Sport: The Race That Wasn’t

Rain turned Tanforan’s racing strip into thick, black gumbo. But it takes more than gumbo to stop Citation, a wonder horse in all weathers. Last week, in his first West Coast race, Citation sloshed effortlessly down the stretch to win his tune-up for next week’s $50,000 Tanforan Handicap. His time was 1:12, one second off the six furlong track record. Explained Jockey Eddie Arcaro: “I didn’t want to hurry him any.”

Out of sight at Tanforan (in his stall) but not out of mind was Shannon II—a horse close to the heart of every California race fan. Next to Citation, he is probably the fastest horse in the world today. Shannon is a seven-year-old bay stallion, Australian by birth and friendly as an overgrown puppy. Unlike Citation, everything about him is controversial—even his pedigree.

Once Upon a Time. Most Shannon stories have at least two versions. One that makes the best telling opens on a stormy night in 1826 when a sailing vessel struck a reef and sank off Sydney harbor. On board were some English racing mares bound for Australia, and at least one managed to swim ashore. Her pedigree papers went down with the ship. So the name of

Spaewife was pinned to the mare, and eventually she was bred to an Australian stallion. Six years ago, a weedy yearling—reportedly one of her descendants—was led into an auction ring and knocked down for £400. That was how Peter Riddle, a veteran Australian horseman, came by Shannon.

Shannon’s fame spread the length & breadth of the Antipodes. In New South Wales one day, Shannon ran a mile in i :34½—a feat more impressive than the world record of 1:34! set by Equipoise at Arlington Park in 1932. In Australia, horses are timed from a standing start, whereas U.S. horses get a five-or six-jump run at the starting pole. The greatest race Shannon ever ran, he lost. That day, he got left at the post by 60 yards and then put on a magnificent charge and barely failed to win in 1:36. Making allowances for his poor start, horsemen estimate that he ran the mile in 1:33.

High weights he had to carry and high taxes his owner had to pay (as much as 80% of the purses) cut Shannon down to three or four select races a year. Riddle became so fond of him that he turned down offer after offer for the horse. Last year, after Peter Riddle’s death, all Australia listened in by radio as Shannon was once again led into the auction ring.

The first bid was 15,000 guineas ($51,000). According to legend, a tipsy hack driver, without a quarter in his pocket, kept raising the bidding until it reached $100,000. Actually, 75 seconds after the bidding opened, Australian Industrialist W. J. Smith got the horse for about $88,000. Two months later, Shannon headed for fabled California, where $100,000 purses grow on bushes.

Found: a Pedigree. While Shannon was still on the high seas, the old story about his family tree popped up. There was some question whether the all-powerful Jockey Club would certify his legitimacy as a purebred. Then Neil McCarthy, longtime horse breeder and a top West Coast lawyer (among his clients: Cinemagnate Louis B. Mayer), stepped in. He paid $100,000 for Shannon, then set out to get the horse’s pedigree accepted. According to McCarthy, everything turned on a mix-up over two horses, both named Spaewife. McCarthy satisfied the Jockey Club that Shannon’s ancestor had a pure bloodline, and cashed in on his $100,000 deal.

Shannon, whose bay coat turned a shade darker after reaching the U.S., took six months to get used to California hay and sunshine. More important, he had to get used to racing around a track going to his left, instead of to the right as the traffic goes on Australian tracks. Then he began to roll. He romped off with the $100,000 Hollywood Gold Cup and the $50,000 Argonaut Handicap. McCarthy, who has a streak of Irish sentiment in him, grew fonder of his gentle Australian horse with each race. Six weeks ago, when Shannon tied the world record for a mile and a quarter, a race-of-the-year between him and Citation seemed inevitable.

Last week the weights for the Tanforan Handicap were announced, and McCarthy got mad. Shannon had been assigned to carry 127 Ibs., Citation 123. Since Shannon was the older horse, he would normally carry more weight. The question was whether enough allowance had been made, in setting the handicaps, for Citation’s brilliant record. McCarthy thought not. He withdrew Shannon from the race, announced that his horse had been sold to a syndicate of Kentucky breeders for $300,000 and would never race again. Said he: “I owe the obligation to Shannon not to see him humiliated just to make a spectacle for a racing association that has treated him unfairly in the weights.” His explanation failed to please a lot of Californians.

Citation, already well on the way to his first million dollars, was like a burglar on the loose in Fort Knox, Ky. It seemed as if there was now simply no horse to stop him.