Sword Dancer - A Name Replaced But Not Forgotten

 

Sword Dancer – A Name Replaced But Not Forgotten

Joseph Di Rienzi

Sword Dancer at Belmont Park in 1959
(Keeneland Library Morgan Collection)

On August 15, 2026 the New York Racing Association will run the Christophe Clement Turf Stakes at Saratoga Racetrack named in honor of the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame trainer who passed away in 2025. Previously the Sword Dancer Stakes, it will be run over the turf at its customary 1½ mile distance. (Christophe Clement, himself had trainees win the Sword Dancer a record five times.) Before the name Sword Dancer is shelved in the attic of thoroughbred racing history, I would like to present a history of this splendid horse’s career.

Born in 1956 in Virginia at Isabel Doge Sloane’s Brookmeade Stable, Sword Dancer was a small bright chestnut colt with a white blaze running down his face and three white stockinged feet. He was trained his entire racing career by J. Elliott Burch who had succeeded his father, Preston Burch, as Brookmeade’s trainer. The colt was sired by home stallion Sunglow out of the mare Highland Fling.

Elliot Burch wasted no time in launching Sword Dancer’s racing career, as the sprightly chestnut had his first race on February 28, 1958 in a 3 furlong maiden raced at Hialeah Racetrack. Finishing a distant fourth in that dash, it would take seven more races before the colt broke his maiden. That was a 6 furlong contest at Saratoga in late August. Showing improvement with experience and competing in races of increasing distance, Sword Dancer won his first stakes race, the Mayflower, at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts. Coming from 11^th place in the mile and 70 yard contest, the Brookmeade colt displayed a devastating closing rally to win going away by 4½ lengths.

Sword Dancer’s penultimate two-year-old race was in the Garden State Stakes, at the time the world’s richest race. He put in a solid effort to finish third, 2 lengths behind the embattled pair of First Landing and Tomy Lee, the leading juveniles of 1958. Excused for his fourth place finish in the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, Elliott Burch took his young horse into winter quarters in Florida, hopeful he had a legitimate contender for the 1959 classic races.

A fever delayed Sword Dancer’s initial sophomore start until March 1959, when he finished fifth in the 7 furlong Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Running back in less than two weeks, the Sunglow colt showed good early speed in winning a 1 mile and 70 yard allowance race by 2 easy lengths. The Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park was Sword Dancer’s first major test, and he faced the surprising Flamingo Stakes winner Troilus. Racing the latter into defeat, Sword Dancer battled through the stretch with Troilus’ stablemate Easy Spur going down in defeat by ¾ of a length.

Convinced his colt was a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender, Burch arranged for top jockey William Shoemaker to ride Sword Dancer in the 7 furlong Stepping Stone race at Churchill Downs. Defeating rival Easy Spur and the previously undefeated filly Silver Spoon in fast time, the Brookemeade colt emerged as one of the top choices for the Run for the Roses.

The main problem going into the big race was the rider. Shoemaker had already committed to Tomy Lee who after a series of defeats and illness had found his best form, recently winning the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse. Although Shoemaker’s agent had preferred his client ride Sword Dancer, he was not able to break the agreement. Burch, after much deliberation, went to Bill Boland, a veteran jockey who had ridden Sword Dancer once before when he broke his maiden at Saratoga.

Derby Day in 1959 was May 2 and a field of seventeen was loaded into the gate. It was considered a very competitive running with the best two-year-olds of last year, First Landing and Tomy Lee, almost co-favorites. Easy Spur and Sword Dancer were accorded good chances and, sentimentally there was a lot of support for the filly Silver Spoon.  Troilus led the field the first time around the track with Tomy Lee the closest pursuer. Sword Dancer raced prominently with First Landing and Silver Spoon stalking just behind the leaders.  At the top of the stretch, Tomy Lee was in front with Sword Dancer looming on his outside. Both First Landing and Silver Spoon had opportunities to make runs but failed to sustain their respective rallies. The stretch run was intense with Tomy Lee drifting out and making contact with Sword Dancer. Bumps were exchanged and the finish was decided by a nose - Tomy Lee’s. First Landing was third 2¼ lengths back, with Royal Orbit fourth and Silver Spoon fifth. An inquiry was lodged by Sword Dancer’s jockey William Boland, and after a lengthy time interval the Kentucky stewards were unwilling (at that time) to disqualify a horse that finished first in the Kentucky Derby. Thus, as a stroke of fate, William Shoemaker who tried to get off Tomy Lee to ride Sword Dancer was credited with providing the crucial difference.

