Your Host - "The Magnificent Cripple"

jjacks1 · October 26, 2013, 12:45:22 PM

I love the story of Your Host - a will so indomitable that it overcame all obstacles. But then I think about Your Host and what would happen if he was alive today. First off the politically correct police would gasp in horror if we called him The Magnificent Cripple. Then I wonder if he would even be allowed to run. Would PETA throw a hissy about running a horse in his condition? Would Lloyds of London even be allowed to experiment with keeping him alive? Would there be room for a Your Host in modern times? I would hope so because his courage was an inspiration to us all. And without him, of course, we would never have had Kelso.

Your Host

Born in California in 1947, Your Host was a physical disaster as thoroughbred race horses go. By the imported British stallion Alibhai out of the Irish mare Boudoir II by the French stallion Mahmoud, this funny little chestnut horse had a right eye and ear set a good one inch higher than his left eye and ear, his neck was crooked, his withers too low, and his flanks seemed light, a little weak ... meaning not enough muscle. Most said the twisted neck was because of a youthful injury but his groom swore he carried his head in such an odd way to make up for the mismatched eyes. When he was young, he was difficult: nervous, headstrong and often uncontrollable. With four white socks (another disaster as four white socks were considered 'unlucky'), a nervous disposition, unratable, and racing with a titled head, no one had any idea he would become a great racehorse. What's more, when his racing days were done, Your Host sired Kelso, five times Horse Of The Year and one of the best runners America ever produced. (Kelso was also runty and difficult, difficult enough to get himself gelded ... but he had twice the stamina of his sire.)

Kelso, son of Your Host

Add to all this, Your Host became seriously ill at age 2. Only the skill of the veterinarians and his own indomitable will to live saved him.
Bred in the stables of the movie mogul, Louis B. Mayer, then head of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Your Host was owned by Mayer's son-in-law, the Hollywood film producer William Goetz, and trained by H.L. Daniels.
Sometimes called "The Twister," sometimes called "Old Sidewinder," and a few times called "The Freak" by the press, Your Host was the poster horse for what Hall of Fame trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons once said, "It's what you CAN'T see that matters." That was never truer than in the case of Your Host.
At two he won the California Breeders Champion Stakes, the Del Mar Futurity Stakes and came in second in the Salinas Handicap and the Homebred Stakes.
At three he won the San Felipe and the Santa Anita Derby. He also took a race at Keeneland by six and a half lengths in a new track record, beating Flamingo Stakes winner, Oil Capital, and the winner of the Blue Grass Stakes, Mr. Trouble. It was obvious that The Magnificent Cripple was Kentucky Derby worthy. Not only worthy, but favored to win the 76th Kentucky Derby in the year of 1950.
Your Host arrived in Kentucky to great fanfare; the sign on his Hollywood connections railroad car said flat out, "1950 Kentucky Derby Winner." But something went wrong in the Derby for the skinny horse from California. Though ridden by the great Johnny Longdon, and valiantly dueling for a mile with Mr. Trouble --- and leading, Your Host began fading badly. In the second fastest Derby yet run, timed at 2:01 3/5, he lost to Middleground, coming home ninth and exhausted. Like the idea of his crooked neck being caused by a youthful accident, some said he didn't have the stamina for the Derby distance. But others said that a hypodermic needle was later found in his body, broken off and left to fester. Whatever the reason, Your Host returned to California and shorter races. For the rest of the season he was a terror on the track. He won the Thanksgiving Day Handicap, the Golden State Breeders Handicap, the Kent Stakes, the Dick Welles Stakes and the Sheridan Handicap. He placed in the Premiere Handicap and came third in the American Derby and the Arlington Classic. In this third year, he beat the eventual horse of the year, Hill Prince, who had beaten him by coming in second in the Derby. He also beat Ponder, the son of Pensive, both Kentucky Derby winners.

Your Host (#4) winning the Santa Catalina Handicap in track record time at Santa Anita

In 1951, Your Host's 4 year old season, he looked to shine brighter than ever. Still skinny, still running awkwardly, he could also still run. He was second to Bolero while conceding 5 pounds in the San Carlos Handicap and then won the Santa Catalina under 130 pounds. During the race, Your Host's saddle slipped, almost unseating his jockey. The jockey certainly lost the reins and clung to Your Host's mane for dear life. Then Your Host did something remarkable; he made sure the jockey kept his balance by weaving all over the track, at the same time setting a new track record of 1:48 1/5 for the 1 1/8 mile.
Then came the moment all horsemen and horsewomen dread, a moment barely averted in the 2006 Preakness Stakes of Afleet Alex. On January 13th, entered in the San Pasquale Handicap, Your Host clipped heels with Reknown and fell. His jockey, Eric Guerin, who was having a hard time rating him, rolled clear but Your Host came down heavily on his right shoulder.
The crowd went absolutely silent as the horse struggled to get up. The ulna bone of his right foreleg was fractured in four places, his right shoulder and upper leg were also fractured. Tuffy Morgan, his exercise rider, was the first to get there. "There he stood, broken and in horrible pain, but his funny cock-eyed head was up and he whinnied at me, a faint, desperate sound. It was the first time he had ever asked me for help. I knew he needed me then and I could do nothing but take him by the head and weep. I don't think I ever felt so empty and so lost as at that moment."
Everyone thought that Your Host was dead, that they had surely been witness to the sad end of a gallant and courageous little horse. Taken off the track, the vets said his injury was too severe, that he could not be saved, that there was no point in prolonging his suffering. But Your Host continued to stand, refusing to go down even though the prognosis was more than dire. Lloyds of London insured Your Host and they paid off but instead of destroying him, they did everything they could to save him. They sent him to the Circle S Ranch of George Stratton where he was tended by Dr. John Walker. Like Barbaro, there were no guarantees that he would survive, his recovery being slow and difficult. Dr. Walker tried everything to immobilize the injury. In the end, he packed the horse in sand to keep him steady while his bones knit. Like Barbaro, Your Host did not panic or thrash around, nor did he lose his will to live. It was his own courage that saved him, although ever afterward his right foreleg was shorter than the left and twisted, like his neck.
Lloyds, who now owned the horse, sent him to stud and he became an immensely successful stallion. In his first California crops he sired stakes winners Miss Todd, Social Climber and Blen Host. He also produced Windy Sands who in turn sired Crystal Water. Eventually he was sent to stand at Meadowview Farms in New Jersey and it was there that he "met" Maid of Flight, daughter of Count Fleet, granddaughter of Man O'War. Their meeting produced Kelso, eventual 5 time horse of the year, a record that has never been equaled.
Your Host ran in 23 races, with a record of 13-5-2. He won $385,000 in 1950's dollars. He died in 1961, only 15 years old. God speed you, Your Host. It is truly what can't be seen that is most important.

Your Host recovers

My "colorized" tribute to Your Host

Your Host - "The Magnificent Cripple"

jjacks1

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