January Horse History

 1 -  On this day in 1890, the very first Roses Parade was presented in Pasadena, California. The parade was made up of horse-drawn carriages decorated lavishly in flowers.

 1942: Racing in California was officially canceled. On Dec. 16, the West Coast military authorities had requested that Santa Anita Park postpone its meeting indefinitely due to war conditions.

1975: Secretariat was represented by his first Thoroughbred foal, a filly named Miss Secretariat, born in Kentucky to the mare My Card.

 2 -  On this day in 1983, Kate Bosworth, the actress in The Horse Whisperer, was born.

1945: As the end of World War II approached, racing throughout the U.S. was banned indefinitely at the request of James F. Byrnes, War Mobilization Director. While Thoroughbreds could not be transported in the U.S. for racing purposes, the Office of Defense Transportation subsequently approved the shipment of racehorses to tracks that were more than 300 miles beyond U.S. borders. The ban was not lifted until May, causing the rescheduling of the Triple Crown races.

 3 -  This is the day of the original airdate of the television show "Mr. Ed". The first of 143 episodes, it aired in 1961. There is controversy as to whether the show started today or on January 5.

 4 -  Today in 1953, Cloudy View won both legs of the same race, the Totalisator Double at the Kuros races in Wellington, New Zealand.  He was heavily favored to win the race.

 5 Today in 1961, the television show "Mr. Ed", as everyone knows being the talking horse, debuted for a six-year run. Alan Young starred as Wilbur Post, Mr. Ed's owner, and the voice of Mr. Ed was Allan "Rocky" Young. "A horse is a horse, of course, of course...."

 6 - Chris Antley, the famous racehorse jockey that rode Charismatic to a Kentucky Derby and Preakness win in 1999, was born on this day in 1966. He began his career at age 16 in South Carolina, riding Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds.

 7 On this day in 1956, Turf Paradise, a racetrack founded by Walter Cluer, opened its doors and Phoenicians responded by filling every seat and standing shoulder-to-shoulder to welcome pari-mutuel racing to Arizona and the Valley's first sports franchise.

 8 Thoroughbred racing returned to the Balmoral racetrack for the first time in 24 years on this day in 1978.

 9 - The late, great Etiw , a Polish Arabian, was born in Poland on January 9, 1969. He was pure Polish, a very successful racer. He was imported to the U.S. of A.  in 1973 and had 264 foals, ALL GREY. He was a certified four-star show stallion.

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 14 - On this day in 1932, the legendary jockey Eddie Acaro won his first race. He rode  Eagle Bird to victory, and thus the winner's circle.

 15 - 1969: Barbara Jo Rubin was named to ride in a race at Tropical Park. Thirteen male riders subsequently boycotted the race rather than compete against a female, and were fined $100 each.

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 17 -  2000: The first ever NTRA "Moment of the Year" award went to the post-race scene after the 1999 Belmont Stakes, when jockey Chris Antley held Charismatic's injured foreleg.

 18 - In 1941, this day was the day when the great racehorse legend of his time, Epinard, was stolen during the German occupation of France. Newspapers said that the famous horse was being used as a wagon delivery horse.

1955: Swaps won the San Vicente Stakes, the first race of his three-year-old campaign, by 3 ½ lengths at Santa Anita Park. He went on to triumph over Nashua in the Kentucky Derby, but was in turn defeated by his rival in a $100,000 match race at Washington Park on Aug. 31, his only loss of that year.

 20 1972: Secretariat was shipped from Virginia to Florida to be trained by Lucien Laurin.

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 23 1994: Pat Day, 40, became the tenth rider in North American racing history to ride 6,000 winners, when he rode Miss Popsnorkle to victory in the first race at Oaklawn Park.

1974: Jockey Chris McCarron rode his first race, in which he finished last aboard Most Active, at Bowie Racecourse.

 25 2000: According to The Jockey Club Fact Book for 2000, gross purses and total handle rose again in 1999 with North American purses topping $1 billion for the first time in history.

 26 1950: Citation's 16-race win streak came to an end in the La Sorpresa Handicap at Santa Anita. Despite giving 16 pounds to the winner, Miche, Citation, carrying 130 pounds, lost only by a neck.

2003: Azeri became the first female since Lady's Secret in 1986 to receive the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.

 28 - On this day in 1808, Messenger, America's first trotting horse, was buried. Poor horse...he was well loved....

1969: Patti Barton, a 24-year-old exercise rider, applied for a jockey's license in Las Cruces, N.M. The stewards declined to act on the application, which if approved would have made Barton the first female licensed jockey in Thoroughbred racing.

 30 In 1933, the radio show  "The Lone Ranger" was heard for the first time. The show ran for 2,956 episodes before it finally came to an end in 1955. George Seaton (Stenius) was the first voice of the Lone Ranger. Jack Deeds and Earle Graser followed in the role. However, it was Brace Beemer who is best remembered as former Texas Ranger, John Reid. He played the part of the black-masked ranger, fighting for justice for all the people, for thirteen years in a row.

1981: Jockey Julie Krone rode in her first race ever, finishing second by three lengths in a six-furlong sprint for $3,500 maiden claimers at Tampa Bay Downs. Her mount, a 22-1 shot trained by Jerry L. Pace, was named Tiny Star.

1992: For the second time in one month, jockey Mike Smith won six races in one day at Aqueduct Racetrack. His first six-winner day at Aqueduct occurred Jan. 13.

 31 1958: Jockey Bill Shoemaker notched his 3,000th career win, aboard Eternal Pere, in the eighth race at Santa Anita Park.