Oldest horse to race?

[schweitz]

Today at Ellis Park Alpena Magic is entered in the 3rd race at Ellis Park. Alpena Magic is a 15 yr old gelding running on the turf in a 15,000/12,500 claiming race.

I don't recall seeing an older horse race--has anybody else?

[Bubbles]

That's the oldest I've seen. I remember a steeplechase horse named Ninepins who won a GI jump race at Saratoga when he was 13, but that's it. Although I wouldn't be surprised if there are jumpers as old or older than that floating around, barring falls over fences, they're extremely durable horses.

[lsbets]

This is his 151st careeer start!

[falconridge]

I've seen any number of thoroughbreds campaign as twelve-year-olds--which I believe has been the upper limit at major California tracks for at least the past 35 years. One that stood out during my early years as an underage railbird at Bay Meadows was Rob Bob, who at that track's Fall 1968 meeting had his picture taken in the winner's enclosure. Once a useful allowance horse and a winner of minor stakes on the Northern California Fair Circuit (Bob once held the six-furlong track record at the old Fresno oval--'eight and change, as I recall), the old fellow never saw another spring. When, at a morning backstretch tour I attended late in that meeting, I asked about Bob (who, if you must know, was only two years my junior), tour guide Johnny Allen broke the news that the venerable runner had just succumbed. I'd never been so sad to learn of a horse's passing since my dad told me of the death of the great Native Diver (at age eight, shortly after winning his third consecutive Hollywood Gold Cup, which victory made him the first Cal-bred equine millionaire). I'd never seen the Diver in the flesh, and had had my heart set on watching him strut his stuff at that Bay Meadows meeting.

I did, however, get to see Ole Bob Bowers equal the world record for nine furlongs (1:46 2/5, then held by the mare Bug Brush) in winning, at odds of six to one, that year's renewal of the Tanforan Handicap. Ole Bob Bowers himself went on to sire a pretty fair gelding, one that stayed around for a long time and more than paid for his oats. For 25 trivia points, can you name Ole Bob Bowers's top money-winning offspring?

[Valuist]

His top $$ offspring? None other than John Henry.

[Houndog]

I recall a horse racing on the Chicago Circuit called Maxwell G that was trained by Richard Hazleton who raced until he was 14.

[cj]

Check out the figures I get for this guy...not the actual figures, just how many there are!

http://www.pacefigures.com/oldman

[lsbets]

If he can run back to his 1995 form, he'll win for fun! :lol:

[falconridge]

His top $$ offspring? None other than John Henry.

You are correct, sir! (as TV Land's highest paid chucklehead would put it.) I'm tempted to call Ole Bob Bowers thoroughbred breeding's ultimate one-shot wonder, though I do recall he later got another "useful" sprinter, one that came within a head bob of winning four (or was it five?) consecutive runnings of the Foothill Stakes at Pomona. Can't remember that one's name, though. Anyone?

[takeout]

I don't recall seeing an older horse race--has anybody else?
Lexington Park raced at Charles Town when he was 17 in what must’ve been his last start. That’s the oldest one I’ve ever seen. He’s still listed as holding the record there for a mile and an eighth. He set it on 9/21/73. 1:50.1 carrying 126 lbs.

PS: That was the record that was broken by A Huevo, the Michael Dickinson horse owned by Mark Hopkins, who was later DQed for a clenbuterol positive. I don’t think that very strange saga ever got settled to anyone’s liking.

[kenwoodallpromos]

It gained over 1 length in the stretch!

[midnight]

The oldest thoroughbreds to win a race were 18 years old. A few horses have done this. The only one in the last thirty years was Sony Somers, who won two steeplechase races in 1980 at age 18.