Phone Trick (USA)
April 10, 1982 – October 10, 2005
Clever Trick (USA) x Over the Phone (USA), by Finnegan (USA)
Family 8-h
April 10, 1982 – October 10, 2005
Clever Trick (USA) x Over the Phone (USA), by Finnegan (USA)
Family 8-h
A first-rate speedster, Phone Trick was defeated only once in his career, and it took a horse as good as eventual sprint champion Groovy to get the job done. Phone Trick did not get a chance to avenge the defeat as he was forced into retirement by injury while training for the 1986 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (USA-G1). He became a useful sire of speed and contributed two champions to American racing in 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick and 1993 champion 2-year-old filly Phone Chatter.
Race record
10 starts, 9 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$395,112
1985:
1986:
Assessments
Rated at 112 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American male sprinters of 1985, 15 pounds below divisional champion Precisionist.
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American male sprinters of 1986, 1 pound above divisional champion Smile.
As an individual
A powerfully made, strong-bodied bay horse standing 16.1 hands, Phone Trick had good all-around conformation. He tended to sweat up in the paddock but was game and determined on the track. He missed much of his 3-year-old season due to a knee injury.
As a stallion
Phone Trick was the leading New York sire of 2001 per The Blood-Horse. According to Jockey Club records, Phone Trick sired 703 winners (61.2%) and 51 stakes winners (4.4%) from 1148 named foals. The 2006 reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits Phone Trick with 53 stakes winners.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Caller One (USA), Favorite Trick (USA), Phone Chatter (USA), Rocking Trick (ARG)
Notable progeny of daughters
Exogenous (USA), Norway Boy (BRZ), Zensational (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Phone Trick was bred by Boyce Lanier. Purchased for US$85,000 from the 1984 California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association March sale of 2-year-olds in training, he was owned by Larry DeAngelis, Howell Wynne, and Richard Mandella, and was trained by Richard Mandella. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1987 at Walmac International. He was privately purchased by a syndicate following the 2001 breeding season and relocated to New York’s Milfer Farm, where he died of natural causes in October 2005.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the good Icecapade son Clever Trick, Phone Trick is inbred 4x4 to two-time English/Irish champion sire Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the race course. He is a half brother to Phone Fols (by Ole Fols), dam of multiple Venezuelan stakes winner Epic Junior (by Epic Journey).
Over the Phone, the dam of Phone Trick, was unplaced in two starts. Sired by 1959 San Felipe Handicap winner Finnegan (by Royal Charger), she is out of the Mr. Busher mare Prattle, whose half sister Colfax Maid (by My Babu) won the 1960 Arlington Lassie Stakes and produced Grade 2 winner Captain Cee Jay (by Nashua) and 1967 Hyde Park Stakes winner Nash Co K. (by Nashua). Prattle is also a half sister to Strawberry Blonde (by Daumier), dam of stakes winner Huckabee (by Admiral Vee), and to Babuska (by My Babu), dam of 1965 Golden Rod Stakes winner Chalina (by Seaneen).
Prattle and her sisters are out of Tsumani (by the Blenheim II horse Cientifico), whose half sister Miss Middletown (by Middleground) is the second dam of 1983 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Ada Prospect. The next dam in Phone Trick’s tail-female line, the Roman mare Ocean Brief. Is a multiple stakes-winning half sister to 1946 Yankee Handicap winner Cable (by War Admiral) and multiple Canadian stakes winner Mr. Brief (by Djeddah).
Last updated: November 10, 2024
Race record
10 starts, 9 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$395,112
1985:
- Won Palos Verdes Handicap (USA-L, 6FD, SA)
- Won Debonair Stakes (USA-L, 7FD, HOL)
- Also equaled the 6-furlong track record of 1:09-1/5 at Hollywood
- Also equaled the 6-furlong track record of 1:08-4/5 at Hollywood
1986:
- Won San Carlos Handicap (USA-G2, 7FD, SA)
- Won Bold Ruler Stakes (USA-G2, 6FD, Belmont)
- Won True North Handicap (USA-G2, 6FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Tom Fool Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Belmont)
Assessments
Rated at 112 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American male sprinters of 1985, 15 pounds below divisional champion Precisionist.
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American male sprinters of 1986, 1 pound above divisional champion Smile.
As an individual
A powerfully made, strong-bodied bay horse standing 16.1 hands, Phone Trick had good all-around conformation. He tended to sweat up in the paddock but was game and determined on the track. He missed much of his 3-year-old season due to a knee injury.
As a stallion
Phone Trick was the leading New York sire of 2001 per The Blood-Horse. According to Jockey Club records, Phone Trick sired 703 winners (61.2%) and 51 stakes winners (4.4%) from 1148 named foals. The 2006 reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits Phone Trick with 53 stakes winners.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1997.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 9th on the American general sire list in 1997.
Notable progeny
Caller One (USA), Favorite Trick (USA), Phone Chatter (USA), Rocking Trick (ARG)
Notable progeny of daughters
Exogenous (USA), Norway Boy (BRZ), Zensational (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Phone Trick was bred by Boyce Lanier. Purchased for US$85,000 from the 1984 California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association March sale of 2-year-olds in training, he was owned by Larry DeAngelis, Howell Wynne, and Richard Mandella, and was trained by Richard Mandella. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1987 at Walmac International. He was privately purchased by a syndicate following the 2001 breeding season and relocated to New York’s Milfer Farm, where he died of natural causes in October 2005.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the good Icecapade son Clever Trick, Phone Trick is inbred 4x4 to two-time English/Irish champion sire Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the race course. He is a half brother to Phone Fols (by Ole Fols), dam of multiple Venezuelan stakes winner Epic Junior (by Epic Journey).
Over the Phone, the dam of Phone Trick, was unplaced in two starts. Sired by 1959 San Felipe Handicap winner Finnegan (by Royal Charger), she is out of the Mr. Busher mare Prattle, whose half sister Colfax Maid (by My Babu) won the 1960 Arlington Lassie Stakes and produced Grade 2 winner Captain Cee Jay (by Nashua) and 1967 Hyde Park Stakes winner Nash Co K. (by Nashua). Prattle is also a half sister to Strawberry Blonde (by Daumier), dam of stakes winner Huckabee (by Admiral Vee), and to Babuska (by My Babu), dam of 1965 Golden Rod Stakes winner Chalina (by Seaneen).
Prattle and her sisters are out of Tsumani (by the Blenheim II horse Cientifico), whose half sister Miss Middletown (by Middleground) is the second dam of 1983 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Ada Prospect. The next dam in Phone Trick’s tail-female line, the Roman mare Ocean Brief. Is a multiple stakes-winning half sister to 1946 Yankee Handicap winner Cable (by War Admiral) and multiple Canadian stakes winner Mr. Brief (by Djeddah).
Last updated: November 10, 2024