My grand-parents owned John Henry. Sam and Dottie Ruben (Dotsam Stables). It was incredible growing up as a child seeing these races knowing our family was part of it. Seeing the trophy's in their home when we would go visit them. Amazing part of my life. THANK YOU SO MUCH for uploading this. It's awesome to be able to show this to my wife and children who did not know my grand-parents let alone John Henry. Thanx again!
@@naynaystjohn9266 Another brilliant race of his was the start after the '84 Million, the Turf Classic at Belmont, where he went right to the front and even prompted by Win the entire 1 1/2 Miles wired the field in 2:25 2/5 off 1:13 for three-quarters.
According to The Bloodhorse Magazine 100 U.S. Thouroughbred Horses of the XX Century List" John Henry is ranked in 23th. position. 39 wins, 15 seconds, 9 thirds and U.S. $ 6.591.860,00 in 83 starts. 1981 U.S. Champion Older Male Horse; 1981 and 1984 U.S. Horse of the Year and inducted to The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1990. What an extraordinary horse! Regards from a venezuelan citizen who emigrated to Chile searching a better way of life.
saw him at kentucky horse park twice before he passed.smart,smart horse.he was the star of the show.spent over an hour with him and his caretaker.the stories she told us about this magnificent animal.god bless john henry!
Witnessed this race in person, and it was the most exciting race at Arlington Park to date. Wonderful horse. Phil Georgeff was actually one of the finest announcers in the business and he could make a $5000 claiming race as interesting as a world class event. Unless you had a chance to hear him everyday you could misjudge him and his talent.
I practically grew up on the backside of Chicago's tracks ..my father Bruno Bellucci trained horses, my fondest memories were hearing the calls of Phil Georgeff, he was and will always be the best racecaller...I am so sorry to hear this..
That John Henry was really something!...he was the most exciting racehorse to ever hit the track... wow.. love the memories of this amazing horse...thank you for this video 👍
A shame Allington is no longer there. It was a beautiful racing facility. And yeah, I saw this race on t.v. and was cheering John Henry on. I remember when John Henry ran in the 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. He had 2 other legendary geldings lead the post parade. I was just choked up with emotion seeing Kelso and my all time favorite gelding, Forego with each other. What a day in horse racing that was, getting to see those 3 legends gracing the track that day. Kelso and Forego, both retired, still looked to be in good shape, both with riders on their backs.
i'll never forget this cause my mom had the bart and we waited a long time for the photo and lost. also, i'm reminded by a statue of these 2 horses everytime i go to arlington. what a race; still gives me chills(my favorite announcer...phil georgeff)
"She didn't quicken on the ground, the dead ground." Shoe said John Henry had trouble handling the surface but kept to his task to prevail. He was as game as they come. Inaugural running of the Million, the first million dollar purse.
The best Race caller of all time....starting listening in1958.....Gramps took me to Arlington....was 5 years old..... I can hear his voice now.... the horses are at the post...they' re at the post....... They 're entering their stalls...the flag is up......and thereeeeee off...........around the far turn and into the stretch......here come Round Table...........one of the greatest horses of all time....ck his record
I was at the old Hollywood Park with my dad and some of his friends. We watched the simulcast on the big screen they had in the infield. I was 16, and I was the only one out of all of us who thought John Henry had won. Great memory.
i dont know anything about this stuff but my dad always said he really liked this horse that it really had personality, if another horse came up beside him he would pin his ears back and really dig
I saw John at age 28 at the Kentucky Horse Park. He was still a class act. He nipped the poor girl leading him around the ring there on the Bum. Saw him and Cigar. Never forget that trip. And for sure he was a fighter who never quit. I saw Cigar race but never John May they both RIP.
I agree! The wire photo proves John~John won with a nose hair! He knew how to stretch out and get the win. Jose Mercado and Lewis Cenicola had their hands full in the winner's circle. Have to wonder what John Henry was thinking :-) Love you "The Living Legend" John Henry! See you soon. XOXO Judy (Burbank) BC thanks for this great posting!
