Those of us who follow horse racing intently, know and understand the magical and mysterious feeling that drew you to the Sport of Kings. Without fail, each year, there is at least one horse who takes you by the hand and stays permanently by your side.
Recalling such moments throughout the years with such fondness, a constant reminder of how they were truly responsible for the long lasting obsession. Regardless of the state of affairs with the sport itself, you can always rely on that anticipation of seeing that one horse ride again. They keep you fixated just long enough and then another flashes his light on you, and so the cycle continues.
Nineteen years ago, that very first thunderbolt occurred for me. The day was May 15, 2004. It was Preakness day at Pimlico.
A handsome Gary Stevens, decked out in the finest of silks, sitting aboard the most beautiful thoroughbred I had ever laid eyes upon. The two of them embodied the majesty of the centuries old sport in that split second of time.
I knew, at that very moment, I was captured at an entirely different level. I wasn't simply a spectator in the stands looking to cash an exacta ticket any more. I was mesmerized by the sight of it all and I immediately understood the allure of the Sport of Kings.
Rock Hard Ten and Gary Stevens changed everything. It was the breath-taking beauty of it all that did me in for the very first time.
So regal was the scene that they both captured, it was almost as if my eyes could only see it in black and white. Reminiscent of a bygone era; the old replays of War Admiral, Whirlaway, and Ribot, with well-dressed patrons lining the stands. They sent me into a time warp where the very scene was playing out in the 30's, 40's or maybe the 50's.
Rendered speechless and motionless for quite some time, as if any move made, the vision would vanish.
That photograph, taken by Barbara Livingston, is a moment in time that encapsulates the majesty of this sport. The reason for the loyalty, the obsession and the promise of more to come.
To this very day, Gary Stevens will always be the quintessential jockey and Rock Hard Ten will continue to be the perfectly sculpted masterpiece of equine beauty. Throughout the years, the thunderbolts will attack you, be it through their elegance and grace, their prowess on the track, or the promise of their nobility through their charts.
Enter Extra Anejo.
Looking every bit the part with Epicenter's silks.
Reminiscent of Shared Belief powering around that final turn.
Unexplainable speed from a novice like Le Vent Se Leve.
Built like a powerhouse, just waiting and waiting to see him again.
The debut of Extra Anejo set the stage for the entire 2022-2023 Triple Crown season and it's recovery will never come. He was the horse who threw that lasso on October 13th of last year and his effect was palpable. Not just in the Futures bets, it was more than that. It was the promise found within his chart - the first time he crossed that wire - that running style - that speed.
He overshadowed the entire Derby nominations list for 2023 and left the entire road as bleak as I had ever seen.
In hindsight, those first 5 months of lamenting over his return should have been replaced with a long vacation from all things Derby. That same revolving feeling when "THE HORSE" is taken away. It happened with Algorithms, Honor Code, Shared Belief, Le Vent Se Leve, and also with Epicenter after the Breeder's Cup Classic. The horse racing gods always seem to have a way with choosing the best of the crops.
It is one thing to witness a flashy spectacular performance, they are a dime a dozen within the speedy breeding of our time. Most will only set their rapture on the beyers or timeform figures in the same manner as when they see a young sprinter posting the same. When that sprinter eventually gives in at the 9f mark, their tunes change and the horse is eventually left forgotten.
It is another thing when you fully understand the massive capability that a chart represents.
It is Extra Anejo's breeding that sets him on a pedestal, with that rare promise of what he is built upon and where that will eventually take him. In reality, half of the two year olds who enter the scene every year will be built to tackle Intermediate distances. They will perform, sometimes like wild-fire, at 9f and under. The other half, if they can find a way to make it successfully through their unfavorable shorter races, with thrive at the Classic mark.
Extra Anejo's chart is a never-ending stream of potential brilliance and upon seeing it at his debut, that thunderbolt struck with a "Rock Hard Ten" intensity, an everlasting and extremely confident effect.
Extra Anejo - Loaded. (Oct. 13, 2022 Article)
Son of Into Mischief.
41.6% linebreeding to St. Simon.
Third Generation Galileo.
Fourth Generation Urban Sea.
Fifth Generation Mizwaki.
Fifth Generation Darshaan.
Top to His Majesty → Ribot/Flower Bowl
Chef DP = 1-2-6-5-0 (14) (5 pts in solid)
DI = 0.75 (major stamina)
Negative .07 chef CD (stamina dominant)
Mare Profile = 2-11-6-9-5 (speed dominate)
Speed = 13 Stamina = 14 (balanced)
Triads = 19-26-20 (massive)
Just missed breaking the track record, geared down at the wire.
It has been a very long 9 months of waiting with unbridled anticipation to see the makings of a Champion unfold.
I feel like I've been in a time-warp again. Just get this boy into The Travers.
"The complexity of tequila really begins to bloom once you start getting into the spirit’s añejo, or more mature, expressions. Crafting beautifully aged añejos and extra añejos requires more aging time and attention to detail than younger expressions in order to coax out higher levels of complexity in the agave spirit."
“Time is something that doesn’t come easy — it’s a luxury to have,” says Raptis.
“And when you take your time to craft something that is going to become unique and different — that is the main thing.”- Vinepair.com
EXTRA ANEJO - THE DEBUT AT TWO:
EXTRA ANEJO - EXQUISITE AT THREE:
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