Equipoise – The big one from the “Big Four”

Born in 1928 was a fine thoroughbred who’s career of six season’s brought him to a total 51 starts of which he won 29, finished second in 10 and third in 4; Equipoise, called the Chocolate Soldier for his impressively symmetrical physique in a chocolate chestnut skin, carved a niche for himself in a generation that sported the “big four”.

“Big Four” was the term assigned to the top segment of four classic horses, Jamestown, American C-Champion Two Year Old (1930); Mate, Preakness Stakes winner (1931) and Twenty Grand, Unofficial American Horse of the Year and Champion Three Year Old (1931).

Equipoise raced for six season’s and lined up winning three years of championship as an older horse. As a handicap champion, Equipoise ran 16 races winning 8 of them. His victories in half of the races and placing in the money for 14 of them made him a top rated juvenile thoroughbred in class of his contemporaries Mate, Jamestown and Twenty Grand. Following a couple of maiden starts, Equipoise graduated to stakes races where he started with third in Aberdeen Stakes. He soon however, stepped up the gear and began an array of second place finishes in Futurity, Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Saratoga Special.

The “Chocolate Soldier” spent his entire career infested with problems of the hoof. Following a hoof crack in his second racing season, the horse had to cut short his season and also limit his three year old races to just three starts. He won just once as a three year old but soon returned to avenge his rightful place as a four year old.

In 1932, Equipoise won the Metropolitan Handicap. He also won the Havre de Grace Cup, Whitney Stakes and also Arlington Gold Cup, where he also set a world record running a mile in 1:34 2/5. In this four year old season, Equipoise started 14 times finishing in the money in 13 which consequently resulted in Equipoise, Champion Older Horse and Horse of the Year (Unofficially).

Despite fighting his constant hoof problems that never cured completely, Equipoise started 9 times in his five year old season. His finished all of them in money, winning 7 of them including, Metropolitan Handicap, Arlington Handicap and Suburban Handicap. Six year old Equipoise won the Dixie Handicap, Whitney Gold Trophy and the Philadelphia Handicap. This year again, he was awarded with a Champion Older Horse for the Year recognition.

His last racing season as a seven year old in 1935 witnessed him starting in San Diego Exposition Handicap, followed by Oakwood Handicap and Santa Anita Handicap of which he placed second in the first, disqualified for interference in the second race and finished unplaced in the last, eventually leading to his retirement from the game. Throughout his racing campaigns, he was closely followed by his contemporaries who retired soon with him.

It was four years later after his death in 1938 that Equipoise was declared Leading sire in 1942 for his progeny earnings from remarkable thoroughbreds like Shut Out and Alpoise. Ranked 21 by Blood Horse Magazine, he was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957.

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