After such a dramatic Derby, the Preakness Stakes two weeks later was a decided let down.  First of all, the connections of Tomy Lee shipped him back to California after a frenzied Kentucky campaign. Silver Spoon also returned to California and for most of her career was restricted to races against her own sex.
The Preakness was billed as a race between the second and third finishers in the Kentucky Derby, Sword Dancer (with Shoemaker back aboard) and First Landing, respectively. However, it was the Derby fourth, Royal Orbit who made a dramatic run from the rear to sweep by the field defeating Sword Dancer by 4 widening lengths with Dunce third.  First Landing showed little in finishing ninth and was discovered suffering from a liver illness which prevented his return to the races until late fall. 

There was a four week interval between the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, and Elliott Burch used that time to enter his three-year-old in the Metropolitan Handicap at one mile against older horses.  Burch’s reason was two-fold. He wanted a race for his hardy battler, and at the scale of weights he thought the classic tested Sword Dancer had a great chance to win. Carrying 114 lb. Sword Dancer scored an authoritative victory over some of the best Eastern older horses and started a pattern that Elliot Burch would use successfully with two other Belmont Stakes winners. 

As for the 1959 Belmont Stakes, despite Royal Orbit’s presence, the public settled on the twice classic placed Sword Dancer fresh off his Metropolitan Mile win as the favorite. The race was not without drama and tragedy. King Ranch’s Black Hills making a menacing move on the stretch turn broke down and crashed into fellow Belmont contender, Lake Erie. The most memorable image from the race was the unconscious Eddie Arcaro (rider of Black Hills) lying face down in the mud on the turn. Fortunately, his injuries were not fatal, and he returned to riding later in the year. However, Black Hills injuries were severe enough that he had to be euthanized, casting a pall on the race.  Somewhat anticlimactically, Sword Dancer wore down West Coast invader Bagdad in the stretch to win the Belmont Stakes by ¾ of a length with Royal Orbit a distant third.  So, the American classics ended with a separate winner for each race, but with a horse, Sword Dancer, a diminutive bright chestnut with three white stockings, assuming the leadership of the division with his hardiness, stamina, and determination.  The rest of 1959 would see “Little Red” expand and extend this dominance.

Sword Dancer was given a little over a month’s rest and when he returned it was in the Monmouth Handicap at 1¼ miles against established older horses. Rallying from off the pace, the Brookemeade color bearer defeated Amerigo and Talent Show. Continuing to face his elders, the sturdy chestnut suffered a narrow lost to Chilean import Babu in the Brooklyn Handicap at Jamaica Racetrack while conceding 12 lb. in actual weight. Back in his own division, Sword Dancer cemented the three-year-old championship with a narrow ½ length victory while conceding weight to Middle Brother in the Travers Stakes – the Midsummer’s Derby at Saratoga Racetrack.

By the end of the summer it was surmised that the three best racehorses in the United States were the defending champ five-year-old Round Table, the California raced four-year-old Hillsdale, and the upstart three-year-old, Sword Dancer. The venue for a “Clash of the Titans” was the new racetrack in New York City, Aqueduct.  Hillsdale had shipped east and won a prep race at Belmont Park, then was victorious in the Aqueduct Handicap at one mile in the inaugural stakes run at the racetrack. The Woodward Stakes on Saturday, September 26, at 1¼ miles under weight-for-age conditions was the stage set to determine Horse of the Year honors. Only longshot Inside Tract was entered other than the “Big Three”. There was a significant and eventful jockey switch. William Shoemaker who had assumed the mount on Sword Dancer after the Kentucky Derby, was also the regular rider on Round Table. He chose the older horse over the three-year-old. Elliot Burch contracted the veteran big race rider Eddie Arcaro to highlight the importance he attached to winning this race. Hillsdale’s connections showed remarkable restraint in retaining his regular rider, Tommy Barrow, who was hardly a household name in the racing world.

