2003 Donn Handicap Winner
April 6 - Harlan's Holiday
17 years ago, I entered a contest by Thoroughbred Times (remember the publication?) It was their freshman sire contest. You were allowed to pick one horse in each group of stallions with each group lumped together based upon similar stud fees. The horse I chose for a certain lower price range was Harlan's Holiday. So, I became a big fan of all his 2-year-olds. I made a trip to Ocala to the OBS sales that year and looked at all his babies I could see. I put eyes on dozens upon dozens of them and they were almost all copies of him and each other. Almost everyone had that same blaze.
One of the other stallions I had picked for a lower stud fee was Macho Uno. One day, I was driving to the other side of town to get art supplies in Melbourne, Florida, and I popped into the dog track to see a horse race or two. There was a race at Arlington Park with one colt by Harlan's Holiday and one by Macho Uno. Both horses had odds over 20-1 but hey, I had a couple bucks to show my faith in my two stallion picks. So, I made a $2 exacta box. The race goes off and they run. 1 - 2. I hit the exacta and it's paid about $275 on a $1 exacta. I quickly bounced up to cash my ticket and the cashier handed me about $550. I told her that she gave me too much. She looked and said that it paid $275 and your bet $2. So, I took my money and left. My faith and confidence were rewarded. The names of the two horses in the exacta were Into Mischief by Harlan's Holiday and Wicked Style by Macho Uno. I think Wicked Style won the race and would race in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Monmouth Park that year but as we horse racing folks know, Into Mischief has gone on to be the best stallion in the country over the last several years.
So, while we all know Into Mischief, let's not forget that Harlan's Holiday was a wonderful racehorse and was becoming a top stallion when he passed away way too soon.
Harlan's Holiday was a top three year old of 2002 who went on to become a major sire whose influence still shapes the modern American breed. He was foaled in 1999 and trained by Kenny McPeek for Starlight Stables. His sire was Harlan, a son of Storm Cat, and his dam was Christmas in Aiken, a daughter of the Triple Crown winner Affirmed. He carried a deep speed and class pedigree, and he proved it on the racetrack with steady excellence.
Harlan's Holiday had a brilliant three year old season heading into the 2002 Triple Crown trail. He won the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, then took the Florida Derby in February, and capped his Derby preps with a powerful win in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. He went into the 2002 Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites, but he never found his best stride and finished seventh behind War Emblem. He also tried the Preakness Stakes but came up short.
He kept running well in his three year old and four year old years. He picked up a major win in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in 2003, beating older horses and proving he had matured into a true Grade 1 caliber competitor. He hit the board in many other top races including the Whitney Handicap and the Stephen Foster Handicap. He retired with 9 wins from 22 starts and earnings of nearly 1.9 million dollars.
The biggest legacy of Harlan's Holiday came at stud. He stood at WinStar Farm in Kentucky and quickly became one of the most important sires in the country before his life was tragically cut short in 2009 at just 10 years old. His best son was Into Mischief, who became the leading sire in North America for several years and one of the most influential stallions of the modern era. He also sired Shanghai Bobby, who won the 2012 Breeders Cup Juvenile and was named the 2012 Eclipse Award Champion Two Year Old Colt. Harlan's Holiday is remembered as a gritty runner whose name lives on through some of the most powerful bloodlines in American racing today.
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