"John Henry is charging!" Exciting come from behind win. Just amazing how he made up that ground at the end of the race. Photo finish win. Love to watch this race.
I love how they discussed the results and concluded incorrectly - and then posted the wrong result on national TV (at 5:18) - and then had to change those results to show John Henry 1st after the commercial break. John Henry was such an amazing horse.
They said it was the OFFICIAL result, which might have caused some bettors to discard their tickets. Huge controversy at the time. John Henry got his nose down at just the right time. For 98 percent of the final stride The Bart was in front.
Thanks so much for posting. I can never get tired of watching John Henry race. What a legend!! I would LOVE to know if you have ever come across a Jim Hill CBS Sports Broadcast of a race at Hollywood Park, Pincay was atop John Henry. I've been searching and searching for this broadcast. Any ideas were I can find it?
This was NBC's first-ever Thoroughbred Racing telecast (NBC had televised the last Hambletonian, the biggest in all of Harness Racing at DuQuion a year earlier before that went to The Meadowlands in '81 in its only other Horse Racing telecast to that point). They thought The Bart had won and that was the official result. HUGE controversy because some had actually thrown away what turned out to be winning tickets on John Henry as a result of that.
Unbelievable!!! They posted "The Bart" as the official winner. Everybody called The Bart as the winner, but it was WAY TO CLOSE TO CALL. Actually, after the slow motion replay, it appeared that John Henry did WIN. What knuckleheads!!!
Ole Bob Bowers was by Prince Blessed, who was a Princequillo out of a Bull Lea mare. Can you imagine the $900 spent on an unraced colt in 1963. Yep, he was Calumet's Bull Dog top and bottom. Blue Larkspur on the dam side. His blood was made at the great Calumet.
I wish we'd seen the photo. At the rebuilt Arlington Park there was a life-sized bronze statue of the two at the finish. It was scintillating for many years.
Man...I thought I was seeing my first real 100% 'dead heat'! It really was a nose hair...how could they see that? LOL Fantastic!!!!!! Thanks for posting.
He was famous for being a rogue in his stall. They thought it would help settle him down if he were gelded. It didn't work. he still tore up ever stall he was kept in.
I agree that this announcer is exciting, but I always had a problem with his "Here they come spinning out of the turn!" bit... I always picture the horses suddenly rearing up on their hind legs and twirling around, like those Lippizzaner stallions :)
Secretariat retired at three, mostly because they needed the syndication money and insuring him at four would have been too expensive. Today the horses are just too fragile.
At 5:41 it shows how NBC had listed The Bart as the "Official" winner, causing a lot of consternation among the viewers, many of whom took them at their word.
I was there as well and have not missed a Million since including Toronto! Used to watch the first couple of millions from the roof, could not sneak up there anymore with the new place. Not many of my original crew left from then :(
I think I counted 5 time Phil Georgeff said you couldn't pick a winner. Almost a dead heat. And the these guys and the network keep telling us The Bart won! Lol
Unbelievable they put #4 first and #1A second and said official on the TV screen and ended up being wrong. Inexcusable. They would never do that now days.
It would have been really great a race between John and Bid, in 1980, when John already was a star. Unfortunately, they never met. John was terrificly brave, but I think Bid would have beat John narrowly. What do you think?
Remember an unmamagable horse named Seabisquit ? Tom Smith and Mr. Howard didn't resort to castration...AKA, the easy way out. Tom took the time to watch and listen. Mr. Howard knew when to trust in the abilities of others. Will we ever see the likes of men like "The Lone Plainsman" again ? Yes, we have. But they are fewer and even farther between now.
@@goforwand31 And Seabiscuit's breeding was a lot more promising than John Henry's, so there would have been greater reluctance to castrate him. The great geldings Kelso, Forego and Native Diver all were castrated due to difficult temperaments.
