Malicious (horse)
Encyclopedia
Malicious was a Thoroughbred
race horse sired by the winner of the 1917 Kentucky Derby
, Omar Khayyam
out of Ridicule (by Black Jester). He began racing at the age of two—and didn't stop until he was thirteen years old. During that time he made 185 starts on virtually every race track in California
as well as Mexico
's Agua Caliente Racetrack
. He won 32 times.
Only a gelding
by Broomstick
called Tippity Witchet
raced more. Tippity started a stupendous 266 times and won 78 of his races. But not even the superb Champion filly
Imp
with her record of 171 starts and 62 wins, or Pan Zareta
, 151 starts, 76 wins, or another claimer, the great Stymie
, 131 starts, 35 wins, were sent out to race as often as Malicious.
Malicious was an $800 claimer and he ran as a claimer. Owned by Mrs. E. Turk, he was trained for several years by Lonnie Coperhaver, known as the "King of the Gypsies." Malicious was part of Coperhaver's string of lowly claimers and he ran them all in every race he could find, but it was Malicious who took on most of the work.
What made Malicious stand out from Coperhaver's other horses in his care, was character, endurance, and heart. Over time, he became one of California's most beloved race horses. Racing for so many years, people became attached to him; they watched out for his races. A fan named Dan Arrighi, who grew up in Southern California, saw him run more than once, often by sneaking into the infield. Of one of those races he said, "Malicious was next to last when they went by me, and his jockey
Johnny Adams let out this loud shriek. The horse took off. And in the distance I could hear Joe Hernandez
call, 'And here comes Malicious!'...It was a thrill I'll never forget."
Malicious was a closer who often came from far back to win. He sometimes ran dramatic races, coming from last to first, and doing it over his entire career. People started calling him "America
's Two-Mile Champion," and then the press discovered him. Running at the same time as the legendary Seabiscuit
, Malicious was also the center of adoring fans. He made a personal appearance at San Francisco's 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition
, had people promoting merchandise in his name, was interviewed on the radio
. To ensure that people would stay for a full day's racing, Santa Anita race track would include a two-miler as its last race of the day for Malicious to run in.
Morton Cathro, a retired newspaperman, wrote of seeing Malicious in the last days of his long career. "As a teenager in the autumn of 1939, this writer witnessed a series of Saturday marathons at Bay Meadows
for top routers. Old Malicious showed up for the Nov. 11 finale, the four-mile Thornton Stakes. The weary road warrior, who hadn't started since that spring at Santa Anita, made his patented late surge to gain fourth in a blanket finish. That was his final race in the U.S. On Jan. 28, 1940, at age 13, one of the toughest iron horses of all time closed out his gallant career—a marathon in itself—by running second at Agua Caliente. His final paycheck was $100; his legacy, a claimer's place in the pantheon of sound, stout-hearted stakes horses—and in the hearts of a devoted public."
For his career in racing, Malicious won a total of $14,755.
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...
race horse sired by the winner of the 1917 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam (horse)
Omar Khayyam was a British-born Thoroughbred racehorse who was sold as a yearling to an American racing partnership and who became the first foreign-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby...
out of Ridicule (by Black Jester). He began racing at the age of two—and didn't stop until he was thirteen years old. During that time he made 185 starts on virtually every race track in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as well as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's Agua Caliente Racetrack
Agua Caliente Racetrack
The Agua Caliente Racetrack is a greyhound racing and former horse racing track in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. It opened in December 1929 at a cost of $2.5 million.One year before, the Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel opened in June 1928....
. He won 32 times.
