Pass Catcher
Encyclopedia
Pass Catcher was an United States
Thoroughbred
racehorse
who won the 103rd running of the Belmont Stakes
. The bay colt
was bred and raced by Peter Kissel's October House Farm. His sire was All Hands and his dam was La Grue. All Hands was a son of Turn-To
who was a grandson of the great English runner and outstanding sire, Nearco
.
Pass Catcher was trained by Eddie Yowel
who had won the 1965 Belmont Stakes
with Hail To All
. At age two, the colt ran second in the 1967 Hopeful Stakes but came out of the race with a hairline fracture that kept him out of racing until the following March. Not ready for the first two legs of the rigorous Triple Crown
races, Pass Catcher regained his racing form with a win in two straight races then, just five days before the Belmont Stakes, had a second-place finish to Bold Reasoning
in the Jersey Derby
.
The 1971 Belmont Stakes drew a record crowd, swelled by thousands of members of the New York City
and area Latino
community who came to cheer for Canonero II
, the Venezuela
n colt who had won the Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes
and was poised to win the U.S. Triple Crown
.
Pass Catcher was ridden in the Belmont Stakes by Hall of Fame
jockey Walter Blum
. At the eighth pole, Blum dropped his whip but rode the colt to an upset victory over Jim French
and Bold Reason
with the favored Canonero finishing fourth.
Pass Catcher won minor races at age four http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA061FF6355A137B93CBA8178ED85F468785F9 until being retired to stand at stud
. He sired Amber Pass (b. 1977), a multiple stakes winner including the Monmouth Invitational Handicap. Among his other progeny were stakes winners, Amerilad, Melanie Frances, Michelle Can Pass, and Nice Catch.
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...
who won the 103rd running of 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 bay colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
was bred and raced by Peter Kissel's October House Farm. His sire was All Hands and his dam was La Grue. All Hands was a son of Turn-To
Turn-To
Turn-To was a British Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by the great British stakes winner Royal Charger, out of the French mare Source Sucree, whose sire, Admiral Drake, was third on the French sire list in 1949....
who was a grandson of the great English runner and outstanding sire, Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
.
Pass Catcher was trained by Eddie Yowel
Edward J. Yowell
Edward J. "Eddie" Yowell May 14, 1915 - October 29, 1991) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. Widely respected in the industry, his obituary in the Ocala Star-Banner was titled "Yowell leaves behind legacy of integrity."...
who had won the 1965 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...
with Hail To All
Hail To All
Hail To All was an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by Hail To Reason, out of the mare, Ellen's Best, who was in turn sired by War Relic, son of the great Man o' War....
. At age two, the colt ran second in the 1967 Hopeful Stakes but came out of the race with a hairline fracture that kept him out of racing until the following March. Not ready for the first two legs of the rigorous Triple Crown
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...
races, Pass Catcher regained his racing form with a win in two straight races then, just five days before the Belmont Stakes, had a second-place finish to Bold Reasoning
Bold Reasoning
Bold Reasoning was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Florida. He was out of the Hail To Reason mare Reason To Earn, by the Santa Anita Derby winner Boldnesian, a son of Bold Ruler....
in the Jersey Derby
Jersey Derby
The Jersey Derby is a $100,000 American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in late July/early August at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Since 1993 it has been raced on grass at a distance of 1 1/16 miles....
.
The 1971 Belmont Stakes drew a record crowd, swelled by thousands of members of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and area Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
community who came to cheer for Canonero II
Canonero II
Canonero II , was a Venezuelan champion thoroughbred race horse.Bred by Edward B. Benjamin in Greensboro, North Carolina, the bay colt was born with a noticeably crooked foreleg, and as such was considered to have no future in racing. He was sold as a yearling for a mere $1,200 at the Keeneland...
, the Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n colt who had won 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...
and 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...
and was poised to win the U.S. Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
.
Pass Catcher was ridden in the Belmont Stakes by 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 Walter Blum
Walter Blum
Walter "Mousey" Blum is a retired Hall of Fame jockey.A horse racing fan from boyhood, in his teens Blum began working as a racetrack hotwalker. Despite being blind in his right eye from the age of two, in 1953 he embarked on a career as a jockey, riding his first winner on July 29 at Saratoga...
. At the eighth pole, Blum dropped his whip but rode the colt to an upset victory over Jim French
Jim French (horse)
Jim French , was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Ralph Wilson, owner of the National Football League Buffalo Bills. He was by Graustark and out of Dinner Partner. Despite his first-rate pedigree, Jim French was small and dull brown.Trained by John P...
and Bold Reason
Bold Reason
Bold Reason was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion broodmare sire. Bred by Harry Guggenheim, he was sired by Hail To Reason, the 1970 Leading sire in North America. His dam was Guggenheim's excellent runner Lalun who also produced Never Bend...
with the favored Canonero finishing fourth.
Pass Catcher won minor races at age four http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA061FF6355A137B93CBA8178ED85F468785F9 until being retired to stand at stud
Stud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
. He sired Amber Pass (b. 1977), a multiple stakes winner including the Monmouth Invitational Handicap. Among his other progeny were stakes winners, Amerilad, Melanie Frances, Michelle Can Pass, and Nice Catch.