I LOVED John Henry as a kid...He was prominently featured in my racing scrapbook. I wish I could find that book. I would sob looking at my childhood memories.
I asked my grandmother if she remembered seeing Secretariate on TV, and all she could talk about was remembering John Henry! She loves this horse more than any other
Yes, John Henry ,and earlier Forego , Dr.Fager, Damascus ,Swaps. Just to lookup their race records is utterly amazing. This,is totally inconceivable today or since... Plus the times of the races and distance covered ,equaling ad breaking track records.
I will tell you ...when a horse knows he is loved he will run to parts unknown for that love...Seabiscuit and John Henry are proof of that...!!! and don't ever forget it...!! To bad humans can't figure that out nowadays...Love you John Henry and Seabiscuit forever...!
My boss, Robert A. Donato, was John Henry's trainer in New York. Pablo Cosme, now Mr. Donato's assistant, was his groom. I have a photo of both of them with John Henry , from 1978. They aren't mentioned in the documentary
Wow!! He must have died almost right after you posted this!! I see Bobby Donato died July 4, 2017. I checked and sorry to see that. He was listed in his obituary as a prior trainer.
Kelso was better only because of the weight handicap he had and the stakes he won. John Henry, Cigar and Wise Dan were all real RACEhorses!!!! The best!!!
Man, kelso was horse of the year 5 times and, those same years he won the hardest race in the usa the 2 mile jockey gold cup breaking the record twice on two sloppy tracks with standing water and, holds the 3 fastest timinngs for that, the hell are you talking about? Kelso won twice with 136 lbs, john henry got his butt kicked twice carrying 136 pounds. The problem is like others you just don't know much about the great kelso.Kelso is and, was the greatest racehorse of all-times and he only weighed 900 pounds and, looked like a freakin deer and, was carrying 12 pct of his body weight. The hell are you talkin bout Einstein? Kelso and, it's not even close. You gotta be kidding. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
@@taxisteve929 Kelso broke the record at the dc innternational in 1964 on grass at 1 mile and a half doing 2:23 4/5 on 3 tight turns which are way harder than than those two bullcrap huge sweeping turns secretariat had in belmont on the fast track right by the rail from the start to the finish. There were no starting gates in those dc races cause the foreign horses didn't use gates which also made it harder for kelso and, his speedball cousin also out of man of war gun bow. Kelso still pulled 23 secounds and, 4/5 for the final quarter, faster than he did the first quarter!!!!!!!! Incredible for a 1 and, a half mile race on 3 tight turns which you have to slow down then pick up again on each turn! So kelso was pretty damn good on grass after all wasn't he now. Did John Henry beat any foreign champion horses? I doubt it. John Henry couldn't shine kelsos' shoes and, then again no horse could. Kelso also had broke his own record for the grueling 2 mile jockey gold cup at 3:19 1/5 and, that was just 11 days before breaking the record on grass at the dc! He is the only horse to pull that elephant out of his ass! Crazy he set records at 3 and, was still setting records at 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KELSO and, it's not even freakin close chief. You must not know much about 'KING KELLY'. Poor kelso he looked like a deer. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
Willie the Shoe was REACHING to win the Arlington Million in that nose job......boy....if the horse wasn't going to get his nose up, show was going to get his hand in front!!!! He was almost out of the irons in the print!!! Got everything out of JH that race!!!
[Ken Kall] Enjoyed your comment. I admit, Secretariat is not my favorite horse. I appreciate horses who prove themselves, like John Henry, Kelso, Round Table, Forego,etc.. Even Seattle Slew and Affirmed ran after there 3 year old season.
@@brgilbert2 Kelso and, it's not even close, only horse to be a great horse at 3 and, win horse of the year and, go on to be a great handicap horse at 5 and, win horse of the year at 5, it get's even crazier, kelso was a great handicap horse at 4, 6, and, 7 and, won horse of the year those years beating the 3 year old champions of each of 5 years he was hore of the year and, winning the grueling 2 mile jockey gold cup those 5 years and, breaking the record twice doing so and, both times on a sloppy track, othe first time at 3 with standing water on it when he did 3:19 2/5, would have done what on a fast track, 3:18 or better? Citation did 3:21 3/5 on a fast track and, forego did 3:21 2/5 on a fast track. Kelso and, it's not even close. Oh he was and, is the only horse to do under 3:20 for 2 miles!!!! Did it 3 times and, holds the 3 fatest timings for it. Prove out who beat secretariat at the woodward owns the 4th fastest timing at 3:20 flat. Any questions. Kelso is in a class all by himself. Not even close. Greatest of them all and, he looked like a damn deer at about 900 pounds and carried 12 pct of his body weight at times! KELSO is the God of racehorses. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
And was still a tad ornery per The Hall of Champions staff at KhP ( maybe compared with the gentleman ly Cigar )who was also at the Hall of Champions at that time😬
I LOVED John Henry as a kid...He was prominently featured in my racing scrapbook. I wish I could find that book. I would sob looking at my childhood memories.
I was a tour guide at the Ky Horse Park while I was in college. John Henry was one of the stops on my tram tour. Makes me feel connected to him.
They don't have horse's like this anymore and never will.
I asked my grandmother if she remembered seeing Secretariate on TV, and all she could talk about was remembering John Henry! She loves this horse more than any other
John Henry was the Grand Old Man!
Yes, John Henry ,and earlier Forego , Dr.Fager, Damascus ,Swaps. Just to lookup their race records is utterly amazing. This,is totally inconceivable today or since... Plus the times of the races and distance covered ,equaling ad breaking track records.
