Mom's Command
Encyclopedia
Mom's Command was a multiple Grade I
-winning American Thoroughbred
race horse. Her breeder and owner was Peter Fuller of Runnymede Farms in in North Hampton, New Hampshire
, son of a former governor of Massachusetts. Fuller (who had once been a champion boxer and wrestler at Harvard University) bred his mare Star Mommy to the stallion Top Command (by Bold Ruler
), hoping to produce a foal who combined speed and stamina. The result was Mom's Command.
to ride the winner of a Triple Crown event, and also the first to sweep a Triple Crown.
She won her first race, the ungraded Faneuil Miss Stakes, in July 1984 at New Hampshire’s Rockingham Park
after going off at odds of 44-1. After winning the Faneuil Miss, she appeared in the Grade II Astarita at Belmont Park
; she broke from the starting gate five lengths behind the field, and came back from last place to win. Following the Astarita, she took the Grade I Selima Stakes by 5½ lengths.
Three of her seven starts as a two-year-old had interesting Daily Racing Form
"trouble lines" (race notes) – "steadied at start"; "poor start" and "off poorly". However, she won four of those races.
As a 3-year-old, Mom's Command dominated her competition. She won seven of her nine starts, all in quality events against quality company. In the Test Stakes
she finished second to another star filly, Lady's Secret
, under conditions that still have experts debating who was the real winner of that race. She won the stakes which constitute the Filly Triple Crown – the Acorn
, the Mother Goose
and the Coaching Club American Oaks
(the latter by 2½ lengths). She followed up her Triple Crown victories with a 19-length win in the Flirtation Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
and a second to the speedy Clocks Secret in the Goldfinch at Garden State Park
. In the Goldfinch, she raced on a "dead rail" (deep mud on the rail) for nearly the entire distance. She then returned to take the Cherry Blossom Handicap at Garden State and the Comely Stakes
at Belmont Park
. In the Comely, Clocks Secret finished six lengths behind Mom's Command; 11 lengths back was Lady’s Secret.
Mom's Command then won the Grade I Alabama Stakes
, leading all the way and defeating Fran’s Valentine by four lengths. Fran's Valentine was the betting favorite, since she had won six of seven starts and her jockey was the well-known Chris McCarron
; however, the Daily Racing Form notes that Mom's Command was "ridden out" (winning easily, without additional urging). In 1985, Mom's Command won the Eclipse Award
as American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
She was the sixth horse to win the Filly Triple Crown. Her five predecessors were Dark Mirage
(1968), Shuvee
(1969), Chris Evert
(1974), Ruffian
(1975) and Davona Dale
(1979). Beside Mom’s Command, only Shuvee also won the Alabama Stakes (which replaced the Acorn in the "Triple Tiara", from 2003 to 2006). The Alabama, run at Saratoga, is the filly counterpart of the Grade I Travers Stakes
. Every filly who ever beat Mom's Command was then defeated by Mom's Command (including Lady's Secret, noted above). She won at distances ranging from five furlong
s to 1½ miles. Hall of Fame
jockey Angel Cordero Jr.
once said to Peter Fuller: "I love Mom's Command and I love your daughter Abby, but I'm sick of looking at both of their rear ends."
Mom's Command was retired on September 29, 1985, after she injured her ankle while training for the Rare Perfume Stakes at Belmont Park. Her career earnings were $902,972.
On February 3, 2007 she was euthanized at Runnymede Farm at 25, due to the infirmities of old age. She is buried on the farm.
Mom's Command was inducted into the racing wing of the New England Sports Hall of Fame in the summer of 2006. She was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
in 2007.
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...
-winning American 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...
race horse. Her breeder and owner was Peter Fuller of Runnymede Farms in in North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton, New Hampshire
North Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,301 at the 2010 census. While the majority of the town is inland, North Hampton includes a part of New Hampshire's limited Atlantic seacoast.-History:...
, son of a former governor of Massachusetts. Fuller (who had once been a champion boxer and wrestler at Harvard University) bred his mare Star Mommy to the stallion Top Command (by Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
), hoping to produce a foal who combined speed and stamina. The result was Mom's Command.
All in the family
The bright chestnut filly was trained by New Jersey-born Ned Allard, whose father was a professor at New York’s Juilliard School of Music. She was ridden in all but two of her races by Peter Fuller’s daughter, Abigail. Abby Fuller, at 26 years of age, became the first woman jockeyJockey
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:...
to ride the winner of a Triple Crown event, and also the first to sweep a Triple Crown.
Racing career
Mom's Command won 11 of her 16 starts, and every race in which she ran was a stakes race.She won her first race, the ungraded Faneuil Miss Stakes, in July 1984 at New Hampshire’s Rockingham Park
Rockingham Park
Rockingham Park is a horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. First built in 1906, it was used as an area for many to gamble on the weekends. Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936, and Mom's Command ran in her first race and gained her first victory there in...
after going off at odds of 44-1. After winning the Faneuil Miss, she appeared in the Grade II Astarita at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
; she broke from the starting gate five lengths behind the field, and came back from last place to win. Following the Astarita, she took the Grade I Selima Stakes by 5½ lengths.
