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
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