As a race, the Woodward Stakes was a thriller. As usual in a small field there was race riding that may have determined the outcome. Hillsdale went to the front and set a leisurely pace with Round Table a close second. Inside Track and Sword Dancer traded places for third and fourth with the three-year-old saving ground on the inside. As the field entered the stretch, Sword Dancer seemed trapped on the rail as Hillsdale was fighting off Round Table’s bid. It appeared that Barrow aboard Hillsdale was so intent on defeating Round Table that he allowed his mount to drift off the rail just sufficient to allow Arcaro to slip Sword Dancer through and in a desperate finish win by a head. Round Table was a clearly beaten third.

This was the only meeting among these three equine stars. Hillsdale was retired after the Woodward.  Sword Dancer and Round Table would face each other one more time in the two mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. The race was anticlimactic, but nevertheless, definitive in that Sword Dancer won by 7 lengths over a sloppy racetrack surface not conducive to Round Table. In the year end awards Sword Dancer was voted Three-Year-Old Champion, Co-champion Male Handicap Horse and Horse of the Year whereas Round Table was Co-champion Male Handicap Horse and Turf Champion. 

Kept in training in 1960 as a four-year-old, Sword Dancer began the year regarded as a superstar. That appellation would be tarnished in that the consistency the son of Sunglow showed as a three-year-old was not evident. However, Sword Dancer did show flashes of his championship brilliance.

Elliot Burch started his colt’s four-year-old campaign in Florida over the winter, but he was slow to reach his best form. After a fourth-place finish in a 7 furlong allowance race at Hialeah Racetrack, Sword Dancer was entered in the Widener Handicap, the signature race for older horses at Hialeah, assigned top weight of 129 lb. In it he faced an emerging champion in Cain Hoy Stable’s Bald Eagle. The leggy dark bay five-year-old son of Nasrullah, trained by Woody Stephens, was a re-patriate from England initially thought by his connections to have classic potential on grass. He was slow to catch on to American racing, but had a very productive four-year-old campaign in 1959 finishing second to both Round Table and Hillsdale in stakes races, winning the venerable Suburban Handicap and capping the year with a victory in the Washington, D. C. International at Laurel Racetrack.

What was most impressive was Bald Eagle’s ability to handle both grass and dirt racing with equal facility and race at top form from 8 to 12 furlongs. In the Widener Handicap, the Cain Hoy horse, carrying 123 lb. defeated Calumet Farm’s On-and-On setting a new track record for the 1¼ mile race. Sword Dancer showed no spark in finishing seventh of eighth. Winning an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, Sword Dancer faced Bald Eagle again in the 1¼ mile Gulfstream Park Handicap with the weight difference now only 1 lb. However, the latter won again with Sword Dancer finishing a well beaten fourth.

Just when it looked like the year was lost, Sword Dancer regained his top form defeating his old rival First Landing by a neck in the 9 furlong Grey Lag Handicap at Aqueduct. Buoyed by that, Elliott Burch entered Sword Dancer in the Metropolitan Handicap facing Bald Eagle for a third meeting, this time having a 1 lb. advantage the weights. Any hopes for a repeat triumph in the Met Mile were dashed as the little chestnut’s rally only managed to garner fourth place. Bald Eagle, at his absolute best, won the Metropolitan Handicap defeating First Landing by 3½ lengths, setting a new track record for the 1 mile distance.

Bald Eagle, First Landing and Sword Dancer all returned in the 1¼ mile Suburban Handicap, the second leg of the Handicap Triple Crown. Bald Eagle, who appeared at this point unbeatable, was assigned 133 lb. to Sword Dancer’s 125 lb. and First Landing’s 122 lb. Whether it was the impost, the weight differential, or the difficulty in maintaining his brilliance, Bald Eagle finished a well beaten fourth with Sword Dancer wearing down First Landing in deep stretch for a ½ length victory.  

In the last leg of The Handicap Triple – Bald Eagle, Sword Dancer and First Landing all finished out of the money as On-and-On, regaining his Florida form, triumphed in a very sloppy running of the Brooklyn Handicap.

After this series of races in New York, Burch shipped Sword Dancer out of state and tried him on grass. In the Arlington Handicap, he finished sixth to Cain Hoy Stable’s One-Eyed King but was beaten only 3 lengths. In the United Nations Handicap at Atlantic City Racetrack, Sword Dancer out finished all but sophomore T. V. Lark, losing by 1½ lengths while conceding 7 lb. On September 24, one week after the U. N. race, Sword Dancer ran in the Woodward Stakes facing both Bald Eagle and T. V. Lark. Under Eddie Arcaro, the hardy chestnut triumphed again in this important weight-for-age race, rallying strongly to defeat Dotted Swiss by 1½ lengths with Bald Eagle another 2½ lengths back in third. The final time was a new track record for the distance.

Back on the grass one month later in the 1½ mile Man o’War Stakes, Sword Dancer finished in third behind upsetter Harmonizing with Bald Eagle second. An ankle injury prevented Sword Dancer from making his final start in the Washington, D. C. International. He was retired to stand stud at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, KY. Overall, the son of Sunglow raced 39 times over the course of three years, achieving 15 victories and 11 placings, racing often at the highest level.

In stud, he was modestly successful siring champions Lady Pitt and Damascus, the latter considered one of the greatest horses of the 20^th century. In the latter part of his life Sword Dancer stood stud in France, dying in 1984.  In 1977, Sword Dancer was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame – a fitting honor for a horse who combined speed, stamina and determination, all attributes we honor in the thoroughbred.

A Heavenly Prize

 

A Heavenly Prize

Joseph Di Rienzi

 

Golden Tempo winning the 2026 Kentucky Derby
(The Courier-Journal)

In the aftermath of Golden Tempo’s astonishing victory in the 152^nd running of the Kentucky Derby, there have been well deserved accolades for his history making trainer Cherie DeVaux, jockey Jose Ortiz and the ownership partnership of Phipps and St. Elias Stables. The Derby winner, a son of preeminent stallion Curlin, has a female pedigree steeped in the Phipps family bloodlines. This is a stable that has bred and raced such equine legends as Bold Ruler, Buckpasser, Personal Ensign and Easy Goer. As a long time follower of the Phipps Stable racehorses, I would like this piece to focus on a personal favorite, Heavenly Prize, who happens to be a distant relative of Golden Tempo.

Golden Tempo’s third dam, Dancinginmydreams, was a full sister to Heavenly Prize. Starting her racing career as a two-year-old in 2000, she won her first start at Saratoga Racetrack and then finished second, just missing, in the Matron Stakes at Belmont Park. However, her racing career came to an abrupt halt when she broke down in her third start in the Frizette Stakes. (Fortunately, she was saved and retired.) Heavenly Prize, on the other hand, had a full racing career, winning major stakes races at age two, three and four years.

Heavenly Prize
(Skip Dickstein)

Born on February 17, 1991, Heavenly Prize was a sleek bay daughter of the Ogden Phipps’ top racehorse Seeking the Gold out of the Nijinsky II mare Oh What a Dance. Making her first start in September 1993, she cantered home 9 lengths clear in a 6 furlong maiden race at Belmont Park. Heavenly Prize’s next start, also at Belmont Park was the one mile Frizette Stakes. Strategic Maneuver, who had won her first four starts including the Schuylerville, Spinaway and Matron Stakes, was installed the prohibitive favorite, but Heavenly Prize drew attention in that her normally conservative trainer Shug McGaughey did not typically send horses into a major stakes race off a single maiden victory. Reserved off the early pace by jockey Mike Smith, Heavenly Prize made an eye catching move around the far turn to challenge for the lead and drew off majestically in the stretch for a 7 length victory in a final time faster than the two-year-old colts did in the Champagne Stakes run later on the Belmont card.

McGaughey sent Heavenly Prize west to contest the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in her final year start. At post time, Heavenly Prize was a slight favorite over West Coasters Sardula and Phone Chatter. The daughter of Seeking the Gold raced along the inside in fourth place, but lacked a closing rally, finishing third beaten 3 lengths to the embattled pair of Phone Chatter and Sardula.

In March 1994 Heavenly Prize had her three-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park and found the 6 furlongs of the What a Summer Stakes too short in finishing second beaten 2½ lengths. A subsequent virus would keep her from racing till just before summer. The Phipps stable had a more than adequate replacement in Ogden Mills Phipps’ Inside Information, a tall daughter of Private Account from the same dam as the accomplished older filly Educated Risk. Inside Information, a winner of one of two starts in 1993, started the new year with a hard earned allowance win over Cinnamon Sugar, who would be a frequent pursuer. Racing next in the 8½ furlong Bonnie Miss Stakes at Gulfstream, Inside Information drew clear over Cinnamon Sugar for a 2¾ length victory. Sent to Keeneland for the 8½ furlong Ashland Stakes, the Phipps color bearer coasted to a 5½ length victory over Bunting who was a neck in front of Private Status. Cinnamon Sugar finished fourth in her third straight loss to Inside Information.

Trainer Shug McGaughey chose the Acorn Stakes over the Kentucky Oaks (they were run two days apart), as Inside Information’s next start. On a sloppy Belmont oval, the daughter of Private Account scored a runaway 11 length victory with Cinnamon Sugar reassuming her customary second place finish. In the next two years, stable mates Heavenly Prize and Inside Information would dominate the East Coast filly and mare division on dirt, and each would be rewarded with an Eclipse Award.

Heavenly Prize came back from her winter illness with two placings in sprint races, in June with a second in the 6 furlong Prioress Stakes at Belmont Park and a third in the 7 furlong Test Stakes at Saratoga. Her next start was the 1¼ mile Alabama Stakes at Saratoga. The heavy favorite was Lakeway who was second in the Kentucky Oaks but a runaway winner in both the Mother Goose Stakes (defeating Inside Information) and the Hollywood Oaks (defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Sardula).

Dismissed at over 5-1, bettors ignored that Heavenly Prize was bred for extended distances, and her losses sprinting were just conditioners. In the Alabama, Two Altazano set a moderate early pace until passed down the backstretch by Lakeway. Around the far turn, the Seattle Slew filly was cruising on a daylight lead, but, with Mike Smith aboard, Heavenly Prize took up the chase around the stretch turn. Just when it appeared there would be a duel in the stretch, the Phipps filly drew out imperially, leaving Lakeway in her wake. At the finish, Heavenly Prize was 7 lengths in front of the prohibitive favorite.

After the Alabama, Heavenly Prize returned to Belmont Park and won both the Gazelle Handicap and the Beldame Stakes impressively. In the Gazelle, carrying top weight of 123 lb., Heavenly Prize waited behind the other runners in fifth (last place) until mid-stretch when Mike Smith steered her to the outside, and she showed her tremendous stretch kick to win by 6½ lengths over Cinnamon Sugar (who was now familiar with seeing cherry red and black silks in front of her). Heavenly Prize only faced three opponents (one of which was stable mate Educated Risk) in the Beldame at scale weights. The presence of the formidable Phipps entry in the small field caused the Beldame to be held as a betless exhibition which Heavenly Prize won with a commanding 6 length victory over her stable mate under new rider Pat Day. (Mike Smith was committed to ride Sky Beauty in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.) By now, Heavenly Prize had assumed leadership in the sophomore filly division.

I would like to note the dominance of Phipps stable fillies. Inside Information was brilliant until forced to the sidelines after the Mother Goose. Heavenly Prize produced a championship campaign in the second half of the year. The four-year-old Dispute who had won the Kentucky Oaks in 1993, ended her career on a high note winning the Spinster Stakes. Finally, Educated Risk, Inside Information’s older half-sister was unbeatable after the Beldame, running away with the Churchill Budweiser Breeders’ Cup, Top Flight and Virginia Handicaps in 1994 and the Shirley Jones and Rampart Handicaps in early 1995, the last under 126 lb. After the Rampart, Educated Risk joined Dispute in the Phipps broodmare ranks at Claiborne Farm in Paris,  KY.

