EXCELLER: A CAUSE CELEBRE
No horse has ever done what Exceller did 30 years ago when he defeated two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, in the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Given the unlikelihood that the sport will ever see two Triple Crown winners racing at the same time again, it’s hard to see how Exceller’s accomplishment will ever be matched. The son of Vaguely Noble may be the greatest horse never to win a year-end championship in the United States. He was an accomplished runner in Europe and in the U.S., winning 15 of 33 starts for Nelson Bunker Hunt (including seven of 10 starts in 1978), and earning in excess of $1.6 million — when million-dollar winners were rare.
Take a few minutes and enjoy this video of the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup. It was a fascinating contest. Seattle Slew broke through the gate before the start. Then, Affirmed’s saddled slipped, compromising his chances. Seattle Slew was pushed to unbelievably fast fractions for a mile and a half race, yet he fought as gamely as any horse has ever fought, right to the finish. And Exceller, under Bill Shoemaker, rallied from 22 lengths off that rapid pace to get the win.
Sadly, neither the Jockey Club Gold Cup nor the many other outstanding victories are why Exceller is known to a generation of racing fans who never had the good fortune to see him run. This grand Thoroughbred, who gave so much for our pleasure, wound up in a slaughterhouse in Sweden in April 1997, less than 20 years after his greatest racing achievement.
Exceller’s crime? Failure to succeed as a stallion?
(Read more about Exceller’s racing career and his death in a Swedish slaughterhouse. Elected to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1999, two years after his death, Exceller’s biographical information and Hall of Fame plaque fail to state his cause of death.)
Whether you believe that slaughter is a viable alternative for unwanted horses or are sickened by the thought that thousands of Thoroughbreds are led to slaughter for human consumption every year, the story of Exceller is a tragic one. No horse who did for the sport what Exceller did should have such an undignified death.
The same is true of the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner, Ferdinand, who is believed to have died in a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002 after not living up to expectations as a stallion.
Exceller became a cause célèbre for some racing fans who were frustrated that the Thoroughbred industry and its leaders were doing next to nothing for so many former racehorses who failed to generate revenue for their owners and ended up being slaughtered. A group of them decided they would do something about it, forming the Exceller Fund, pooling their own resources and raising additional funds, and volunteering their time to save horses from slaughter and help them transition to a second career off the racetrack. The Exceller Fund is one of many such organizations struggling to make a difference on behalf of the horses and the Thoroughbred industry.
This Saturday, to honor Exceller’s Jockey Club Gold Cup victory, a number of racetracks across the U.S. will host a “Toast to Exceller Day,” in order to raise awareness and donations for the Exceller Fund and many other equine charity groups. A special cocktail, “The Exceller,” is being sold at several tracks, including Mountaineer, Finger Lakes, Laurel Park and Presque Isle Downs, with proceeds benefting the Exceller Fund.
“I cannot thank our partner tracks enough for their support with this and I wish to especially thank the New York Racing Association for their commitment to the Exceller Fund that will be a lasting relationship for many years to come,” said leading New York trainer Gary Contessa, who in August was named president of the Exceller Fund.
Exceller did a great deal for Thoroughbred racing — then and now.
Copyright © 2008, The Paulick Report
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Tags: affirmed, bill shoemaker, exceller, exceller fund, ferdinand, gary contessa, hall of fame, Horse Racing, horse slaughter, japanese slaughterhouse, jockey club gold cup, kentucky derby, national museum of racing and hall of fame, seattle slew, swedish slaughterhouse, Triple Crown
September 25th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Ray,
I don’t have an advanced degree or anything but I think that 1997 is 19 years after 1978.
That is just a guess though.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Winston…No fancy degrees here, either. Just a math error that’s been corrected. Thanks for pointing it out.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I had the privilege to exercise Exceller for several weeks after he arrived from France into Charlie Whittingham’s barn. He was beautiful, very easy to ride and so sweet, though he left me a little teeth mark under my forearm while playing with him. I was honored to paint Exceller for Nelson Bunker Hunt. That painting appeared on the cover of the Blood Horse December 4, 1978.
