Lawyer Ron (USA)
March 1, 2003 – July 10, 2009
Langfuhr (CAN) x Donation (USA), by Lord Avie (USA)
Family 3-l
March 1, 2003 – July 10, 2009
Langfuhr (CAN) x Donation (USA), by Lord Avie (USA)
Family 3-l
Lawyer Ron on turf and synthetics and Lawyer Ron on dirt were two different horses. The former was mediocre, and the latter was a deserving champion among the American older males of 2007. Lawyer Ron died after only two seasons at stud, an unfortunate loss as the foals he left behind suggested that he would have been a good sire.
Race record
26 starts, 12 wins, 4 seconds, 4 thirds, US$2,790,008
2005:
2006:
2007:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion older male (2007)
Assessments
Rated at 110 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juvenile males of 2005, 16 pounds below champion Stevie Wonderboy.
Rated at 124 pounds in the Mile category on the 2007 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, 7 pounds below overall highweight Manduro (a multiple highweight in Europe) but best among older males on dirt.
As an individual
A chestnut horse with conformation reminiscent of his great-grandsire, Northern Dancer, Lawyer Ron was powerful and masculine but had intelligence and a kind disposition. He was an enthusiastic worker in the mornings and an equally enthusiastic racer in the afternoons. He thrived on training and racing and held his weight well through hard campaigning. He was at his best from 7 to 9 furlongs. He tended to be rank and headstrong if not permitted to roll early but became more amenable to rating as he matured. He had a bone chip removed from a hind ankle following an unplaced run in the 2006 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1).
As a stallion
According to records compiled by The Jockey Club, Lawyer Ron sired 95 winners (64.2%) and 14 stakes winners (9.5%) from 148 named foals of racing age.
Notable progeny
Crime of Passion (USA), Drill (USA), Itsmyluckyday (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Lawyer Ron was bred and owned by James T. Hines Jr., who raced the horse in the name of his Hines Racing. In February 2006, Hines died in a drowning accident and Lawyer Ron’s racing career was afterward managed by Hines’s attorney, Ron Bamberger, on behalf of Hines’s children. Audrey Haisfield’s Stonewall Farm Stallions bought a majority interest in Lawyer Ron the week before the 2006 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1), but the horse continued to race in the name of Hines Racing. Lawyer Ron was trained by Robert Holthus through September 2006 and afterward by Todd Pletcher. He entered stud in 2008 in Kentucky at Stonewall but stood only two seasons before dying of complications of colic surgery in July 2009.
Pedigree notes
Lawyer Ron is outcrossed through five generations. He is out of Donation, whose Louisiana-bred dam Reddy Change (by 1978 Charles H. Strub Stakes, USA-G1, winner Mr. Redoy, by Grey Dawn II) was stakes-placed in state-bred company as a juvenile. Reddy Change, in turn, is out of the winner Coin Changer (by multiple juvenile stakes winner Rambunctious), a half sister to Venzuelan stakes winner Penaranda (by English Group 3 winner Shantallah). Coin Changer is also a half sister to Runcible Spoon (by Tim Tam), dam of multiple stakes winner Tim Tamber (by Ambernash).
Coin Changer and her siblings are out of unraced Little Mortgage (by 1954 Sapling Stakes winner Royal Coinage), whose half sister Edie Jo (by Helioscope) is the dam of Canadian stakes winners Edie’s Prize (by Prize Host) and Millman (by Speak John). Produced from the Count Fleet mare Behavior (a half sister to 1961 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap winner Don’t Alibi, by Alibhai, and to the good racer and sire Iron Ruler, by Never Bend), Little Mortgage is also a half sister to Miss Proctor (by Princequillo), dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Answer (by In Reality) and second dam of 1988 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) winner Flying Julia. In addition, Little Mortgage is a half sister to Gay Behavior (by Chateaugay), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Nice Catch (by Pass Catcher).
Books and media
Footage of Lawyer Ron’s win in the 2007 Whitney Stakes can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA8u9_uvJM0.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Portrait photo taken by Jessica Morgan at Stonewall Farm in 2007. Used by permission.
Last updated: December 22, 2024
Race record
26 starts, 12 wins, 4 seconds, 4 thirds, US$2,790,008
2005:
- Won Peninsula Gaming's Diamond Jo Stakes (USA-L, 8FD, Evangeline Downs)
2006:
- Won Arkansas Derby (USA-G2, 9FD, Oaklawn Park)
- Won Rebel Stakes (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Oaklawn Park)
- Won Southwest Stakes (USA-L, 8FD, Oaklawn Park)
- Won Risen Star Stakes (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Fair Grounds)
- Won St. Louis Derby (USA-L, 8.5FD, Fairmount Park)
- 2nd Super Derby (USA-G2, 9FD, Louisiana Downs)
2007:
- Won Whitney Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Saratoga; new track record 1:46.64)
- Won Woodward Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Saratoga)
- Won Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Oaklawn Park)
- 2nd Salvator Mile Handicap (USA-G3, 8FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1, 10FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1, 8FD, Belmont)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion older male (2007)
Assessments
Rated at 110 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juvenile males of 2005, 16 pounds below champion Stevie Wonderboy.
