Sea Cadet (April 13, 1988 – April 9, 1995) was an American thoroughbred racehorse.
Background Sea Cadet was a bay stallion with a small white star and most notably, an unusual four-inch stub for a tail. He was bred by Verne H. Winchell and Lonnie Owens of Katalpa Farm. His sire, Bolger, had placed second in the Bing Crosby Handicap, and his dam, Hattab Gal, was also a Winchell-bred horse who won her maiden race but failed to place in her remaining 13 starts.
In 1989, Katalpa Farm consigned him to the Keeneland yearling sale. However, when bidding stalled, Winchell's farm manager, David Fiske, stepped in to buy him back for $2,800. Winchell later said that "There was nothing wrong with the colt's conformation, but nobody liked him because he didn't have a regular tail," describing it as a "bad day" with few live buyers.
In 1990, Sea Cadet's connections planned to sell him again as a two-year-old, but trainer Keith Asmussen, who oversaw many of Winchell's horses, convinced them to withdraw before the auction, as Sea Cadet showed Asmussen enough promise to justify keeping him, noting that he "looked pretty good."
Outside of races, Sea Cadet later wore a tail toupee for "hanging around the barn, and smacking pesky flies," according to McAnally. He also believed that the colt's lack of a tail may have helped his balance. "Since he's got no tail, Sea Cadet often swings his head left and right, and wiggles his behind. You know, to shake the flies." McAnally said, "Result is, my horse appears to have exceptional balance and agility, which can help on a crowded race track."
Racing career
1990: two-year-old season Sea Cadet started his racing career on July 22 on July 22 with a second-place finish at Hollywood Park, a result he repeated on August 11 at Del Mar. He then finally broke his maiden there on September 2.
Sea Cadet finished fourth in his first allowance race at Santa Anita on October 11 before racing in another allowance at Hollywood Park, where he placed third on November 11 and won on the 24. This victory marked his first race beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, hinting an aptitude for longer distances by winning at 1 1/16 miles. afterwards, he won the Leland Stanford Stakes at Bay Meadows by 6 lengths in 1:34.02 after remaining in the lead from start to finish.
Returning to that same track on December 29 for the $100,000 Grade 3 California Juvenile Stakes, Sea Cadet finished fourth as the local 1-2 favorite. Mizter Interco, the 2-1 favorite at the Santa Anita simulcast, won the race by coming from the far back, with Pes Blanc in second and the pacemaker Gold Crest Express in third. Sea Cadet earned $92,850 overall in his two-year-old season.
1991: three-year-old season
El Camino Real Derby Sea Cadet began his three-year-old season with a victory in the 1 1/16 mile Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows on January 19 in 1:40.60. At the start of the race, Pes Blanc and Gold Crest Express went for the early lead, while Sea Cadet quickly moved up along the inside to challenge Ev For Shir before settling just off the front-runners. General Meeting was fifth, followed by Choice Is Clear, Recent Arrival, Mizter Interco and Satis. Around the clubhouse turn, Sea Cadet moved to the front, with Gold Crest Express chasing him in second and Pes Blanc a neck back in third on the outside. Ev For Shir was fourth and General Meeting stayed in fifth, with the remaining horses several lengths behind.
Moving into the backstretch, Gold Crest Express challenged for the lead, but Sea Cadet quickly fought back. The two horses set a fast pace side-by-side, while Ev For Shir and Pes Blanc raced together behind them. General Meeting, who remained fifth and had a decent trip, began to make headway. Mizter Interco was next, with Choice Is Clear and Satis picking up the pace and Recent Arrival trailing behind.
Approaching the final turn, Gold Crest Express was still right there along the inside, with Sea Cadet beside him. Pes Blanc was urged to make his move, but Ev For Shir couldn't make enough progress. General Meeting, meanwhile, was advancing up the fence. Turning for home, Sea Cadet still held the lead. Gold Crest Express began to give way while General Meeting angled out and came after Sea Cadet, General Meeting moved up on the outside and challenged him strongly, but Sea Cadet responded. With a sixteenth of a mile to go, Sea Cadet was still in front on the inside and refused to give way, and he held off General Meeting all the way to the finish.
San Felipe Stakes In his next start, Sea Cadet won the 1 1/16 mile San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 17. Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, Sea Cadet won the race in 1:41.08, earning $124,200 and adding to the $257,850 Sea Cadet had earned in his previous starts. Sea Cadet was the last to be loaded into the eight-horse field. When the gates opened, he was leaning to his right and caught his right hip on the side of the stall. Although this cost him about a length and a half, it did not prevent him from reaching the lead. Sea Cadet broke slowly, but within a few strides he had recovered his balance, moved to the front and was never headed. "He broke to the right, and that cost us about a length and a half," McCarron said. "But he regained his balance, and I was still tickled about where we were at the start."