Exceller had growing physical problems and he won his last races because of his tremendous talent, big heart and honesty. Exceller’s will to win despite his ailments, made his victories, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup, even more admirable. Though he didn’t receive an Eclipse Award, he was the champion.
I learned of his slaughter, the paranoia and cruelty of his last owner and how not even heroic horses are protected from such cruel fate, while being interviewed by Mike Mullaney from the Daily Racing Form. I was so shocked and heartbroken that we postponed the interview for a few days and Mike agreed to redirect it from artwork to racehorse welfare.
I was also close to the sweet and beautiful Ferdinand. I had the honor to paint him as well and was so distraught to learn that he suffered a horrific death, alone, in a slaughterhouse.
Horse racing needs to protect its horses. It owes them a humane end of career and humane end of life, regardless of their value.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Christine… Thank you for sharing your memories and up-close and personal observations of both Exceller and Ferdinand.
For those unfamiliar with Christine, she is an accomplished horsewoman and artist. I’m sure she’s too shy to promote her work, but I’m not: it can be found at http://www.christinepicavet.com/.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I’m thrilled to see that NYRA and other tracks are honoring Exceller and helping to raise awareness of the fate of so many Thoroughbreds when their racing days are over. I hope that this will be the first of many “Toast to Exceller” days. His fate should never be forgotten and we should all strive to protect our Thoroughbreds and give them the safe and dignified retirement they deserve. Anyone who thinks that it’s okay to ship a racehorse off to slaughter when they are no longer earning their keep needs to get into a different business.
With the industry under a microscope after a series of breakdowns in big races - Barbaro, George Washington, Eight Bells - the positive PR generated by protecting out horses from slaughter would do this industry a world of good.
Nice article Ray… Thanks.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Ray, thank you for the great article. I know many fans will appreciate the Jockey Club Gold Cup Video. I hope Exceller’s biographical info and Hall of Fame plaque can be amended. His death in a slaughter house was heart breaking. His death should be heralded as the start of the anti-slaughter movement in the Thoroughbred industry.
My family has owned TBs for many years. We have been able to find good homes and second careers for the horses that were sound. The ones with ailments were retired as family pets.
When we can, we also purchase one horse at a time from the racetrack, give them some time for rest and recuperation, and work with them until they can go to a trainer for retraining. This is a great way for everyone in the industry to give back. Most trainers know of a horse the owner wants to get out of because they are not competitive. Usually, they can be bought for whatever the owner owes the trainer ($2,000-$3,000)
We have found a wonderful “A’ hunter/jumper trainer near Chicago and she makes every attempt to sell the horses in her barn. This woman loves the horses and gives them fabulous care. It gives us a great deal of joy to see the rescue horses have such a happy life.
I hope this inspires others, to find a riding horse trainer they can work with. It is especially important that the trainer is capable of handling OTTBs. I know most of the owners have the horse’s best interests at heart, but simply do not where to turn. Usually, if the horse is sound and with a good trainer, you will recoup your costs and can repeat the process with another horse.
The owners should let their race trainer know that they plan for their horses to have another career when the horses are done racing. When a horse is no longer racing to his potential, it is imperative that the horse be retired before he incurs a significant injury. Contrary to many race trainers’ understanding, lame horses, with bowed tendons, suspensory injuries, and chips will not pass a prepurchase exam which is performed in most all riding horse purchases. The sounder the horse is, the greater his chances are for a new career.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present an alternative way to give back to our beloved Thoroughbreds. Exceller has done so much and we must continue to carry his torch.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
It’s typical of the industry that it is toasting the slaughtered champion Exceller while it continues consigning other Thoroughbreds to be slaughtered every day.
If I go to the track tomorrow, I’ll drink an “Exceller” cocktail (or 2), and the whole time I’m there I’ll be wondering how many of the horses I’m watching will end up in slaughterhouses if the law isn’t changed.
As things now stand, the only thing between Big Brown or Curlin (or any Thoroughbred anywhere in the United States) and a trip to Mexico is the good will of their connections.