I will tell you ...when a horse knows he is loved he will run to parts unknown for that love...Seabiscuit and John Henry are proof of that...!!! and don't ever forget it...!! To bad humans can't figure that out nowadays...Love you John Henry and Seabiscuit forever...!
I remember watching this race live and screaming my head off. Way to go John!
John Henry and Secretariat are my two heroes greatest horses ever lived and raced
A true legendary war horse!
Wow! Just checked his pedigree. He had Princequillo (Secretariat's damsire) on his sire's side and Man'O'War on his dam's side.
John Henry was like the Yankees You got sick of hearing him winning
I was fortunate to see him run in southern California
Lived a good long life, retired to The Kentucky Horse Farm. As a gelding, he couldn't have asked for a better life!!
An incredible story!
1 tough bold Champ !
Saw him live in NY several times.
My boss, Robert A. Donato, was John Henry's trainer in New York. Pablo Cosme, now Mr. Donato's assistant, was his groom. I have a photo of both of them with John Henry , from 1978. They aren't mentioned in the documentary
Wow!! He must have died almost right after you posted this!! I see Bobby Donato died July 4, 2017. I checked and sorry to see that. He was listed in his obituary as a prior trainer.
Looks like your old boss was the one who felt he would be best on grass, and probably raced him on grass for the first time.
Kelso was better only because of the weight handicap he had and the stakes he won. John Henry, Cigar and Wise Dan were all real RACEhorses!!!! The best!!!
Probably not on grass though....
John Henry always ran at top weight.
Man, kelso was horse of the year 5 times and, those same years he won the hardest race in the usa the 2 mile jockey gold cup breaking the record twice on two sloppy tracks with standing water and, holds the 3 fastest timinngs for that, the hell are you talking about? Kelso won twice with 136 lbs, john henry got his butt kicked twice carrying 136 pounds. The problem is like others you just don't know much about the great kelso.Kelso is and, was the greatest racehorse of all-times and he only weighed 900 pounds and, looked like a freakin deer and, was carrying 12 pct of his body weight. The hell are you talkin bout Einstein? Kelso and, it's not even close. You gotta be kidding. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
@@taxisteve929 Kelso broke the record at the dc innternational in 1964 on grass at 1 mile and a half doing 2:23 4/5 on 3 tight turns which are way harder than than those two bullcrap huge sweeping turns secretariat had in belmont on the fast track right by the rail from the start to the finish. There were no starting gates in those dc races cause the foreign horses didn't use gates which also made it harder for kelso and, his speedball cousin also out of man of war gun bow. Kelso still pulled 23 secounds and, 4/5 for the final quarter, faster than he did the first quarter!!!!!!!! Incredible for a 1 and, a half mile race on 3 tight turns which you have to slow down then pick up again on each turn! So kelso was pretty damn good on grass after all wasn't he now. Did John Henry beat any foreign champion horses? I doubt it. John Henry couldn't shine kelsos' shoes and, then again no horse could. Kelso also had broke his own record for the grueling 2 mile jockey gold cup at 3:19 1/5 and, that was just 11 days before breaking the record on grass at the dc! He is the only horse to pull that elephant out of his ass! Crazy he set records at 3 and, was still setting records at 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KELSO and, it's not even freakin close chief. You must not know much about 'KING KELLY'. Poor kelso he looked like a deer. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
unbelieveable
Old Bob Bowers kid...Yeah. I remember him
Amazing Boy¡¡¡
Willie the Shoe was REACHING to win the Arlington Million in that nose job......boy....if the horse wasn't going to get his nose up, show was going to get his hand in front!!!! He was almost out of the irons in the print!!! Got everything out of JH that race!!!
[taxisteve929] What is interesting about John Henry is he did NOT favor soft turf courses.
Eddie D on The Bart.
Ol,Bob Bowers was a tail male Prince Rose,Bull Hancock said you couldn't beat that.
John Henry was a tail male prince rose,that's why.
Wise Dan comes closest to john Henry than any horse I've ever seen
Just like Kelso he was a real racehorse!!!!! Secretariat was a donkey compared to them!!!!
[Ken Kall] Enjoyed your comment. I admit, Secretariat is not my favorite horse. I appreciate horses who prove themselves, like John Henry, Kelso, Round Table, Forego,etc.. Even Seattle Slew and Affirmed ran after there 3 year old season.
@@brgilbert2 Kelso and, it's not even close, only horse to be a great horse at 3 and, win horse of the year and, go on to be a great handicap horse at 5 and, win horse of the year at 5, it get's even crazier, kelso was a great handicap horse at 4, 6, and, 7 and, won horse of the year those years beating the 3 year old champions of each of 5 years he was hore of the year and, winning the grueling 2 mile jockey gold cup those 5 years and, breaking the record twice doing so and, both times on a sloppy track, othe first time at 3 with standing water on it when he did 3:19 2/5, would have done what on a fast track, 3:18 or better? Citation did 3:21 3/5 on a fast track and, forego did 3:21 2/5 on a fast track. Kelso and, it's not even close. Oh he was and, is the only horse to do under 3:20 for 2 miles!!!! Did it 3 times and, holds the 3 fatest timings for it. Prove out who beat secretariat at the woodward owns the 4th fastest timing at 3:20 flat. Any questions. Kelso is in a class all by himself. Not even close. Greatest of them all and, he looked like a damn deer at about 900 pounds and carried 12 pct of his body weight at times! KELSO is the God of racehorses. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
The bart could run
And was still a tad ornery per The Hall of Champions staff at KhP ( maybe compared with the gentleman ly Cigar )who was also at the Hall of Champions at that time😬