New Face At The Hall of Champions

Kona Gold will join two-time Horse of the Year Cigar and two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Da Hoss as the newest resident in the Hall of Champions in the Kentucky Horse Park. The 13 year old gelding won the Breeder's Cup Sprint in 2000 and ran in 5 consecutive Breeder's Cups, earning 2.3 million in his career. He is currently the much loved stable pony in his old trainer, Bruce Headly's barn. The opening for Kona Gold came from the unfortunate death of long time resident, John Henry.

John Henry Quote

“Charlie Whittingham tried time and time
again to try and beat John Henry, and the media
would always ask him, ‘Charlie, do you ever think
you’re going to figure out a way to beat John?’
He said, ‘Beat him? I’m trying to outlive him.’
God bless John, he beat him in that race also.”

Retired Racing Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron speaking
at the memorial service for John Henry on Friday at the Kentucky
Horse Park about Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham’s
determination to defeat John Henry. Whittingham succeeded on at
least one occasion when his Perrault (GB) defeated John Henry in
the 1982 San Luis Rey Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Whittingham
died of leukemia at age 86 on April 20, 1999.

Sad News

JOHN HENRY (1975-2007)
by Jeff Apel

John Henry, the two-time Horse of the Year whose will to live matched his determination on the racetrack, was euthanized on Monday at 7 p.m. EDT at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. He was 32.

“The mighty heart of the great John Henry has, at long last, yielded to time,” said John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “The racing industry has lost a legend, but more significantly, many people have lost a personal hero. John Henry’s true legacy was written in people’s hearts far more indelibly than his superlative racing career could ever reflect.”

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2007/October/08/Two-time-Horse-of-the-Year-John-Henry-euthanized.aspx

John Henry Quote

“Somebody just called and said, ‘I’m going to make a trip from
Cincinnati. Can you make sure he’s there?’ We’ll, no, we can’t
guarantee he’s going to be here tomorrow. We just don’t know
at this point.”

Cathy Roby, barn manager of the Kentucky Horse Park’s Barn
of Champions, where two-time Horse of the Year John Henry resides.
The Ole Bob Bowers gelding, who is 32 years old, the equivalent
to 110 human years, is undergoing therapy for dehydration
and has lost a noticeable amount of weight

John Henry

At age 32, John Henry is in the best health that he has been in the previous few years. He was always a disagreeable old horse, hard to catch and give his medication to. His caretakers at the Kentucky Horse Park were at the point that they thought each day could be his last. His advanced age and Cushings Disease were really taking a toll on his body condition. In trying to figure out a way to get John Henry to exercise more, one of his caretakers decided to walk him through the park. After the first few weeks they noticed a dramatic difference to his attitude and condition. He also became more agreeable. Now they give him his head and let him walk wherever he wants. The park visitors can walk right up to him and he appears to basque in the limelight that he knows he deserves. Here's to many more healthy years to an old champion with a new lease on life.