Tour d'Or

This is my little story about the Met Mile. These stories were relayed to me by third parties and I have not taken the time to confirm, but I believe them to be true.

Karl Grusmark is the guy I learned from, I believe he is as good a trainer as anyone who has ever saddled a horse. Spend some time with him and you will think so too.I have a thirst for history, especially horse racing history and would ask Karl many questions and get him to tell stories. One of which was about Tour d'Or.
Why Karl is never mentioned in stories about Tour d'Or I do not know. But, Karl is the one who picked the famous stud out of that sale in 1986 for a mere 16K.

 A jocks agent once told me, I think it was John Piermarini, but it might have been Max Hall, that a lot of guys were out of the sales ring watching the Mets and Red Sox during a crucial part of the game, although it might have been that xtra innings game with the Astros and Mets (check the dates), when Karl grabbed Tour d'Or at that bargain basement price.

Here's the Met Mile angle. Not sure if it was '87 or '88 but Karl had Tour d'Or cross entered in the Met Mile and an allowance race. The owners of course wanted to run in the Met. Karl being a very conservative trainer convinced them to run in the allowance which was also a mile. Well Tour d'Or ran faster than the winner of the Met maybe by a full second and either broke the track record or came very close.

The owners soon after moved the horse to another trainer.  I think they would have been wise to leave him with Karl during his racing career. One final note, the owners were offered a substantial amount of money for Tour d'Or as a stud, 99 times out of a hundred taking the money is the right thing to do. Karl advised them to take the money...they did not and they cleaned up. I've read that if not for Tour d'Or the male line to Secretariat  would have died.

Again these stories are off the top of my head as relayed to me by Karl and others many years ago. They have not been verified by me, but I believe them to be true.



Mike McKenzie

My First Horse

The first Horse I ever owned I claimed on April 15, 2000.  Her name was Hop's Reflection.  The way I felt that day was like no other feeling I've ever experienced.  The only way to decribe it is that I felt more alive than ever I felt before or since.  I guess it was an intense mixture of excitement, anticipation, and nerves.

I was working with Karl Grusmark. He knew I wanted a horse and was looking for me.  I had $8400 in my account so I could get something for up to 8K. (just enough to cover the sales tax).  After looking for about a month or so, Karl came up with two prospects that day.  The other filly was Does It Get Bettor (I think) who ran two races later.

Hop's Reflection was in for $6250 and was up first.  At Suffolk Downs the claim box is right down on the rail, so you can watch the Horses walk right by on the track before they go into the paddock.  We watched the filly go by and Karl said she looked all right, so we dropped the claim slip and went up to the seats to watch the race.

The filly was a speed horse.  I'm talking out of the gate and on top by 4 lengths type speed.  Great fun to have horses like that.  Hop was 1st or 2nd choice, I bet 40 bucks on her.  She busted out on top and never looked back.  What a feeling!  I owned my first Horse and she had won!  The other filly also won two races later.  A great stat would be the % of horses that win on the day Karl Grusmark claims them (not always favorites either).

I ended up owning Hop for 4 races.  She finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and once out of the money.  She was claimed from me for $6250 the night she won for me at Rockingham Park.  Needless to say I made a little money (which I used to claim my next Horse, see below...). 

I kept tabs on Hop.  And when it was time to find her a home I was involved in the process.  She is with some wonderful people who have bred her to sport horses including Champion Budweiser.

All in all a wonderful experience.

Twenty Puns (continued)

You should see the photo of that 1st win.  7 of the 8 Horses are in the photo.  The Horse that finished second, Devil With Class was the favorite and was owned by Mike Gill.  And here's the really fun/good news.  I had $300 in my pocket and bet a hundred to win and place and 75 to show... held onto 25 bucks to eat (just in case).  I cleared over 1600 bucks.  I don't usually bet gimmicks when my own horse is involved.

Well back to the barn we go.  Twenty Puns had a huge overbite, you can see it in his win photos, and he loved carrots.  Of course I spoiled him with carrots during the brief time he was in our barn, when he ate them carrots shavings would go all over as he munched them because of the overbite.

So, I say to Karl "do we raise him up to 16K" and Karls says "noooooooooo....."

On July 31st we ran for 12.5K again.  These races are all at Rockingham Park.  (miss that place)  Magali had days so Tammi Piermarini rode that day.  The track was as sloppy as any track could ever be, not raining during the races, but sloppy!!

Numerous scratches.  4 horse field.  Cleveland Circle, Katikopi, Devil With Class, and our hero, Twenty Puns.  Splish Splash, we win again!  Devil with Class second again :)  Forget how much I bet, not as much, paid $4.40 or something  I was very happy with the purse money.

So, do we raise him up?    Noooooooooo.......  Karls a sharp Trainer.

We ran in August one last time for 12.5K.  Our boy finished 6th and was claimed by Joe Hampshires wife, Kim.  I cleared about 10K in 5 weeks!   Twenty Puns didn't win again for almost two years and that was at the bottom for 4K.

I sure do have fond memories of that Horse.........

Twenty Puns

Here's what got me hooked. For better or worse.

The second racehorse I ever owned was Twenty Puns. I owned him for 5 weeks. Here's how the 5 weeks unfolded.

I was working with Trainer Karl Grusmark at the time and I was looking to claim a horse. Karl recommended Twenty Puns. He was running for 10K at Rockingham Park on July 4, 2000. I think he finished a respectable third that day. We watched the race from the pavillion which was a little ways from where the groom picked up Twenty Puns when my claim was successful.

I watched with binoculars and noticed that Mary Cameron who owned and trained the horse was crying as our groom led Twenty Puns away. We got back to the barn to check out my champion and everyting seemed good.

Over the course of the next week, me and Karl talked about running the horse back and at what level. Karl is very consevative so I knew to be realistic. I told him I saw Mary crying and I thought she would take him back if we ran him for 10K and that I'd like to run him for 12.5K. Karl said "I hope we don't get embarrased" and entered the horse for 12.5K on July 19th.

Twenty Puns went off at odds of 10-1 in an 8 horse field, ridden by Magali Mascarte. Early on in the 6 furlong sprint he trailed the field. Turning for home he circled the field passed every horse in the race and just got his head down at the wire to win the race!