Best Horses Not to Win a Championship Series: Lure

Best Horses Not to Win a Championship Series
Number 3: Lure

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the next installment of the occasional series that features those somewhat forgotten thoroughbreds who did not win any championship but ran exceptionally well and under different circumstances might have garnered awards. Here is highlighted the brilliant turf runner Lure whose speed and class dazzled American thoroughbred racing in the early 1990s.

Lure winning the 1992 Breeders Cup Mile
(The Blood-Horse)

Owned and bred by Claiborne Farm, Lure was a muscular bay with exemplary breeding being a son of Danzig from the top class mare, Endear, she by Alydar. That his dam was a half-sister to my No. 4 horse in this series, Tiller, suggested Lure’s preferred racing surface would be on grass, however he showed such early precocity that trainer Shug McGaughey started Lure’s career in June 1991 in a 5 furlong race on dirt for juveniles. Lure turned heads in his debut, breaking the Belmont Park track record for 5 furlongs. Sidelined with bucked shins, he returned in an allowance race at Belmont in late September in a prep for the 1 mile Champagne Stakes. He was upset in this 7 furlong contest by Devil On Ice, finishing second by 1¼ lengths on a sloppy track. In the Champagne, Lure brought his truncated two-year-old season to a close on a downbeat note finishing in sixth position.

Lure began his sophomore campaign in 1992 on March 15 in a 6 furlong allowance race at Aqueduct Racetrack, streaking home to win by 8¾ lengths. The son of Danzig next ran in the 1 mile Gotham Stakes. Among those opposing him was Devil His Due (just like Devil On Ice, a son of Devil’s Bag), who had been racing in Florida at the start of the year. Prominent from the start, both Devil His Due and Lure emerged head and head for the lead after a ½ mile and fought the rest of the race as one, battling each other and the gusty Aqueduct winds. At the finish, they could not be separated, and the race was declared a dead heat. The early fractions were sensational, but the final ¼ of a mile was slow, attesting to the head winds and the combatants’ mutual fatigue.

After the Gotham, Shug McGaughey shipped Lure to Keeneland Racetrack looking for a breakthrough performance in the 8½ furlong Lexington Stakes. After failing to hold the lead in losing by a neck to longshot My Luck Runs North, McGaughey abandoned any Kentucky Derby hopes for his colt. Lure was next seen in the entries on the Belmont Stakes undercard in June, running in the 7 furlong Riva Ridge Stakes, and after finishing in sixth place, a frustrated McGaughey contemplated recommending Claiborne Farm sell the colt.

Fortunately for McGaughey and Claiborne, they deferred the decision to dispose of Lure, especially when the robust son of Danzig trained well over grass. Returning to the races in September in an 8½ furlong turf allowance race at Belmont Park, Lure responded with a startling 10¼ length victory in an outstanding final time. He followed with a good second in the 1 mile Kelso Handicap on a soft turf course that was enough to convince Shug McGaughey to boldly enter Lure against the best milers in the world on Breeders’ Cup Day in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Held at Gulfstream Park on Halloween, the Mile had an international field of fourteen runners. Taking advantage of his no. 1 post, jockey Mike Smith put Lure in front early, and he showed world class speed in carving out fast fractions and maintaining a clear lead the entire way. At the finish, the son of Danzig was 3 lengths in front of Bert Firestone’s Paradise Creek (who would be a formidable opponent in the future), with Brief Truce, a neck back in third. The famed Arazi, who was up close early, tired badly in his last start to finish eleventh. As testimony to Lure’s devastating performance, in my opinion the best of the Breeders’ Cup program, the Gulfstream Park course record for a mile on turf was shattered by over a second. For Seth Hancock, President of Claiborne Farm, and Shug McGaughey, this triumph was vindication for their faith in Lure’s potential.

As a four-year-old in 1993, Lure returned to the races in April with a facile 4 length victory in a Keeneland 1 mile turf allowance race. Running on Kentucky Derby Eve in the 9 furlong Early Times Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, the powerful son of Danzig carried top weight and cruised to a measured ¾ of a length victory. Finishing second was Team Valor Stable’s Star of Cozzene who would prove a keen rival to Lure.

The Early Times Dixie Handicap run the day before the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Racetrack was the second in a series of grass contests on the weekend of the three Triple Crown races that would award a bonus of $1 Million to a horse who could sweep all three. Lure, having won the first in the series – the Early Times Turf Classic, was the 4-5 favorite for the 9 furlong race with Star of Cozzene the strong second choice. Mike Smith reserved Lure just off the early pace, and he showed his characteristic brilliant speed to burst clear around the turn and held a 1½ length margin at the finish over Star of Cozzene who was getting 5 lb. from the winner. In the Early Times Manhattan Handicap run on Belmont Stakes Day, the weight spread between Lure and Star of Cozzene was now 6 lb., but more significantly, the race was at 1¼ miles. In attempting to capture the bonus, Lure, stumbled slightly at the start but soon went up to challenge the leader, Solar Splendor. Gaining command at the top of the stretch, Lure was unable to hold Star of Cozzene’s rally, losing by ¾ length with Solar Splendor some 7 lengths back in third place.

