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12-07-2020, 03:41 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,053
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Congaree Passed Away
Congaree euthanized due to old age at 22 years.
Throwback racehorse, came back from the dead as a foal, came back from the dead after getting fried at 3, and blossomed off a disappointing early 4yo season.
Won back to back Cigar Miles in dominating fashion. Was a multiple Grade 1 winner in both NY and CA. Only disappointments for me were his bad Met Mile effort after a poor start and getting tagged at the wire by Milwaukee Brew in the Big Cap after winning all the preps. I'm pretty sure it would have been unprecedented if he had won both of those in 2003.
Arguably ran the best of any horse in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, surviving the monster pace and just failed to save the place spot.
I saw that horse at Adena Springs in the early part of his stallion career. His feet were bigger than my head.
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12-07-2020, 05:48 PM
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
Posts: 5,870
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spalding No!
Congaree euthanized due to old age at 22 years.
Throwback racehorse, came back from the dead as a foal, came back from the dead after getting fried at 3, and blossomed off a disappointing early 4yo season.
Won back to back Cigar Miles in dominating fashion. Was a multiple Grade 1 winner in both NY and CA. Only disappointments for me were his bad Met Mile effort after a poor start and getting tagged at the wire by Milwaukee Brew in the Big Cap after winning all the preps. I'm pretty sure it would have been unprecedented if he had won both of those in 2003.
Arguably ran the best of any horse in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, surviving the monster pace and just failed to save the place spot.
I saw that horse at Adena Springs in the early part of his stallion career. His feet were bigger than my head.
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real nice horse. probably the best offspring of Arazi as well. You can see why they tried the grass, I was there that day, he was slipping all over the turf course if i recall being told after the race.
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12-07-2020, 07:23 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,798
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I can't find his Hollywood Gold Cup, but here's his Cigar Mile:
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12-07-2020, 07:39 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,053
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMB@BP
real nice horse. probably the best offspring of Arazi as well. You can see why they tried the grass, I was there that day, he was slipping all over the turf course if i recall being told after the race.
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He ran off that day carving out ridiculous fractions for a turf race (45+, 1:09 1/5) before getting swallowed up in the stretch (beaten only a couple of lengths). Baffert quipped post-race that "he liked the grass too much" after complaining Mike Smith couldn't get him to relax.
Almost was retired after that race but they gave him one more chance in the 2002 Cigar Mile and he went on quite a tear after that.
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12-08-2020, 01:06 AM
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: South of heaven
Posts: 385
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spalding No!
Congaree euthanized due to old age at 22 years.
Throwback racehorse, came back from the dead as a foal, came back from the dead after getting fried at 3, and blossomed off a disappointing early 4yo season.
Won back to back Cigar Miles in dominating fashion. Was a multiple Grade 1 winner in both NY and CA. Only disappointments for me were his bad Met Mile effort after a poor start and getting tagged at the wire by Milwaukee Brew in the Big Cap after winning all the preps. I'm pretty sure it would have been unprecedented if he had won both of those in 2003.
Arguably ran the best of any horse in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, surviving the monster pace and just failed to save the place spot.
I saw that horse at Adena Springs in the early part of his stallion career. His feet were bigger than my head.
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Congaree was so incredibly underappreciated. Point Given got all the attention, while Congaree actually delivered and then some.
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12-08-2020, 08:28 AM
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 430
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I'm sorry to hear this. I will always remember Congaree's Cigar Mile win and Durkin's call as he came down the stretch. His Gold Cup was won by a nose, if memory serves and the headline read something like "Congaree finally gets his 10F win". I agree he was underappreciated/overshadowed by PG.
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12-08-2020, 09:39 AM
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 20,613
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It's a shame we don't get to see more horses of his quality run as often. He was a good one.
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