Rated at 124 pounds in the Mile category on the 2007 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, 7 pounds below overall highweight Manduro (a multiple highweight in Europe) but best among older males on dirt.
As an individual
A chestnut horse with conformation reminiscent of his great-grandsire, Northern Dancer, Lawyer Ron was powerful and masculine but had intelligence and a kind disposition. He was an enthusiastic worker in the mornings and an equally enthusiastic racer in the afternoons. He thrived on training and racing and held his weight well through hard campaigning. He was at his best from 7 to 9 furlongs. He tended to be rank and headstrong if not permitted to roll early but became more amenable to rating as he matured. He had a bone chip removed from a hind ankle following an unplaced run in the 2006 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1).
As a stallion
According to records compiled by The Jockey Club, Lawyer Ron sired 95 winners (64.2%) and 14 stakes winners (9.5%) from 148 named foals of racing age.
Notable progeny
Crime of Passion (USA), Drill (USA), Itsmyluckyday (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Lawyer Ron was bred and owned by James T. Hines Jr., who raced the horse in the name of his Hines Racing. In February 2006, Hines died in a drowning accident and Lawyer Ron’s racing career was afterward managed by Hines’s attorney, Ron Bamberger, on behalf of Hines’s children. Audrey Haisfield’s Stonewall Farm Stallions bought a majority interest in Lawyer Ron the week before the 2006 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1), but the horse continued to race in the name of Hines Racing. Lawyer Ron was trained by Robert Holthus through September 2006 and afterward by Todd Pletcher. He entered stud in 2008 in Kentucky at Stonewall but stood only two seasons before dying of complications of colic surgery in July 2009.
Pedigree notes
Lawyer Ron is outcrossed through five generations. He is out of Donation, whose Louisiana-bred dam Reddy Change (by 1978 Charles H. Strub Stakes, USA-G1, winner Mr. Redoy, by Grey Dawn II) was stakes-placed in state-bred company as a juvenile. Reddy Change, in turn, is out of the winner Coin Changer (by multiple juvenile stakes winner Rambunctious), a half sister to Venzuelan stakes winner Penaranda (by English Group 3 winner Shantallah). Coin Changer is also a half sister to Runcible Spoon (by Tim Tam), dam of multiple stakes winner Tim Tamber (by Ambernash).
Coin Changer and her siblings are out of unraced Little Mortgage (by 1954 Sapling Stakes winner Royal Coinage), whose half sister Edie Jo (by Helioscope) is the dam of Canadian stakes winners Edie’s Prize (by Prize Host) and Millman (by Speak John). Produced from the Count Fleet mare Behavior (a half sister to 1961 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap winner Don’t Alibi, by Alibhai, and to the good racer and sire Iron Ruler, by Never Bend), Little Mortgage is also a half sister to Miss Proctor (by Princequillo), dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Answer (by In Reality) and second dam of 1988 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) winner Flying Julia. In addition, Little Mortgage is a half sister to Gay Behavior (by Chateaugay), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Nice Catch (by Pass Catcher).
Books and media
Footage of Lawyer Ron’s win in the 2007 Whitney Stakes can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA8u9_uvJM0.
Fun facts
- Lawyer Ron was named for James Hines’s good friend Ron Bamberger, who was also Hines’s attorney.
- Lawyer Ron’s talent for dirt was discovered after an optional claimer in which he was entered at Louisiana Downs came off the turf. 0-for-7 on synthetics and turf, Lawyer Ron won by nearly 11 lengths and was never raced on anything but dirt afterward.
- Lawyer Ron could have been claimed for US$50,000 when he was racing at Turfway Park in September 2005. Later, following his win in the 2006 Risen Star Stakes, Hines refused an offer of US$2 million for him.
- Stonewall Farm Stallions tried to force Lawyer Ron’s retirement to stud following his 3-year-old season, but Bamberger secured a ruling through the courts that the colt could continue to race as a 4-year-old provided that he did not finish worse than second for two consecutive races. Lawyer Ron went 4-2-1 from eight starts during his championship season with his only out-of-the-money finish coming over a very sloppy track at Monmouth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1).
Photo credit
Portrait photo taken by Jessica Morgan at Stonewall Farm in 2007. Used by permission.
Last updated: December 22, 2024