The Breeders’ Cup was run at Churchill Downs in 1994. The Breeders’ Cup Distaff set up as a championship decider for older filly/mares on dirt. Four-year-olds, Hollywood Wildcat and Sky Beauty, first and fifth respectively, in the previous year’s Distaff, were back again. With Lakeway, Sardula and Inside Information absent, the sole major contender for the sophomores was Heavenly Prize. She was originally coupled with her older stable mate, Dispute, but the latter was a late scratch, altering, the dynamics of the race. At post time, Hollywood Wildcat was the slight favorite over Sky Beauty with Heavenly Prize the strong third choice.

In a puzzling outcome, One Dreamer, at odds 47-1, galloped to the lead, was unchallenged while setting a slow pace under Gary Stevens and hung on grimly as Heavenly Prize mounted a late stretch charge. At the finish, One Dreamer, whose four previous starts had been on grass, was a neck in front of the Phipps color bearer. Third, 1½ lengths behind was Miss Dominque. Both Hollywood Wildcat and Sky Beauty were great disappointments, finishing sixth and ninth, respectively. Heavenly Prize’s effort in the Distaff was sufficient to secure her the Eclipse Award for Three-year-old Filly.

Heavenly Prize began her four-year-old campaign in 1995 in the Oaklawn Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap, finishing second to Halo America while conceding 6 lb. Her next start was the prestigious Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park which attracted Halo America and dual Apple Blossom victress Paseana. In the race, Halo America took the early lead, but with only a 4 lb. weight differential could not hold off Heavenly Prize’s dependable charge. At the finish, the Shug McGaughey trainee was a length in front of Halo America with Paseana finishing third, another 4 lengths behind.

The Phipps stable’s other star sophomore filly of 1994, Inside Information began her campaign at Keeneland winning a 7 furlong allowance race by 4 lengths. She next raced in the one mile Shuvee Handicap at Belmont Park where she faced Sky Beauty who had extended her perfect record at Belmont Park to 12 for 12 with a 4 length win in the Vagrancy Handicap to start her five-year-old season. Mike Smith, regular rider of both Inside Information and Sky Beauty chose the former, and Julie Krone was put aboard the latter. In the four horse Shuvee field, Inside Information, carrying 119 lb. (getting 7 lb. from Sky Beauty), forced the early pace and then drew clear in the stretch, winning by 5½ lengths over Sky Beauty, thus inflicting the first defeat of “The Queen of Belmont’s” illustrious career at her home track.

Shug McGaughey, wanting to keep Inside Information and Heavenly Prize apart, at least until the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, sent the former to New Jersey in early June for the 1 mile, 70 yd. Monmouth Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap and back again on July 4 for the 8½ furlong Molly Pitcher Handicap. The elegant daughter of Private Account used her good speed to win both by 2¼ lengths and 6¾ lengths, respectively, under top weight each time. Heavenly Prize stayed at Belmont where she ran in the 8½ furlong Hempstead Handicap against Sky Beauty. There was a 2 lb. difference in the Phipps’ filly favor, but that does not account for the margin of victory as Heavenly Prize came off the pace to defeat Little Buckles by 1¼ lengths with Sky Beauty some 10½ lengths further back in third place. This performance, one of her poorest ever and certainly her worst at Belmont Park, prompted Sky Beauty’s retirement.

Both Inside Information and Heavenly Prize ran during the Saratoga meet. The former saw her perfect record for the year go by the wayside after a stumbling start in the 7 furlong Ballerina Handicap. Spotting distance and weight (7 lb.) proved insurmountable as Inside Information was unable to catch the flying front runner, Classy Mirage, who won by 6 lengths. Heavenly Prize had better fortune at the Spa, running twice and coming away with two runaway victories. In the 9 furlong Go for Wand Handicap, the Phipps stable star under 123 lb. tucked back in fourth place in early going, and then put in a devastating rally around the 3/8 of mile pole to sweep to the lead around the stretch turn. At the finish, Heavenly Prize was 11 lengths in front of Forcing Bid (108 lb.). Racing next in the furlong longer John A. Morris Handicap with the weight now 127 lb., the daughter of Seeking the Gold put in another breathtaking surge to draw ahead by 8½ lengths. Forcing Bid (108 lb.) again was second, and Cinnamon Sugar (114 lb.) took third, another 2 lengths behind.

