Kona Gold--horse racing legend?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Okay, I’m partial. Reeeeeeeaally partial. As in, Kona is owned by a friend, trained by her hubby, and I have been to every single one of his California races since he was 5. He appeared on the cover of Blood Horse magazine on my wedding day. I’m building a web site dedicated to him… and I have three, count 'em three, framed photos of him on my office walls (plus a framed drawing I did of him myself).

So, I like him.

He won today. Easily. Ridiculously easily. At age 8. When he entered the winner’s circle, the announcer said Kona was “one of the greatest horses ever to grace Hollywood Park track.”

I know there’s a few horse racing fan Dopers out there…and I’m curious what non-partial opinions are of him. Is he as brilliant and legendary as his proud fan believes?

[sub]btw curious Dopers…when asked if they knowingly named the horse after a slang term for marijuana, Bruce Headley just laughed deviously and said “Well, he is by Java Gold…” [/sub]

2

He’s good.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/horses/2001breederscup/2001-10-24-sprint.htm

But not a legend, evidently–he’s not a legend until he shows up in a cnn.com Search. :smiley:

3

I like him too. Maybe it’s his endurance. I appreciate a horse that can keep in the game. Maybe it’s a California bias (yeah, he’s Kentucky-bred, but he’s essentially Californian). Or maybe it’s the way he runs with his tongue hanging out (didn’t Hawksley Hill also do that? cracks me up).

Del Mar used to have online videos of past races (beyond the ones they have now) and I enjoyed watching Kona Gold run against Big Jag. Such a classic rivalry. (But I have to say my favorite video was of Passion Flower winning a race, with the call saying she looked like she just entered the race at the top of the stretch as she flew to the wire.)

Okay, I didn’t make it to Pimlico. But I’m determined to get to Belmont this coming Saturday. Here’s hoping for War Emblem victory and a Triple Crown.

And a big cheer for Kona Gold!

4

buttons bursting in pride

Thank both of you for the compliments to him! :slight_smile:

5

Outside of a few comments from industry writers, and fans’ comments such as yours, Ruffian, I have to admit that I’m not familiar with this horse. Sounds like he’s a good one though; any horse capable of winning at age 8 is impressive.

Actually, being in the Eastern time zone, I usually pay attention to tracks that are in the east: Woodbine, Aqueduct, Belmont, etc.; and even then, I’m not as familiar with the American tracks as I could be. That’s my excuse for knowing Kona Gold only through others’ comments, but perhaps it allows me to look at your question without being too partial.

One thing I have found about “legendary” horses is that they need to do a couple of things in order to attain “legendary” status. First of all, they have to win, and they have to win important stakes. Secretariat, Cigar, Izvestia–Grade I stakes winners all, and each impressive in his own way. I can’t recall very many Grade III stakes winners though.

But secondly, they have to be successful with breeding. Northern Dancer was both a Grade I stakes winner and a successful sire, for example (IIRC, Dance Smartly, a Queen’s Plate winner and a Distaff winner in the Breeder’s some years back, was of Northern Dancer’s bloodline, as have been many other successful horses even further back: Nijinsky II, Russian Fox, among others). But, IMHO, that’s why we remember Northern Dancer: because he could both win, and produce winners.

And that’s why few people remember Izvestia. Canadian Triple Crown winner, and one heck of an impressive runner, but he broke down in a race as a four-year-old, and sadly, had to be put down. No career as a stud, so we don’t see his name come up in the pedigree lines of the PPs, so we’re not reminded of him as much as we are with others. (Sorry for all the Canadian references, by the way, but that’s the racing I am most familiar with–and I was at Woodbine to see both Izvestia and Dance Smartly win, so maybe I’m a little biased. :slight_smile: )

Anyway, there are my thoughts: a “legendary” horse is a winner who can produce winners. Just my opinion, and your mileage may very, but it answers your question in a very roundabout way: as a winner, Kona Gold has fulfilled half of the requirements for “legendary” status. We’ll have to wait a while to see if he can fulfil the other half.

6

Kona Gold won the 2000 Breeder’s CUp Sprint (G1) and has also won other G1 races.

Hmm. Can’t help him much here, then as he is a gelding. But still, names like Kelso, Forego, John Henry, and Best Pal come to mind as some of the greatest geldings we’ve seen…so perhaps Kona can join their elite company.

My personal views re: legends are similar to yours, but I add another category in resilience and lengevity. Kelso and Forego were both formidable into their late single digits, and for a while John Henry was in serious training at age 11. A horse that can consistently compete with, and defeat, Grade 1 company for not one, not two, but four or five seasons is what gets my attention.

Secretariat’s and Man O’ War’s freakish brilliance overshadows the fact they only raced at two and three (and deservedly so), but for the most part , the ones we really remember and really demonstrated consistent class were champions, or top competitors, of their division year after year: Seattle Slew, Affirmed, and Spectacular Bid come to mind when considering this.

It is my hope that should War Emblem win the Triple Crown, they’ll keep him in training through this year and even into the next. People speak of how racing needs a Triple Crown winner; having one that wins, and then disappears, will do little to develop any kind of a following in the industry.

Wow. When tired I can just ramble on and on and on and on…

7

A few links to articles detailing his Sunday win (just a little Grade III race, but still–his first in 8 months and at age 8!)

Kona’s Win “Extra Special”

Kona Gold Returns With Win in Los Angeles Handicap

8

I don’t know about Kona since sprinting’s his game and those types tend to be overshadowed by the classic distance horses (tho Shuvee seems to get her props).

But Kona’s daddy is in my view one of the underappreciated names in the history of classics.Late bloomer-didn’t run long enough (13 starts).but once he hit his career stride there wasn’t many better.

Looks like he produced something,too.

Of course if using starts as a measure,what can we say about Personal Ensign?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

9

Ah, I didn’t know Kona Gold was a gelding. So much for the part about the breeding! But he may yet join the ranks of racing’s greatest geldings–I ran across Kelso’s name the other day, so they definitely are not forgotten. Let’s see if Kona Gold can join them.

Heck, now you’ve got me curious, and I want to see him race. We occasionally get the simulcasts from Hollywood Park; maybe I should take a look through the Hollywood card to see if he is running the next time I am at Woodbine or the local casino’s race book.

I’ll also agree with your comments about resilience–especially when you use phrases like “demonstrated consistent class.” That’s the heart of the matter perhaps, and certainly the three you cited prove this point well.

As for War Emblem and the Triple Crown–frankly, I’d like to see racing get the shot in the arm that a Triple Crown winner would bring. As racing fans know, many tracks have turned to slot machines and styled themselves “gaming facilities” in the face of increasing legal casino gambling. But all this means is the inevitable will take a little longer: it is much easier to drop coins in a slot machine than it is to competently select a winning horse, so guess where the gambling dollar will go? But a Triple Crown winner and the renewed interest in racing such an event would bring might coax some of those slot players out of the basement and up into the stands–and hopefully, the mutuel windows.

But that’s another discussion for another time. For now, I’m looking forward to the Belmont (go War Emblem!), and I’ll watch for Kona Gold on the Hollywood card the next time I’m at the track.

10

Spoons, watch for Kona on the Del Mar card. I can guarantee, regardless of what articles say, that he won’t run at HP again. The Headleys (trainer and part owner) are not fond of the track.

He will run again at Del Mar in July. He’s undefeated there–and we’re coming up on his 4th season running at that track!