Menifee
Encyclopedia
Menifee is an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic
was compared at times with the rivalry between 1978 contenders Affirmed
and Alydar
, who won and placed (respectively) in all three races that year. He was trained by W. Elliott Walden
, and ridden in all three races by Pat Day
.
at Keeneland in his last Triple Crown prep over the highly regarded Cat Thief
, Vicar Kimberlite Pipe and Wondertross. Menifee placed second as a late closing sensation in the Kentucky Derby
behind eventual Horse-of-the-Year Charismatic. Two weeks later in the 1999
Preakness Stakes
he garnered a great deal of support being sent off as the morning line favorite at 2-1 in a full field of 13 colts and 1 filly (Silverbulletday
). In the race Cat Thief
and Vicar
took the lead early while Menifee settled into mid-pack at eighth and Charismatic lagged behind at tenth. Around the second turn Charismatic made a bold sweeping move around the outside and overtook everyone in the field going on to win by 1-1/2 lengths. Menifee waded through traffic and actually made up ground on the winner as he passed Cat Thief
and Badge to claim the runner-up share of $200,000 in the Preakness Stakes.
Menifee failed to place in the top three in the Belmont Stakes
. The Belmont was the only time he did not have a top-three finish in his thre year-old season.
Haskell Invitational Handicap
at Monmouth Park, finished second in the Super Derby
, and ran third in the Travers Stakes
. He was retired from racing with 5 wins, 4 places and one show in 11 starts; two of those wins were as a two-year-old in 1998.
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 that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic
Charismatic (horse)
Charismatic is a stallion Thoroughbred horse, and is known as one of the closest challengers to the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing since the last winner, Affirmed, accomplished the feat in 1978. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas, and famously ridden in the Triple Crown races by Chris Antley...
was compared at times with the rivalry between 1978 contenders Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
and Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
, who won and placed (respectively) in all three races that year. He was trained by W. Elliott Walden
W. Elliott Walden
W. Elliott Walden is the President and CEO of racing operations for WinStar Farm near Versailles, Kentucky and a former Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.From a racing family, Walden grew up in the industry...
, and ridden in all three races by Pat Day
Pat Day
Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
.
Triple Crown run
Menifee won a decisive come from behind victory in the Blue Grass StakesBlue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
at Keeneland in his last Triple Crown prep over the highly regarded Cat Thief
Cat Thief
Cat Thief is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Regally bred, he is the son of Storm Cat, an outstanding Champion sire and the grandson of both the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer and whose damsire was the legendary U.S. Triple Crown champion, Secretariat. Cat Thief's dam was...
, Vicar Kimberlite Pipe and Wondertross. Menifee placed second as a late closing sensation in the 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...
behind eventual Horse-of-the-Year Charismatic. Two weeks later in the 1999
1999 Preakness Stakes
The 1999 Preakness Stakes was the 124th running of the Preakness Stakes. The race took place on May 15, 1999, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. Charismatic, who was jockeyed by Chris Antley, won the race. Approximate post time was 5:28 p.m. Eastern Time...
Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
he garnered a great deal of support being sent off as the morning line favorite at 2-1 in a full field of 13 colts and 1 filly (Silverbulletday
Silverbulletday
Silverbulletday is an American Thoroughbred Champion Filly racehorse. Bred in Kentucky, she was sired by Silver Deputy and out of the GII winning mare Rokeby Rose. Her damsire was Tom Rolfe, the 1965 Preakness Stakes winner and that year's U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt...
). In the race Cat Thief
Cat Thief
Cat Thief is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Regally bred, he is the son of Storm Cat, an outstanding Champion sire and the grandson of both the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer and whose damsire was the legendary U.S. Triple Crown champion, Secretariat. Cat Thief's dam was...
and Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
took the lead early while Menifee settled into mid-pack at eighth and Charismatic lagged behind at tenth. Around the second turn Charismatic made a bold sweeping move around the outside and overtook everyone in the field going on to win by 1-1/2 lengths. Menifee waded through traffic and actually made up ground on the winner as he passed Cat Thief
Cat Thief
Cat Thief is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Regally bred, he is the son of Storm Cat, an outstanding Champion sire and the grandson of both the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer and whose damsire was the legendary U.S. Triple Crown champion, Secretariat. Cat Thief's dam was...
and Badge to claim the runner-up share of $200,000 in the Preakness Stakes.
Menifee failed to place in the top three in the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. The Belmont was the only time he did not have a top-three finish in his thre year-old season.
Late three year-old season
Following the Triple Crown series in the summer of 1999, he won the Grade IGraded 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...
Haskell Invitational Handicap
Haskell Invitational Handicap
The Resorts Casino & Hotel Haskell Invitational is an American Grade I race for thoroughbred horses. In 1968, the Board of Directors of Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey honored its former President and Chairman Amory L. Haskell with the Amory L. Haskell Handicap, a race for older...
at Monmouth Park, finished second in the Super Derby
Super Derby
The Super Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana.Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to 3-year-olds and the distance is 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it's the richest race held at Louisiana Downs...
, and ran third in the Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
. He was retired from racing with 5 wins, 4 places and one show in 11 starts; two of those wins were as a two-year-old in 1998.