Wild Again (USA)
May 22, 1980 – December 5, 2008
Icecapade (USA) x Bushel-n-Peck (USA), by Khaled (USA)
Family 3-e
May 22, 1980 – December 5, 2008
Icecapade (USA) x Bushel-n-Peck (USA), by Khaled (USA)
Family 3-e
Best remembered for his controversial win over Slew o' Gold and Gate Dancer in the first Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1), Wild Again was not quite a first-class horse but was tough, willing and game. He was able to transmit those qualities consistently as a stallion, allowing him to continue the male line of Nearctic's second best son, Icecapade.
Race record
28 starts, 8 wins, 7 seconds, 4 thirds, US$2,204,829
1982:
1984:
1985:
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1984, 6 pounds below champion Slew o' Gold.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown horse standing 15.3 hands, Wild Again was a plain animal with a good shoulder and hip and short cannons. He stood a bit over at the knees and his hocks were out behind him. He was characterized as “a gentleman” by the staff at Three Chimneys Farm, where he spent most of his stud career.
As a stallion
The Jockey Club credits Wild Again with 639 winners (65.9%) and 84 stakes winners (8.7%) from 969 named foals; The Blood-Horse credits Wild Again with 88 stakes winners (9.1%).
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
A Wild Ride (USA), Blizzard (USA), Born Wild (USA), Elmhurst (USA), Free At Last (USA), Milwaukee Brew (USA), Offlee Wild (USA), Sarava (USA), Shine Again (USA), Super I (USA), Vicar (USA), Wild Event (USA), Wild Rush (USA), Wilderness Song (CAN)
Notable progeny of daughters
Emma's Encore (USA), Fair Mix (IRE), Fashions Afield (AUS), Joyful Victory (USA), Mea Domina (USA), Power Broker (USA), Pyro (USA), Wild Spirit (CHI)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Wild Again was bred by W. Paul Little. He was owned by Black Chip Stable after being purchased for US$35,000 at the 1981 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. He was initially trained by Tommy Akin but spent most of his racing career in the barn of Vincent Timphony. Wild Again entered stud in 1986 in Kentucky at Calumet Farm and moved to Three Chimneys Farm, also in Kentucky, in 1991. He was pensioned in October 2004 due to declining fertility. He was humanely destroyed on December 5, 2008, due to the infirmities of old age and was buried next to Capote in the Three Chimneys horse cemetery near the main stallion barn.
Pedigree notes
Wild Again is inbred 3x4 to two-time English champion sire Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the race course, and 4x3 to six-time English champion sire Hyperion, winner of the 1933 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes. He is a half brother to Sentimental Girl (by Antonio Canale), dam of stakes winner Just a Memory (by Olden Times), and to stakes-placed Coed (by Ribot), dam of stakes winner Blacksmith (by Cannonade) He is also a half brother to Caitland (by Key to the Kingdom), dam of Grade 3 winner Lance (by Raise a Man), listed stakes winner Mr. Decatur (by Banker's Gold), and multiple stakes winner Building Code (by Drouilly) as well as stakes-placed Kombat Kate (by Fit to Fight), a multiple stakes producer.
Bushel-n-Peck, the dam of Wild Again, scored her biggest win when she defeated males in a division of the 1961 Cinema Handicap. A full sister to multiple stakes winner Free Copy, she is out of the Dante mare Dama II, also the second dam of 1970 San Jacinto Stakes winner Plenty Old. Dama II, in turn, is a half sister to 1946 Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Claro (by Colombo) and juvenile stakes winner Kisaki (by Blue Peter; dam of juvenile stakes winner Kahira, by Nearco) and Lassy (by Palestine). Produced from the Mahmoud mare Clovelly, Dama II is also a half sister to Pangani (by Fair Trial), dam of multiple stakes winner Bandoola (by My Love).
Books and media
Footage of Wild Again's Breeders' Cup victory can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpoEMCJdj1M.
Fun facts
Photo credits
Top: Portrait photo taken by Jessica Morgan at Three Chimneys Farm in 2006. Used by permission.
Bottom: Photo of Wild Again's headstone at Three Chimneys Farm, taken by Jessica Morgan. Used by permission.