Three of her seven starts as a two-year-old had interesting Daily Racing Form
Daily Racing Form
The Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States....
"trouble lines" (race notes) – "steadied at start"; "poor start" and "off poorly". However, she won four of those races.
As a 3-year-old, Mom's Command dominated her competition. She won seven of her nine starts, all in quality events against quality company. In the Test Stakes
Test Stakes
The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influential race in shaping the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint...
she finished second to another star filly, Lady's Secret
Lady's Secret
Lady's Secret was an American Eclipse Award winning Thoroughbred racemare that was listed in the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.-Breeding and background:...
, under conditions that still have experts debating who was the real winner of that race. She won the stakes which constitute the Filly Triple Crown – the Acorn
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
, the Mother Goose
Mother Goose Stakes
The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt, the Grade I race offers a purse of $250,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mile and a sixteenth, it was lengthened to a mile and an eighth in 1959...
and the Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
(the latter by 2½ lengths). She followed up her Triple Crown victories with a 19-length win in the Flirtation Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
and a second to the speedy Clocks Secret in the Goldfinch at Garden State Park
Garden State Park
Garden State Park was a harness and thoroughbred race track in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey. It is now the site of a high-end, mixed-use "town center" development of stores, restaurants, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums...
. In the Goldfinch, she raced on a "dead rail" (deep mud on the rail) for nearly the entire distance. She then returned to take the Cherry Blossom Handicap at Garden State and the Comely Stakes
Comely Stakes
The Comely Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Run in mid-April, since 1960 it has been open to three year old fillies who are willing to race one mile on the dirt track. The race is a Grade III event with a purse of $150,000 and...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
. In the Comely, Clocks Secret finished six lengths behind Mom's Command; 11 lengths back was Lady’s Secret.
Mom's Command then won the Grade I Alabama Stakes
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
, leading all the way and defeating Fran’s Valentine by four lengths. Fran's Valentine was the betting favorite, since she had won six of seven starts and her jockey was the well-known Chris McCarron
Chris McCarron
Christopher John "Chris" McCarron is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He is currently working as a racing analyst for TVG Network....
; however, the Daily Racing Form notes that Mom's Command was "ridden out" (winning easily, without additional urging). In 1985, Mom's Command 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...
as American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
She was the sixth horse to win the Filly Triple Crown. Her five predecessors were Dark Mirage
Dark Mirage
Dark Mirage was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Small in stature at just 15.1 hands, Dark Mirage proved big on the race track. Although her 1967 campaign as a two-year-old produced only two minor wins in fifteen starts, at three she completely dominated her female...
(1968), Shuvee
Shuvee
Shuvee was an American Thoroughbred Champion Hall of Fame racehorse who was the second filly to ever win the U.S. Filly Triple Crown...
(1969), Chris Evert
Chris Evert (horse)
Chris Evert was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Carl Rosen , owner of clothing manufacturer Puritan Fashions Corp., purchased the filly at a Keeneland yearling sale. He named her for the rising young star tennis player Chris Evert, whom he had signed to endorse his...
(1974), Ruffian
Ruffian (horse)
Ruffian was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse. Ruffian is considered by many to be the greatest female racehorse in history. Ruffian is among the greatest U.S. racehorses of all time. Her story was told in 2007 film Ruffian.- Career :An almost coal black filly of 16 and a half hands,...
(1975) and Davona Dale
Davona Dale
Davona Dale is an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, her sire descends from Nearco and her damsire is Hall of Famer Tim Tam who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes....
(1979). Beside Mom’s Command, only Shuvee also won the Alabama Stakes (which replaced the Acorn in the "Triple Tiara", from 2003 to 2006). The Alabama, run at Saratoga, is the filly counterpart of the Grade I 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...
. Every filly who ever beat Mom's Command was then defeated by Mom's Command (including Lady's Secret, noted above). She won at distances ranging from five furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s to 1½ miles. 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...
jockey Angel Cordero Jr.
Angel Cordero Jr.
Angel Tomas Cordero, Jr. , is one of the leading thoroughbred horse racing jockeys of all time and the only Puerto Rican to date to be inducted into the United States' Racing Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
once said to Peter Fuller: "I love Mom's Command and I love your daughter Abby, but I'm sick of looking at both of their rear ends."
Mom's Command was retired on September 29, 1985, after she injured her ankle while training for the Rare Perfume Stakes at Belmont Park. Her career earnings were $902,972.
Later life
Back at Runnymede Farms, Mom's Command did not reproduce herself in the breeding shed; she did, however, foal one stakes winner (Jonesboro).On February 3, 2007 she was euthanized at Runnymede Farm at 25, due to the infirmities of old age. She is buried on the farm.
Mom's Command was inducted into the racing wing of the New England Sports Hall of Fame in the summer of 2006. She was elected to the National Museum of Racing and 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...
in 2007.
See also
- Alabama StakesAlabama StakesThe Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
- American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
- American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing