Santa’s reindeer work onerous. They’ve to drag his plump body, together with actually billions of toys, in a sled throughout your entire planet, all whereas racing towards time to finish their journey earlier than sunup all over the world. It’s a very unbelievable feat, and it is sufficient to make one surprise how Santa’s sled-pullers would fare on the racetrack.
Whereas we’ll by no means get to place Santa’s reindeer to the check towards Thoroughbreds, as a result of guidelines of most racetracks in addition to the legal guidelines of physics and actuality itself, we are able to take a peek all through historical past to see how numerous racehorses that shared Santa’s reindeer’s names fared. Be aware: This story was first printed in 2018 and has been up to date in 2024.
DASHER
Foaled in 1932, Dasher was the winner of the Nice American Stakes at Aqueduct in 1934, a five-furlong race for 2-year-olds with a handbag of $2,610. Dasher received by six lengths and was the 7-10 favourite. That was early on in his profession, nevertheless. He went on to race a complete of 35 occasions, with solely 4 lifetime wins, together with the Nice American.
DANCER
A variety of horses have had the identify Dancer, or one thing near it. Maybe probably the most completed of the horses merely named Dancer was foaled in Argentina in 1970, however didn’t debut within the U.S. till 1974. Dancer ran 52 occasions and received 13 races, however none of them was a extremely regarded stakes race. Most of Dancer’s wins have been on the allowance stage. His greatest end in a stakes race got here within the 1977 working of the Bowie Handicap at Bowie Race Course in Maryland. Dancer led for many of the method earlier than fading to 3rd. There was, in fact, a well-known Northern Dancer bred in Canada who has a memorable profession on the racetrack and at stud, however that may be bending the foundations.
PRANCER
Prancer was foaled in 1979 and spent the higher a part of three years racing primarily at Thistledown close to Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout that point he raced 44 occasions and by no means as soon as broke his maiden. He retired winless with solely $2,698 lifetime earnings.
VIXEN
From amongst Santa’s beloved reindeer, Vixen will get by far the latest replace due to a proficient bay filly by Vekoma, who was bought for $200,000 on the 2024 OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds in coaching and got here out working. Educated by Mark Casse for house owners D. J. Secure and Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions, Vixen rolled to a 4 ¾-length romp in her second profession begin Aug. 19, 2024, going a mile on the grass at Ellis Park. Vixen subsequent completed second by a neck within the $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes in September at Woodbine earlier than a sixth-place end within the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Hold an eye fixed out for Vixen the reindeer on Christmas Eve and Vixen the racehorse as a 3-year-old in 2024.
COMET
Unsure what occurred to Comet I, however Comet II was owned within the early Nineteen Forties by the Gaffers and Stattler stovemaking agency as a part of their formidable West Coast racing steady. Comet II raced 58 occasions and received seven, largely in claiming races. His closest brush with fame was when he managed to slide into the sphere of the New 12 months Handicap at Golden Gate Fields in 1941. The race was initially scheduled for Jan. 1 (natch) however torrential rain postponed the occasion to February. That gave the stovemakers time to mull it over and enter him into the race. He shocked the followers and snuck up for second in a crowded stretch run and paid $8.20.
CUPID
Most up to date racing followers ought to know the grey Cupid. If you happen to don’t, a refresher: born in Could 2013, Cupid was bought for $900,000 on the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale and went on to earn greater than $1.7 million over his three seasons of racing. He was a number one contender for the 2016 Kentucky Derby Introduced by Yum! Manufacturers earlier than coach Bob Baffert pulled him off the Derby path for respiration issues after the horse ran tenth within the Arkansas Derby because the betting favourite. After some recuperation, nevertheless, Cupid went on to win the Indiana Derby, West Virginia Derby, and the 2017 Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
DONNER
From 1996 to 2001, Donner put in yeoman’s work racing the southwest circuit, from Arapahoe Downs in Colorado to Sunland Park in New Mexico, and loads of locations in between. He ran 58 occasions and received 4 races. The longest feather in his cap might be his back-to-back wins within the Con Jackson Claiming Handicap in 1999 and 2000, a 1 13/16-mile race held yearly at Albuquerque Downs. The race is a fan favourite, and Donner by no means misplaced.
BLITZEN
Of all of the Blitzens to ever race, the perfect ever might be the Japanese-bred Blitzen foaled in 2006. Blitzen raced 37 occasions in a protracted six-year profession and received six occasions, together with the Lord Derby Problem Trophy, a Group 3 turf race. Regardless of solely six wins, he completed within the cash sufficient to earn greater than $2 million over the course of his profession.
RUDOLPH
There are a variety of Rudolphs, however actually none of them ever did a lot to talk of. And I’ve to confess that I’m glad for that, as a result of Rudolph isn’t actually certainly one of Santa’s reindeer anyway. He was invented in 1939 by Montgomery Ward, whereas the O.G. eight have been round since 1823 when “Twas the Evening Earlier than Christmas” got here out. I suppose I’m a reindeer purist. Or perhaps I’m simply affected by fatigue. This record was rather a lot longer than I anticipated.
Within the last evaluation, I believe it’s clear that Cupid takes the prize for probably the most completed of this record. However each horse has had a novel profession on completely different surfaces at completely different racetracks throughout completely different eras. The one factor we are able to actually conclude is that Santa would do a minimum of as properly, if not significantly better, if he used Thoroughbreds to drag his sleigh as a substitute of deer.