Once in front, Sea Cadet cruised into an easy pace. Oregon, Compelling Sound and the heavily favored Split Run were immediately behind him down the backstretch. McCarron said Sea Cadet was "very comfortable on the lead, just loping along," and that it felt as though they had run the first half-mile in about 48 seconds, although the actual time was 46 seconds. Sea Cadet continued to control the pace while the rest of the field tried to stay in contention. Scan was sixth after a half-mile, he began moving forward and made his challenge in the stretch, closing rapidly after reaching second at the head of the stretch. Sea Cadet, however, had plenty left. He kept the lead through the final run and finished three lengths in front of Scan.
Before winning the El Camino Real Derby and San Felipe Stakes, there was some uncertainty about Sea Cadet's ability to handle longer distances races. Because Sea Cadet's father, Bolger, had a reputation as a sire of sprinters, Sea Cadet had originally not been nominated to the Triple Crown races the first deadline by his trainer, Ron McAnally. "Breeding is the only thing you can go on when they haven't stretched out," McAnally said. But after Sea Cadet's El Camino Real Derby and San Felipe Stakes performances, Winchell planned on spending $4,500 in late-entry fees to make him eligible for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, with April 8 serving as the deadline.
The San Felipe also served as the final major tune-up for the Santa Anita Derby on April 6. Seven previous San Felipe winners had gone on to win the Santa Anita Derby, and three horses prior had completed the San Felipe, Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby triple. With Sea Cadet now established among the leading 3-year-olds in California, it was expected that he would run in the Santa Anita Derby.
Santa Anita Derby On April 6, Sea Cadet entered the Santa Anita Derby this time ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye. He was eventually passed by Best Pal and Dinard and finished third. Dinard won by half a length in 1:48.00, just one second off the stakes record set by Lucky Debonair in 1965 and Sham in 1973. Sea Cadet was involved in the pace from the beginning. Mane Minister went to the front along the inside, while Sea Cadet moved up on the outside and settled just behind him. Best Pal raced between horses with Dinard close by. Sea Cadet later moved alongside Mane Minister and the two battled for the lead, running only a head apart. Sea Cadet remained in a good position as Bounding Back followed in third, with Best Pal and the other contenders behind them.
Down the backstretch, Sea Cadet continued to press Mane Minister for the lead. Mane Minister held a three-quarter-length advantage, but Sea Cadet stayed alongside him on the outside. The two horses continued to race only a head apart while Bounding Back and the M.C. Hammer owned horse, Media Plan, began moving closer behind them. The half-mile was timed in 46 2/5, a pace that race caller Dave Johnson noted did not appear to be leading toward a track or stakes record. Going into the far turn, Sea Cadet finally moved past Mane Minister and took the lead by a head. Mane Minister continued fighting back along the rail, while Media Plan remained close behind and Best Pal began advancing three wide. Sea Cadet was still traveling comfortably and appeared to be in a strong position as the field approached the stretch.
Dinard, meanwhile, had lost valuable ground earlier in the race. On the clubhouse turn, Media Plan changed leads and moved up quickly in front of him, forcing jockey Chris McCarron to pull him up sharply. McCarron later said there was no way to know exactly how much ground the incident had cost Dinard, but that it was "plenty." Sea Cadet had no such trouble and continued to enjoy what jockey Eddie Delahoussaye considered an excellent trip. Delahoussaye said Sea Cadet was relaxed, in good position and that he "couldn't have asked for a better trip." Sea Cadet carried his lead into the final turn, but Best Pal began closing from the far outside while Mane Minister continued fighting along the rail. At the quarter pole, Sea Cadet was between the two horses as they raced across the track. Dinard had finally found room and began his own move on the far outside.
Turning for home, Sea Cadet began to lose ground as Best Pal moved into the lead. Dinard quickly closed on the outside, while Sea Cadet dropped back. The battle for the win became a contest between Best Pal and Dinard, with Dinard eventually moving past Best Pal to win the Santa Anita Derby by half a length. Best Pal finished second two lengths ahead of Sea Cadet. Although Sea Cadet hadn't won, his third-place finish kept him among the leading 3-year-olds in California. "I couldn't have asked for a better trip. He ran a good race, but the two best horses beat him," Delahoussaye said.
The 1991 Santa Anita Derby also set a record with $13,234,737 in total bets, beating the previous year's record of $12,879,296 and becoming the sixth-highest betting day in the track's history. This huge turnout was driven by 46,415 on track fans, additional Southern California satellite visitors, and commingled pools from Nevada, Minnesota, Alabama, and West Virginia, totaling 60,572 participants. The race itself also set its own record by drawing $2,700,665 in bets, beating the previous high of $2,065,858 set in 1988. On top of that, the event included the race's first ever trifecta bet, which brought in a record $716,209 for the brand new betting option.
Kentucky Derby In the Kentucky Derby on May 4, Sea Cadet entered as one of the leading contenders in the field, having established himself with his previous wins and his placing in the Santa Anita Derby. Sea Cadet's groom, Cuba Baz, also decided put on his tail toupee before the race, joking that he did not want Sea Cadet to develop an "inferiority complex." The Kentucky Derby this year was viewed as an open contest where several horses had a strong chance to win. Dinard, who won the Santa Anita Derby and was expected to enter the Kentucky Derby, sustained a foreleg injury to his left leg, taking him out of the race.