Only a gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
by Broomstick
Broomstick (horse)
Broomstick was a Thoroughbred race horse born and bred at the famous McGrathiana Stud in Kentucky, but more importantly, he was one of the great sires of American racing. Out of another great sire, the Hall of Famer Ben Brush, Broomstick went on after his racing career to produce champion after...
called Tippity Witchet
Tippity Witchet
Tippity Witchet was a son of the great sire Broomstick who was the son of the legendary Ben Brush. His dam was a daughter of St. Simon, one of Great Britain's greatest stallions...
raced more. Tippity started a stupendous 266 times and won 78 of his races. But not even the superb Champion filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
Imp
Imp (horse)
Imp was a pure black Thoroughbred racing filly with a white diamond shaped star between her eyes. She was sired by Wagner out of Foundling and was foaled on March 5, 1894. Owned and bred by Daniel R. Harness of Chillicothe, Ohio, and trained by both Charles E. Brossman and Peter Wimmer , Imp's...
with her record of 171 starts and 62 wins, or Pan Zareta
Pan Zareta
Pan Zareta, was a chestnut Thoroughbred racehorse born in the United States in 1910. She competed from Mexico to Canada, as well as in eight U. S. states. While she never won a significant race, and only once beat a top-level horse , she was still called "Queen of the Turf."Bred by J. F. and H. S...
, 151 starts, 76 wins, or another claimer, the great Stymie
Stymie (horse)
Stymie was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Stymie was bred by Max Hirsch, and was born on King Ranch, in Texas.As a young horse, Stymie possessed so terrible a disposition that his ability to race was hampered; his trainer did not see much in him...
, 131 starts, 35 wins, were sent out to race as often as Malicious.
Malicious was an $800 claimer and he ran as a claimer. Owned by Mrs. E. Turk, he was trained for several years by Lonnie Coperhaver, known as the "King of the Gypsies." Malicious was part of Coperhaver's string of lowly claimers and he ran them all in every race he could find, but it was Malicious who took on most of the work.
What made Malicious stand out from Coperhaver's other horses in his care, was character, endurance, and heart. Over time, he became one of California's most beloved race horses. Racing for so many years, people became attached to him; they watched out for his races. A fan named Dan Arrighi, who grew up in Southern California, saw him run more than once, often by sneaking into the infield. Of one of those races he said, "Malicious was next to last when they went by me, and his jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
Johnny Adams let out this loud shriek. The horse took off. And in the distance I could hear Joe Hernandez
Joe Hernandez (race caller)
Joe Hernandez was the voice of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, from the time the track opened on Christmas Day 1934 until he fainted at the microphone on January 27, 1972. During that time he called an incredible 15,587 races in a row...
call, 'And here comes Malicious!'...It was a thrill I'll never forget."
Malicious was a closer who often came from far back to win. He sometimes ran dramatic races, coming from last to first, and doing it over his entire career. People started calling him "America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's Two-Mile Champion," and then the press discovered him. Running at the same time as the legendary Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
, Malicious was also the center of adoring fans. He made a personal appearance at San Francisco's 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition
Golden Gate International Exposition
The Golden Gate International Exposition , held at San Francisco, California's Treasure Island, was a World's Fair that celebrated, among other things, the city's two newly-built bridges. The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge was dedicated in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge was dedicated in 1937...
, had people promoting merchandise in his name, was interviewed on the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. To ensure that people would stay for a full day's racing, Santa Anita race track would include a two-miler as its last race of the day for Malicious to run in.
Morton Cathro, a retired newspaperman, wrote of seeing Malicious in the last days of his long career. "As a teenager in the autumn of 1939, this writer witnessed a series of Saturday marathons at Bay Meadows
Bay Meadows
Bay Meadows was a horse racing track in San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States.-History:Built on the site of an old airfield, Bay Meadows Racecourse was the longest continually operating thoroughbred racetrack in California, having been founded on November 13,...
for top routers. Old Malicious showed up for the Nov. 11 finale, the four-mile Thornton Stakes. The weary road warrior, who hadn't started since that spring at Santa Anita, made his patented late surge to gain fourth in a blanket finish. That was his final race in the U.S. On Jan. 28, 1940, at age 13, one of the toughest iron horses of all time closed out his gallant career—a marathon in itself—by running second at Agua Caliente. His final paycheck was $100; his legacy, a claimer's place in the pantheon of sound, stout-hearted stakes horses—and in the hearts of a devoted public."
For his career in racing, Malicious won a total of $14,755.