Tom Fool - 1953 Whitney Handicap

Legendary Hall Of Famer Tom Fool handily defeats his lone foe, Combat Boots.
Unfortunately, there was no track call available (NSOT).

Owned by Greentree Stables, the bay colt was the son of Menow out of the mare, Gaga. Tom Fool was trained by John M. Gaver, Sr. and ridden by Ted Atkinson. In his first season racing as a two-year-old, he had five wins and two seconds in seven starts, a performance that earned him Champion 2-Year-Old Colt honors for 1951.

Much was expected of Tom Fool in his three-year-old season but after finishing second in the Wood Memorial Stakes, the horse's veterinarian discovered he had been running with a high fever and the illness forced the horse out racing for more than two months. While the 1952 racing season was a difficult one, the horse still managed to win the majority of his races. In 1953, a healthy four-year-old Tom Fool showed his greatness. Undefeated in ten races, he became only the second horse to win New York's Handicap Triple: the Metropolitan, Suburban, and Brooklyn Handicaps. En route to being voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, Tom Fool also won the Whitney Stakes and captured the Pimlico Special in his final race.

Retired to stud, with a career record of 21-7-1 in 30 starts, Tom Fool sired numerous stakes winners including: * Tim Tam - won Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee * Buckpasser - 1966 U.S. Horse of the Year, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee * Tompion - multiple stakes winner, including Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and Travers Stakes in 1960 * Allez Milord - winner of the G1 Preis von Europa and Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes * Bowl Game - 1979 Eclipse Champion Turf Horse, won three Grade I races including the Washington, D.C. International Stakes * Droll Role - won Washington, D.C. International Stakes, Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap, Massachusetts Handicap, Canadian International Stakes

Tom Fool is the damsire of : * The Tin Man - multiple Grade I stakes winner * Forty Niner - 1987 United States Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt * Silverbulletday - 1998 and 1999 United States Champion Filly

Tom Fool is the grandsire of: * Alleged, two-time winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and 1971 European Horse of the Year * April Run - Champion 3 yo Filly of France (1981), Champion Older Female Horse of France (1982), United States Champion Female Turf Horse (1982)


Tom Fool was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1960 and in the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, he was ranked #11.

Tom Fool died in 1976.
Source: Wikipedia

Special thanks to lsumark.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Throughbred
• Horse
• Racing
• 1953
• Whitney
• Handicap
• Tom
• Fool
• Saratoga
• New
• York

[Jazzgirl8888]

Tom Fool is truly a great legend with a fascinating history .

Such an amazing and powerful horse!

This footage is a real gem cf !

Thank you very much for posting it for us :)

[cf1970]

Sure thing, Jazzy! Hope you are having a good weekend!

Thanks for the comments.

[tchas35]

Thanks for another treasure.

I'd never seen any film of Tom Fool before. It's always fun to see actual race footage of the legends I'd only seen in stills.

[cf1970]

Sure thing, glad you liked it. He was a heckuva horse.

[tubeyhamster]

This is marvelous footage. What a strong-looking horse. Also it is a nice example of a match race in which both participants continually change positions.

[711ATOM]

Tom Fool and Native Dancer were scheduled to meet at the Sysonby Stakes, Belmont Park (weight for age) at the end of September, 1953. Native Dancer was withdrawn due to injury. There is no firm evidence that either camp avoided the other. Tom Fool proved a fine weight carrier as a four year old, running a record time at the Suburban (the then 1914 record is in disrepute) so few wanted to race against him in the later half of 1953. Native Dancer and Tom Fool deserve their high rankings.

[awaface]

this is my horses mommies daddies dad. haha :)

[jhordanian]

In 1953 Tom Fool won all 10 of his starts as a 4 year old. That same year, the 3 year old Native Dancer won 9 of his 10 starts, losing the Kentucky Derby by a head. The two never ran against each other. Did the connections of the two horses duck each other? Both horses are highly respected by racing historians and were ranked #7(ND) and #11(TF) in the Bloodhorse top 100 of the 20th century.I've questioned these rankings, feeling they didnt beat great competition (or each other).Opinions?

[jhordanian]

With so few horses challenging Tom Fool in his final 4 races, how should he be viewed in an historical perspective? His connections shielded him from carrying weight in these races and the few horses he beat were not elite runners. When he did have to carry weight and run vs. top horses, he just barely won the Met Mile and Suburban. However, one could also view the small fields in his last 4 races as a reflection of his greatness. Perhaps he was so good no one would run vs. him at equal weights.

[jhordanian]

I wasnt alive during Tom Fools career and have had difficulty judging jus how great he was, particularly his 10 for 10 year at 4. After winning 6 close races under handicap conditions, carrying 128 twice, 130 twice, 135 and 136 lbs., he ran the last 4 races under allowance conditions, never carrying more than 126 lbs. By running under allowance conditions, few horses challenged him, as he beat a total of 5 different horses in those 4 races.A suppose this is a sign of how others respected him.

[pegasus1747]

Good to see him, Thank you1 iloved his son"Tim Tam"

[BE109]

This race with only one opponent displays with sharp clarity Tom Fool's dominance as a 4 yr. old champion. He was one of only a handfull to win the "handicap triple crown". The Brooklyn,suburban,and the Metropolitan. One of my favorites!