Conquistador Cielo - 1982 Metropolitan Handicap

Just a mere five days before the Belmont Stakes, Conquistador Cielo absolutely pummels a field of older horses in 1:33 flat.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Thoroughbred
• Horse
• Racing
• 1982
• Metropolitan
• Handicap
• Conquistador
• Cielo
• Marshall
• Cassidy
• Harvey
• Pack
• Belmont
• Park

[gfn02]

My goodness, what domination and speed!

[cf1970]

Amazing to watch. What a turn of foot, and I really enjoyed seeing Eddie Maple smiling as he rode to the winner's circle. What a feeling that must have been to have had first call on that horse!

Take care.

[AwsiDooger]

Phenomenal race and final time by Cielo.

Wow, I had no memory that Dr. Patches was still racing in 1982, four years after upsetting Seattle Slew at the Meadowlands. He was scratched in this race.

[cf1970]

Yes, I'm extremely impressed with Cielo's turn of foot. Effortless.

It was surprising to see Dr. Patches name still kicking around after so many years. Too bad he was scratched.

Take care.

[BettorOffSingle]

@jhordanian Marquetry was his only great son. Otherwise CC was a bust at stud. I remember hearing he had won over the OTB result line, and I asked a friend what he thought the final time was. we guessed 1:36 or 1:37. I was shocked to see the chart the next day. He paid 4-1 in the Belmont despite this effort because, at the time, Mr. prospector was thought to be a lousy sire of slop and distance horses. Mr. Prospector's stud fee then jumped from 7.5k to 50k overnight.

[colonelross1]

excellent video-thanks! my horse is a son of conquistador cielo. 

[711ATOM]

cf1970 Thank you so much for your posts. I hadn't thought about Conquistador Cielo in quite sometime, then I saw Ghostzapper, and I thought, oh that horse reminds of another horse, ah, Conquistador Cielo! Just such a beautiful horse; no chunkiness, no extra weight, mid-size, graceful, great action; generally my favorite kind of racehorse.

[joefederico]

CC never real got into his own until midway through his 3 year old season but I agree with lengua as the horse was a freak of nature. Maudlin at the time owned the Saratoga 7F track record in some freakish time of 1:20 and change.

And yea, they wheeled CC around so quickly and he still won the Belmont. Woody Stephens never did wrong by a horse so he obviously knew he had a fresh horse. That 1:33 mile looks like a workout in hindsight. Didn't hurt that the Belmont came up sloppy as CC loved it.

[lengua92]

Incredible he could run the mile in 1:33 and win the Met Mile facing older horses and then go on to win the Belmont by more than 15 lengths less than a week later. We don't see things like that these days.

[JaggieBoyy]

Conquistador Cielo is my horses dad:)

[jhordanian]

Conquistador Cielo was the sire of one of my favorite horses, Marquetry. Marquetry began his career in Europe then was sent to the US under the care of Bobby Frankel. Marquetry won more than $3million, capturing grade 1 races like the Hollywood Gold Cup and Meadowlands Cup on dirt and the Eddie Read on turf. He would go on to sire two Eclipse and Breeders Cup champion sprinters, Squirtle Squirt and the sensational Artax.

[BE109]

CC went 1:33 flat,popping older horses! Then FIVE days later romped 12 furlongs in the slop winning the Belmont S. That is incredible to say the least. Most horses would need 2 to 3 weeks to recuperate after going 1:33 for a mile,wow! Ain't no way anyone would even think of doing it today. The media would crucify the trainer! Yet it has been done here and there thru the years.

[craigknows]

whats more amazing about this race horse is he won the Belmont 5 days later

[ALYSHEBANDTHEBID]

NICE VID...