Border Run, the beloved gelding who for almost two years held the mantle as Big Red’s oldest progeny, has died. Patricia McQueen offers an appreciation – and reports on the two remaining Secretariats
It is the time of year when we want to be joyful, so now more than ever, after a loss we choose to celebrate the happy times rather than dwell on the sad.
This loss, however, is a big one: Border Run, who had reigned as the oldest known Secretariat for almost two years, is gone at age 34. He came from equine royalty, being a full-brother to both Terlingua and Pancho Villa, two of Secretariat’s best offspring. Although this chestnut gelding failed to match their success, he did manage to be stakes-placed during his racing career.
Born March 23, 1988, Border Run sold for $650,000 as a yearling and was under the care of trainer D Wayne Lukas for his early races. His best performances came at age three after breaking his maiden at Del Mar. He was second in the Foothill Stakes at Fairplex Park, and then ran third in the Derby Trial at the same track. Off those performances, he was part of a favored three-horse entry in the Pomona Derby, but could manage to finish only fifth.
He went on to race until he was seven, mostly in claiming races in the latter half of his career. He won six of 41 starts, with seven seconds and four thirds, for earnings of $155,238.
What happened in more than 15 years after his retirement is unknown, but in 2011 he was acquired by Curtis and Margo Wright in Washington after Curtis found him for sale on a local website. They have been his loving caretakers for almost a dozen years. As he got older, they knew every day was a gift.
When he first joined the Wrights’ small herd as the new kid on the block, his companions were Curtis’s racetrack hero Anniversary Year, a Quarter Horse named Harley and an old pony named Opie.
Border Run’s pedigree made him the celebrity of the group, attracting local visitors as well as fans from across the country. Last June, Emerald Downs featured the 34-year-old in their video series on off-the-track Thoroughbreds – he was the ‘Retired Racehorse of the Week’ during the Belmont Stakes week episode.
Border Run outlived both the younger Anniversary Year and the ageless Opie, and started 2022 in the middle of a rough winter which found him losing weight; his bloodwork had shown signs of kidney issues.
‘He eats like the proverbial horse’
Yet last spring, a return to warmer weather worked wonders for the old boy, who started gaining pounds. “He eats like the proverbial horse,” quipped Wright last April.
At the time, his diet consisted of all the grass he wanted, senior feed, cob and timothy pellets, supplemented by a bounty of carrot slices, bananas and horse cookies. “Cookies make everything better.” There was also high anticipation for another summer season of his favorite food – the Gravenstein apples from a tree behind the barn.
The gelding always enjoyed lying down for naps, but was increasingly having trouble getting back on his feet. So last March, Wright set him up with massage therapy sessions designed to improve his muscles and his strength; they seemed to help.
In mid-summer, Border Run injured his left eye, probably hitting it on the barn wall as he got up from a rest. It was a pretty significant injury, but the horse decided he knew better and wouldn’t let Wright treat it.
Fortunately, as time passed the obvious infection started drying out and things improved considerably. With loss of sight likely, he was understandably skittish on that side, but he continued to eat with gusto and munch on grass at his leisure. He also kept demanding cookies with a few headbutts directly aimed at his caretaker.
Then came December 20, when the gelding laid down into a snowy bed for one last rest. “He was doing great until this morning,” said Wright later that day. “I don’t think he had laid down in months. I tried to get him up and so did Harley. Ol’ Border knew it was time.” After a visit from the vet, now the Wright family’s precious trio of Border Run, Anniversary Year and Opie are together again, with Harley left to hold down the fort with his human companions and the goats in the next field.
As always, Wright is philosophical. “To paraphrase Theodor Geisel [otherwise known as Dr. Seuss]: Don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy that it happened. I was lucky to spend the last 11 ½ years taking care of the old guy and he helped take care of me.”
And now there are two
That sentiment is certainly appreciated by the owners of the two other known Secretariats. When 2022 began, I was aware only of Trusted Company, a 33-year-old mare.
In late October, however, another emerged into the limelight. He is 32-year-old Maritime Traveler, a member of Secretariat’s last crop born in 1990. Unplaced in five starts for Arthur Appleton’s Bridlewood Farm, he has spent a life of purpose at Bridlewood even after the farm changed hands upon Appleton’s death in 2008.
His duty was honorable – he served as a teaser in the farm’s stallion complex until retired from that job a few years ago. Maritime Traveler’s story will appear here soon.
Trusted Company now wears the heavy crown of being the oldest known Secretariat, and despite her advanced age she still enjoys running through her pasture with best buddy Catch This T.
Certainly regular PEMF (pulsed electro-magnetic field) therapy helps with arthritis in her legs, and owner Bev Dee of Bright Futures Farm also keeps her very happy with Mrs. Pastures horse cookies.
Dee didn’t have enough cookies in her pocket during a recent therapy session, and Trusted Company let her know. “I got the evil eye, several nips and bumps.” she said. “She was not happy.”
All was soon forgiven, however, after more cookies were forthcoming. Remember, cookies make everything better.
As we enter 2023, the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s smashing Triple Crown triumph in 1973, it’s remarkable that these horses are still with us. Truly, every day is a gift.
• Visit the Secretariat's Legacy calendar website
Secretariat charity calendar for 2023 celebrates his daughter Terlingua, dam of Storm Cat
‘I like to win a lot of races’ – ‘Iron Man’ Perry Ouzts is still going strong aged 68
Breeders’ Cup miracle: the tearjerking story of the racehorse and the boy who wished upon a star
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires