Obituary: Charismatic (1996-2017)

Racehorse Charismatic, descended from Secretariat and who won the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness before being injured in the Belmont Stakes, died suddenly this morning at Old Friends, the thoroughbred retirement farm he had called home only since December 4 of last year.

Charismatic suffered a fractured foreleg in the 1999 Belmont at the finish line, but thanks to the quick action of jockey Chris Antley, he fully recovered and enjoyed a long stud career, mostly in Japan, until pensioned last year.

Charismatic was 21.

Press release:

GEORGETOWN, KY - FEBRUARY 19, 2017- Dual classic winner and 1999 Horse of the Year Charismatic has died.

The 20-year-old stallion, who returned to the United States from the JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan on December 4, 2016, was pensioned at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY.

The announcement of his sudden passing was made this afternoon by Old Friends president Michael Blowen.

The stallion was discovered early this morning. Attending veterinarian Dr. Bryan Waldridge was immediately called to the scene, but the cause of death is unknown. The results of a full necropsy are pending.

"Right now, everyone is pretty much inconsolable," said Blowen. "Last night, at 6:30, he was fine. He was a really tough horse and he deserved a much longer retirement. But none of us, unfortunately, has a magic wand. Everyone at Old Friends takes solace from the few great months that this great Champion gave us."

Bred by Kentucky by Parrish Hill Farm and William Farish, and trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Charismatic (Summer Squall-Bali Babe, by Drone) won, at long odds, the 1999 Kentucky Derby after vying in claiming races just a few months earlier. He went on to capture the Preakness Stakes and found himself an unlikely Triple Crown contender.

But in the Belmont Stakes the chestnut colt suffered multiple fractures in his left front leg just a few strides before the wire. It was only through the heroic efforts of jockey Chris Antley--who quickly dismounted and held up Charismatic's injured left front leg off the ground--that the injuries were career ending and not life ending.

Charismatic earned that year's Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old colt, as well as Horse of the Year honors, and retired with five wins from 17 starts and earnings of $2,038,064. He entered stud at Lane's End in 2000 and stood there for three seasons before relocating to Japan in 2002.

More information will be releases as it becomes available.

He was a handsome chestnut, somewhat reminding one of one of his ancestors, Secretariat, and was a good horse despite having a somewhat modest background. He looked remarkably healthy and handsome when he returned to Kentucky two-and-a-half months ago. That is why this death was a total shock to everybody.

1999 Kentucky Derby:

Preakness 1990-1999

Summer Squall 1990:





Hansel 1991:






Pine Bluff 1992:







Prairie Bayou 1993. The 1993 series is especially tragic, for Union City broke down in this race and had to be put down. Even more heartbreaking was the winner's owners talked about how bad they felt for Union City's connections when they were in the winner's circle, but just three weeks later, Prairie Bayou broke down in the Belmont Stakes and had to be euthanized. He was a gelding. It was just tragic that year. I have a hard time watching this race and the 1993 Belmont:






Tobasco Cat 1994:






Timber Country 1995:




Louis Quatorze 1996:




Silver Charm 1997. This was one hell of a race, nearly a three-way tie, and from one of the better foal crops in recent years:






Real Quiet 1998:







Charismatic 1999:

Kentucky Derby 1990-1999

1999: Charismatic:



1998: Real Quiet:



1997: Silver Charm:



1996: Grindstone:



1995: Thunder Gulch:



1994: Go For Gin:



1993: Sea Hero:



1992: Lil E Tee:



1991: Strike the Gold:



1990: Unbridled:

Triple Crown.

There have been six near-misses of the Triple Crown in the past 11 years, to say nothing of the near-misses in 1979 (absolutely no excuse for Spectacular Bid's loss), 1981 (Pleasant Colony), 1987 (Alysheba), and 1989 (Sunday Silence).

The most heartbreaking, as I have mentioned, was Real Quiet's extremely narrow loss in 1998 to Touch Gold. It still makes trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Kent Desormeaux sick after all these years because it was so damned close. A bob of the head would have clinched the Triple Crown for Real Quiet.

I don't know why War Emblem wasn't mentioned in the article. He was one of the six near-misses.

1999 Belmont Stakes.

Lemon Drop Kid won this race, one of the sadder Belmont Stakes races. Charismatic, a descendant of Secretariat, and who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and the favorite for the Belmont, injured his leg near the end of the race. Jockey Chris Antley, acting quickly, stopped him and cradled the horse's injured leg:





Antley deserved every bit of praise given to him, for he literally saved Charismatic's life. And while he could save the horse, he tragically couldn't save himself. Antley died about a year and a half later.

Charismatic, 12, currently stands at stud in Japan.