2005 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter
February 4- Lost In The Fog
It's been a lot of years; it was before computerized betting or watching video on your computer of races. The only way I could watch this horse race was to go to the dog track, but I never missed a day when he was racing. He usually went off at 1-10 or even 1-20 odds . . . I'm not even sure when I jumped on his band wagon, it might have been when he came back to his birth state of Florida for the Sunshine Stakes or when he came to Calder for the Summit of Speed, but he was a star even before then.
This is a horse I feel I could write an entire book about, and it would be nothing but superlatives.
Lost in the Fog was a brilliant champion sprinter whose racing career was as bright as his life was tragically short. He was foaled in 2002 and trained by Greg Gilchrist for owner Harry Aleo, a longtime San Francisco real estate agent who had dreamed for decades of owning a great horse. His sire was Lost Soldier, a son of Danzig, and his dam was Cloud Break, a daughter of Dr. Carter. He was a dark bay colt with one of the most distinctive faces in racing, marked by a wide white blaze and a black snip on his nose.
Lost in the Fog burst onto the racing scene in 2004 and 2005 with one of the most amazing sprint streaks in modern history. He won his first 10 starts in a row, all sprint races, beating allowance company and stakes rivals alike with the same easy speed and quick acceleration. The streak made him a national celebrity, with his story running in the New York Times and on television. Harry Aleo was a beloved figure in the sport, and the racing world fell in love with the team.
The signature wins of his championship year came in 2005. He took the Carry Back Stakes, the Riva Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park, the King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga, and the Aristides Breeders Cup Stakes. He shipped coast to coast to take on the best sprinters in the country and beat them. His winning streak finally ended in the 2005 Breeders Cup Sprint at Belmont Park, where he came up short on a wet track behind Silver Train. Even with that loss, voters named him the 2005 Eclipse Award Champion Sprinter.
Sadly, his career took a heartbreaking turn in 2006. He was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer, and passed away later that year at just four years old. Harry Aleo lost his beloved horse far too soon, and the racing world mourned. Lost in the Fog is buried at Golden Gate Fields in California, where a statue and memorial garden honor him. He retired with 11 wins from 14 starts and earnings of just over 1 million dollars. Lost in the Fog is remembered as one of the most popular sprinters of his time, a horse with brilliant speed, a sweet personality, and a story that touched everyone who followed his magical run.
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