Star of Cozzene evened the rivalry with Lure when they both ran in the Caesar’s Invitational Handicap at Atlantic City Racecourse. In the 1 3/16 mile race, now getting 3 lb. from the Claiborne runner, the Team Valor star ran him down in deep stretch to win by 1 length. For the rest of the season, Star of Cozzene was pointed to the major turf distance races. Whereas, Lure’s trainer Shug McGaughey focused his colt on a repeat victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Star of Cozzene prepped for the 1¼ mile Arlington Million Stakes finishing second in the Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga Racetrack. Lure also raced at Saratoga winning with complete authority the Daryl’s Joy Stakes, this time coming from off the pace. Both Star of Cozzene and Lure were entered in the Million, but heavy rains on the day of the race caused Lure to scratch. In his absence, Star of Cozzene was much the best over a substandard field, winning by 3¼ lengths. In October, Lure tuned up for the Breeders’ Cup Mile in the Kelso Handicap making the soft Belmont surface look firm with a 3¼ length victory over old rival Paradise Creek, who was returning to the races after an abbreviated spring campaign.

When Star of Cozzene won the Man o’ War Stakes over a rain soaked Belmont turf course by 5½ lengths, the Eclipse Award for Male Turf Horse seemed to be in sight.  At this point, the Team Valor color bearer had beaten both Lure and the West Coast raced grass star La Presle Farm’s Kotashaan twice. However, his connections chose to forego payment of the supplementary fee for the Breeders’ Cup Turf and raced Star of Cozzene once more this year in the U. S. in the Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park. However, it was a pace-less contest, and Star of Cozzene could do no better than fourth.

The Breeders’ Cup Mile run this year at Santa Anita Park was full of possibilities. Lure was the favorite, but drawing the disadvantageous no. 12 post position in the short run to the first turn, his chances appeared compromised. Top European sprinters/milers such as Barathea, Ski Paradise and Bigstone gave a global championship feel to this race. Also in the thirteen horse field were the two best grass females racing in 1993 in the U. S. - Flawlessly and Toussaud. The former, the defending Eclipse Award winner for Turf Female was undefeated in 3 starts this year. Toussaud, who would become a foundation broodmare for Juddmonte Farms, had won 4 stakes in 1993 including a victory over males in the American Handicap. Also, in the Mile was Paradise Creek who finished second in last year’s edition.

Lure broke well from his outside position as several horses raced near the front approaching the clubhouse turn. On the inside, Ski Paradise bore out causing several of the runners including Lure to fan wide. Once the field straightened out for the run down the backstretch, Mike Smith let Lure run, and he established a lead, despite setting fast fractions, that he would not relinquish. In the stretch, the Claiborne comet maintained a clear margin on his futile pursuers in capturing his second straight Breeders’ Cup Mile. Finishing second, the first turn culprit, Ski Paradise was 2¼ lengths back who, in turn, was 1¾ lengths ahead of Fourstars Allstar. Toussaud closed some ground to be fourth with Paradise Creek eighth, and Flawlessly, a victim of the crowding, finished ninth.

Later in the day, Kotashaan made his case for championship honors with a driving victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.  In the aftermath of these contests, it appeared Star of Cozzene, Lure and Kotashaan all had their supporters for Male Turf Champion. In a strange twist, the title may have been settled in Japan. Both Star of Cozzene and Kotashaan were sold to Japanese interests, and their new owners wanted to see their respective purchases run in the year-end Japan Cup. In the sixteen horse field, Kotashaan finished an unlucky second when his rider, Kent Desormeaux, misjudged the finish line, while Star of Cozzene finished a non-threatening fifth. In the Eclipse Award voting, Kotashaan was the winner, many voters, convinced his loss in the Japan Cup was due to extenuating circumstances. (Kotashaan also became the first Eclipse Award Horse of the Year to campaign exclusively on turf, narrowly outpolling Lure.)