Back at Belmont, Inside Information shook off her loss in the Ballerina Handicap with an eye-opening 11 length victory under 125 lb. in the 8½ furlong Ruffian Handicap. On the same weekend both Inside Information and Heavenly Prize had their final prep races for the Distaff. The former, having started her four-year-old campaign at Keeneland, returned for the 9 furlong Spinster Stakes. The race started badly for the Dinny Phipps filly as she broke poorly in the four horse field. However, in a pulsating drive, Inside Information gained the victory by a head over Jade Flush whom she had beaten decisively in the Molly Pitcher and Ruffian Handicaps. Some observers were perplexed by Inside Information’s narrow win, but the hard effort served as a good tightener for the much more contentious Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

On the day before the Spinster, the 9 furlong Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park served as a meeting between the pro-tem leaders in both the sophomore and older female divisions on dirt. Heavenly Prize was the strong favorite over future Hall of Famer Serena’s Song. Also, entered was Lakeway who was making her third start after recovering from an illness suffered after her defeat (by Heavenly Prize) in last year’s Alabama Stakes. Any hopes in the Phipps camp that Lakeway would engage “Serena” early were dashed as the sophomore filly set a controlled pace under Gary Stevens. Coming into the stretch with a 4 length lead, Serena’s Song was able to confidently hold off Heavenly Prize’s rally by ¾ of a length. Finishing third, some 6¾ lengths behind, in a flat effort was Lakeway. With Serena’s Song, Heavenly Prize, Inside Information and Lakeway all headed for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, it loomed as one of the most anticipated contests on Breeders’ Cup Day.

In 1995, the Breeders’ Cup was contested on a sloppy Belmont track surface. In the Distaff, the Phipps stable packed a powerful 1–2 punch with Heavenly Prize and Inside Information, but Serena’s Song was having, if you ignore the presence of Cigar (who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic later that day), a Horse of the Year campaign. One near certainty was that the pace would be much faster than Serena’s Song enjoyed in the Beldame Stakes, given the presence of speedsters Mariah’s Storm, Bordislew and Inside Information.

At the start, somewhat surprisingly, Lakeway jumped out in front followed closely by Mariah’s Storm and Serena’s Song. Inside Information from her no. 1 post position broke behind the front runners, but soon after came up the vacated rail. Engaging the leaders after a ½ mile, Mike Smith on Inside Information let his filly roll and roll she did pulling away with ease from Lakeway, Serena’s Song and Mariah’s Storm around the long Belmont turn. Heavenly Prize was far back in the early going in ninth place until Pat Day asked her for her run on the far turn. She moved steadily up the rail; however, by the top of the stretch Heavenly Prize’s stable mate was long gone. In one of the most devastating performances in Breeders’ Cup history, Inside Information won by a record 13½ lengths. Heavenly Prize passed all in the stretch except her barn mate in finishing second by 2¼ lengths over Lakeway. Serena’s Song was the disappointment of the race in finishing fifth. The final time was a stakes record for the Distaff and within a second of Secretariat’s Belmont track record. For Shug McGaughey, this was another masterpiece of training in bringing his two fillies up to the race to finish first and second.

The Eclipse Award for Older Female was given to Inside Information who was retired to join the Phipps broodmare barn at Claiborne Farm. Heavenly Prize, who had now run in three consecutive Breeders’ Cups with two seconds and one third to show for her efforts, would race once more (in 1996), finishing third to Cigar in the Donn Handicap.

Her race record shows 18 starts, racing nearly always at the highest class with nine victories, six seconds and three thirds, earning over $1.8 million. As a broodmare, Heavenly Prize had eight named foals, seven of which were winners. The most accomplished was Good Reward, a son of Storm Cat who won major races on grass. His full brother Pure Prize was also a stakes winner, but achieved more success as a stallion, particularly in Argentina. A half sibling, Just Reward produced major winner Persistently.

Heavenly Prize was inducted into the National Racing Museum Hall of Fame in 2018, but her lasting impact may now be her relation to the third dam of Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo. That certainly can be deemed a “heavenly prize”.