Race record
28 starts, 8 wins, 7 seconds, 4 thirds, US$2,204,829
1982:
- 2nd El Rio Rey Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
1984:
- Won Breeders' Cup Classic Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Hollywood)
- Won Meadowland Cup Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, The Meadowlands)
- Won Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Oaklawn)
- Won New Orleans Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Fair Grounds)
- 3rd Suburban Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Ak-Sar-Ben Cornhusker Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Ak-Sar-Ben)
1985:
- 2nd Meadowlands Cup Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, The Meadowlands)
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1984, 6 pounds below champion Slew o' Gold.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown horse standing 15.3 hands, Wild Again was a plain animal with a good shoulder and hip and short cannons. He stood a bit over at the knees and his hocks were out behind him. He was characterized as “a gentleman” by the staff at Three Chimneys Farm, where he spent most of his stud career.
As a stallion
The Jockey Club credits Wild Again with 639 winners (65.9%) and 84 stakes winners (8.7%) from 969 named foals; The Blood-Horse credits Wild Again with 88 stakes winners (9.1%).
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 1997; 4th in 2002; 7th in 1998; 8th in 1995.
Notable progeny
A Wild Ride (USA), Blizzard (USA), Born Wild (USA), Elmhurst (USA), Free At Last (USA), Milwaukee Brew (USA), Offlee Wild (USA), Sarava (USA), Shine Again (USA), Super I (USA), Vicar (USA), Wild Event (USA), Wild Rush (USA), Wilderness Song (CAN)
Notable progeny of daughters
Emma's Encore (USA), Fair Mix (IRE), Fashions Afield (AUS), Joyful Victory (USA), Mea Domina (USA), Power Broker (USA), Pyro (USA), Wild Spirit (CHI)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Wild Again was bred by W. Paul Little. He was owned by Black Chip Stable after being purchased for US$35,000 at the 1981 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. He was initially trained by Tommy Akin but spent most of his racing career in the barn of Vincent Timphony. Wild Again entered stud in 1986 in Kentucky at Calumet Farm and moved to Three Chimneys Farm, also in Kentucky, in 1991. He was pensioned in October 2004 due to declining fertility. He was humanely destroyed on December 5, 2008, due to the infirmities of old age and was buried next to Capote in the Three Chimneys horse cemetery near the main stallion barn.
Pedigree notes
Wild Again is inbred 3x4 to two-time English champion sire Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the race course, and 4x3 to six-time English champion sire Hyperion, winner of the 1933 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes. He is a half brother to Sentimental Girl (by Antonio Canale), dam of stakes winner Just a Memory (by Olden Times), and to stakes-placed Coed (by Ribot), dam of stakes winner Blacksmith (by Cannonade) He is also a half brother to Caitland (by Key to the Kingdom), dam of Grade 3 winner Lance (by Raise a Man), listed stakes winner Mr. Decatur (by Banker's Gold), and multiple stakes winner Building Code (by Drouilly) as well as stakes-placed Kombat Kate (by Fit to Fight), a multiple stakes producer.
Bushel-n-Peck, the dam of Wild Again, scored her biggest win when she defeated males in a division of the 1961 Cinema Handicap. A full sister to multiple stakes winner Free Copy, she is out of the Dante mare Dama II, also the second dam of 1970 San Jacinto Stakes winner Plenty Old. Dama II, in turn, is a half sister to 1946 Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Claro (by Colombo) and juvenile stakes winner Kisaki (by Blue Peter; dam of juvenile stakes winner Kahira, by Nearco) and Lassy (by Palestine). Produced from the Mahmoud mare Clovelly, Dama II is also a half sister to Pangani (by Fair Trial), dam of multiple stakes winner Bandoola (by My Love).
Books and media
Footage of Wild Again's Breeders' Cup victory can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpoEMCJdj1M.
Fun facts
- The stretch drive of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Classic was a roughly run affair, and Wild Again's victory by a head over Gate Dancer (who was disqualified to third for interference with Slew o' Gold) was only confirmed after a nine-minute review by the stewards.
- Because Wild Again had not been nominated to the Breeders' Cup before the initial deadline, his owners had to pay a US$360,000 supplementary fee to get him into the Classic. Considering that the horse was coming off a third-place finish in a turf allowance at Bay Meadows just two weeks before the Breeders' Cup, the owners' willingness to pony up the fee represented a tremendous vote of confidence in an animal who would end up going off at 31-1.
- For unknown reasons, the hoof on Wild Again's left forefoot always grew out faster than the hoofs on the horse's other three feet, necessitating a customized schedule for farrier visits to ensure that all four feet stayed properly trimmed.
Photo credits
Top: Portrait photo taken by Jessica Morgan at Three Chimneys Farm in 2006. Used by permission.
Bottom: Photo of Wild Again's headstone at Three Chimneys Farm, taken by Jessica Morgan. Used by permission.
Last updated: November 17, 2024