Kept in training as a five-year-old in 1994, Lure embarked on a similar spring campaign as the previous year aiming to sweep the Early Times Triple Turf series and garner the $1 million bonus. The photogenic five-year-old son of Danzig started with an easy 4 length victory in the 9 furlong Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland on a very yielding surface (not Lure’s favorite). He ran next in the Early Times Turf Classic Stakes at 9 furlongs and faced the now Japanese owned Paradise Creek whom Lure had defeated in each of their previous 3 meetings. However, the five-year-old version of this son of Irish River was a stronger, sounder animal and began 1994 with 3 straight stakes wins in Florida. Whether it was the softened Churchill Downs turf course, the 5 lb. weight spread or Paradise Creek’s improvement, Lure was passed in the stretch and defeated by 4 widening lengths. The two rivals faced off again on in the Early Times Dixie Handicap at equal weights at the same distance as the Churchill Downs race. On a course called firm, but wet from steady rain, Paradise Creek prevailed again by ¾ of a length over Lure. Paradise Creek would go on to win the third race in the series - the Early Times Manhattan Handicap (Lure did not compete), but he would be denied the bonus on a technicality.

Lure was next seen in the Caesar’s International Handicap. In avoiding one significant rival in Paradise Cree, he was facing another in Star of Cozzene who defeated Lure in the same race last year. Lure was top weight at 123 lb. in the five horse field and was confronted with a strong challenge in the stretch from Fourstars Allstar (at 117 lb.). The New York bred gained a length lead at the top of the stretch after Lure jumped a shadow down the backstretch. Resounding to Mike Smith’s urging, the Claiborne Farm runner surged back to thrust his nose in front at the finish. Fourstars Allstar was 1½ lengths in front of a non-rallying Star of Cozzene (121 lb.).

Despite winning the Caesar’s International at 1 3/16 miles, Seth Hancock and Shug McGaughey were next planning a return to Lure’s preferred 1 mile distance - an ocean and a continent away. They had set their sights on the Sussex Stakes in Goodwood Racecourse in England as Lure’s next challenge. However, the plans were for naught as British regulations on positive tests caused by vaccinations prevented Lure from traveling. Instead, he ran next on August 12 at Saratoga in the Bernard Baruch Handicap where he faced Paradise Creek. The latter was top weight at 126 lb. to Lure’s 125 lb. Also among the five entries was Fourstars Allstar’s older brother, Fourstardave (114 lb.). The nine-year-old earned the nickname “The Sultan of Saratoga” by winning at least one race at Saratoga from age two through nine, an unprecedented accomplishment. In the Baruch, Fourstardave set a leisurely early pace with Lure content to be second and Paradise Creek tracking Lure. As the field headed for the far turn, Mike Smith let loose his hold on Lure, and the big bay ambled to the front with Paradise Creek close behind. At the top of the stretch, Fourstarsdave, Lure and Paradise Creek were nearly three abreast, but soon after, the race was left to be decided by the last two. Under a mild hand ride by Smith, Lure held in check Paradise Creek’s bid for a 1 length triumph. Paradise Creek was easily second, 6 lengths in front of Fourstarsdave.

After the Baruch, Lure and Paradise Creek parted ways, and their total head-to-head matchups resulted in Lure with 4 victories to Paradise Creek’s 2. (Paradise Creek, despite losing his last two races (the Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Japan Cup (by a nose)), was voted Champion Male Turf Horse based on his overall performances during the year.) Lure ran next in the Kelso Handicap at Belmont in a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Mile and was upset by a nose to Nijinsky’s Gold while carrying 128 lb., giving 14 lb. to the winner.

Lure, in his final career start, was attempting to win the Breeder’s Cup Mile (run in 1994 at Churchill Downs) for the third consecutive year. He came into the race as the strong favorite, but there were some troubling signs. He had lost the Kelso, albeit narrowly and conceding considerable weight, to an inferior horse. There were also rumors he was not sound, evidenced by a knot on his foreleg. The final cut was he drew the extreme outside post (14), never an advantage in the short run to the far turn. Lure broke well, but he did not show his customary brilliant speed and was carried wide around the first turn. Never reaching the leaders, Lure faded in the stretch to finish ninth. The winner, Barathea, was atoning for a fifth place finish in the Mile last year (to Lure).

Retired to his birthplace at Claiborne Farm in Paris, KY., there was great anticipation that with Lure’s confirmation, breeding and brilliant speed he would be the successor to his outstanding sire Danzig. Unfortunately, he had a low fertility record as a stallion. Soon after, Lure was purchased by the Irish based Coolmore group and stood stud in both Ireland and North America. He did sire major European winner, Orpen, who has been able to pass on his genetic ability. In 2003, Lure was pensioned from stallion service and returned to Claiborne to live out his days until he died in 2017.

Lure’s racing records totals 14 wins and 8 seconds from 25 starts with major stakes victories at ages three, four and five (including two Breeders’ Cup Mile wins).  As Lure’s rider, Mike Smith, stated, “If you look up champion in the dictionary, you will find a picture of him.”