Is It True
Encyclopedia
Is It True was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse
. Bred by Warner L. Jones at his Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Kentucky
, he was purchased by Eugene Klein
who handed him over to trainer D. Wayne Lukas
for race conditioning.
At age two, Is It True made six starts, compiling a 2-2-1 record. He lost three times to future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee, Easy Goer
, having finished fourth in the Grade I
Cowdin Stakes
and second in the Grade I Champagne Stakes,and second in a maiden race. However, in the most important race of 1988, run on a muddy track at Churchill Downs
, Is It True defeated Easy Goer in winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
by a little over a length, though Easy Goer easily won the Eclipse Award
for American Champion Two Year Old Male, based on defeating him easily in their three previous meetings. For owner Eugene Klein, it was his third straight win in the "Juvenile." In an August 8, 2007 article, ESPN's
Jeremy Plonk wrote that "Easy Goer's loss, on a muddy track at Churchill Downs, in the 1988 Juvenile to Is It True arguably is the biggest upset in the event's 23-year history."
As a three-year-old in 1989, Is It True never made it to the U.S. Triple Crown races. He started nine times, earning three wins and one third-place finish. His most important win came in the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course
.
Retired to stud
duty, Is It True stood five seasons in Australia
and another five seasons shuttling between Heytesbury Stud near Perth
in West Australia to Walmac International in Kentucky. He sired several stakes race winners, the most notable of which was the American millionaire Grade I and multiple stakes winner, Yes Its True.
While in his paddock on February 22, 2007, twenty-one-year-old Is It True reportedly suffered a heart attack and died.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Bred by Warner L. Jones at his Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Kentucky
Goshen, Kentucky
Goshen is a city in Oldham County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 907 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nestled along the banks of the Ohio River, Goshen is located at ....
, he was purchased by Eugene Klein
Eugene V. Klein
Eugene Victor Klein was an American businessman who was Chairman of the Board of Directors and chief stockholder of National General Corp., an insurance and entertainment company based in Los Angeles, California...
who handed him over to trainer D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
for race conditioning.
At age two, Is It True made six starts, compiling a 2-2-1 record. He lost three times to future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee, Easy Goer
Easy Goer
Easy Goer was an American Champion Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse, famous for earning American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors in 1988, and defeating 1989 American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence in the Belmont Stakes by 8 lengths. The victory deprived Sunday Silence of the Triple Crown...
, having finished fourth in the Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Cowdin Stakes
Cowdin Stakes
The Cowdin Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack and at Belmont Park. First run in 1923 as the Junior Champion Stakes, it was renamed the Cowdin Stakes in 1941 to honor to John Cheever Cowdin, former president of Aqueduct Racetrack.The race was for...
and second in the Grade I Champagne Stakes,and second in a maiden race. However, in the most important race of 1988, run on a muddy track at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
, Is It True defeated Easy Goer in winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
by a little over a length, though Easy Goer easily won the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
for American Champion Two Year Old Male, based on defeating him easily in their three previous meetings. For owner Eugene Klein, it was his third straight win in the "Juvenile." In an August 8, 2007 article, ESPN's
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Jeremy Plonk wrote that "Easy Goer's loss, on a muddy track at Churchill Downs, in the 1988 Juvenile to Is It True arguably is the biggest upset in the event's 23-year history."
As a three-year-old in 1989, Is It True never made it to the U.S. Triple Crown races. He started nine times, earning three wins and one third-place finish. His most important win came in the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes
Jim Dandy Stakes
The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It carries a purse of $500,000. Prior...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
.
Retired to stud
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
duty, Is It True stood five seasons in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and another five seasons shuttling between Heytesbury Stud near Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in West Australia to Walmac International in Kentucky. He sired several stakes race winners, the most notable of which was the American millionaire Grade I and multiple stakes winner, Yes Its True.
While in his paddock on February 22, 2007, twenty-one-year-old Is It True reportedly suffered a heart attack and died.