys.”  Taking it one-step-at-a-time, Smarty blew away the competition and found himself undefeated and knocking on the door of Churchill Downs in one of the most exciting Derbies of the last fifty years.  Following in the footsteps of his relative, Seattle Slew, Smarty was the first undefeated Derby winner to make the trip to Pimlico since 1977.   In his pursuit of the Triple Crown, Smarty Jones rocked the entire nation…even making the trip from Philadelphia to New York for the Belmont Stakes in a police motorcade.  To date, everyone who followed Smarty to any degree knows the outcome of that sad day at Elmont, New York, when Smarty Jones lost his race by a length and we lost our star with a career-ending injury.

            That was 2004, and Smarty Mania is still alive and well in the USA.  Legions of fans make the pilgrimage to visit Smarty in Midway, Kentucky, in a tour that is booked months in advance.  In the early days of 2008, ninety-three more little Smarties will hit the tracks running as they graduate from race track school

            This past year at another Derby, another undefeated horse challenged a very talented field and won dramatically in the largest margin of victory in sixty years.  Once again Americans, fastening their seat belts for the roller coaster ride of May and June, looked to the ghosts of Triple Crowns’ past and the charisma of Barbaro for redemption. Could this be the horse that everyone was waiting for?

            Every conceivable statistic from Barbaro’s short career had been analyzed, and the hype-levels were off the meter as the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 20 approached.  Through the media, the public relived the heroics of Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz, who had rescued three children from a burning plane in an Iowan cornfield a decade before, and the anguish of Barbaro’s jockey, Edgar Prado, who had exhausted all efforts to save his dying mother from the ravages of cancer.  Owners of Barbaro, Gretchen and Roy Jackson, knowing that life would not be “normal” for sometime, graciously related the highlights of a thirty-year involvement with thoroughbred horses from their West Grove, Chester County, Pennsylvania farm. The flourish continued until it was finally race day.  Then in the blink of an instant…..all tranquility and promise were destroyed right before our eyes, as Barbaro’s right foot and ankle dangled before TV cameras around the world.

            To date, there are very few people who could not relate the outcome of this gut- wrenching ordeal.  The nation became totally absorbed in the daily struggle of Barbaro, the valiant fighter.  In the early days of his recuperation he had outlasted the naysayers, who believed it wasn’t possible to bring a horse back from this level of injury. Over the next 254 days, Barbaro would struggle to beat the odds with the nation rooting for him. After many successes, the law of averages kicked in and he could not rally against the laminitis that plagued him with insurmountable odds. The wise care-givers, who loved him ever so much, made the decision to rid him of  the shackles that had become too much to bear.  He left us with a legacy of caring, wisdom and love.  As Ruffian and Smarty, he became our hero….he had fought the good fight and had given his all.