Diana Boozer Look at the photo. John Henry is the clear winner. I’m sure others standing by the finish thought John Henry was the winner. The winner of a race isn’t decided by who a fan thinks wins. The photo objectively shows who’s in front at the wire. John Henry got his nose down.
My grand-parents owned John Henry. Sam and Dottie Ruben (Dotsam Stables). It was incredible growing up as a child seeing these races knowing our family was part of it. Seeing the trophy's in their home when we would go visit them. Amazing part of my life.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for uploading this. It's awesome to be able to show this to my wife and children who did not know my grand-parents let alone John Henry. Thanx again!
I think his most brilliant run was the 1984 Arlington...The 'old man' was AWESOME :)
@@naynaystjohn9266 Another brilliant race of his was the start after the '84 Million, the Turf Classic at Belmont, where he went right to the front and even prompted by Win the entire 1 1/2 Miles wired the field in 2:25 2/5 off 1:13 for three-quarters.
That must have been awesome experience!
U lucky people my favorite was kelso
This horse must be a so beautiful remember of your childreness¡¡He was born to run very fast¡¡All the best my friend¡¡
According to The Bloodhorse Magazine 100 U.S. Thouroughbred Horses of the XX Century List" John Henry is ranked in 23th. position. 39 wins, 15 seconds, 9 thirds and U.S. $ 6.591.860,00 in 83 starts. 1981 U.S. Champion Older Male Horse; 1981 and 1984 U.S. Horse of the Year and inducted to The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1990. What an extraordinary horse! Regards from a venezuelan citizen who emigrated to Chile searching a better way of life.
saw him at kentucky horse park twice before he passed.smart,smart horse.he was the star of the show.spent over an hour with him and his caretaker.the stories she told us about this magnificent animal.god bless john henry!
Also saw him at KY Horse Park 2005. Part of our honeymoon.
Unquestionably one of the greatest race horses of all time!
Witnessed this race in person, and it was the most exciting race at Arlington Park to date. Wonderful horse. Phil Georgeff was actually one of the finest announcers in the business and he could make a $5000 claiming race as interesting as a world class event. Unless you had a chance to hear him everyday you could misjudge him and his talent.
Completely agree..... one of the best announcers in the country!!!
Phil Georgeff, the announcer on this race is my cousin. He passed away this past Monday. RIP cousin. You ran a great race!
jimano1969 oh I am so sorry. He was a terrific announcer, love his beat.
So sorry for your loss. His voice was distinctive, he added a lot of excitement to each race. Loved his "here they come spinning out of the turn!"
jimano1969 one of favorite was old George Jeff here thay come round the turn
I practically grew up on the backside of Chicago's tracks ..my father Bruno Bellucci trained horses, my fondest memories were hearing the calls of Phil Georgeff, he was and will always be the best
racecaller...I am so sorry to hear this..
Sorry for your loss. He did the infamous Dr. Fager call too.
That John Henry was really something!...he was the most exciting racehorse to ever hit the track... wow.. love the memories of this amazing horse...thank you for this video 👍
Watched from the 8th pole in the grandstand; never forget that day. What a horse and rider!
I wasn't to far from ya. I was between the 1/16 pole and finish line. We thought Johnny won it!
A shame Allington is no longer there. It was a beautiful racing facility. And yeah, I saw this race on t.v. and was cheering John Henry on.
I remember when John Henry ran in the 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont. He had 2 other legendary geldings lead the post parade. I was just choked up with emotion seeing Kelso and my all time favorite gelding, Forego with each other. What a day in horse racing that was, getting to see those 3 legends gracing the track that day. Kelso and Forego, both retired, still looked to be in good shape, both with riders on their backs.
my all-time favorite 🐴 the great John Henry
i'll never forget this cause my mom had the bart and we waited a long time for the photo and lost. also, i'm reminded by a statue of these 2 horses everytime i go to arlington. what a race; still gives me chills(my favorite announcer...phil georgeff)
Brings back memories Chicago used to be a Mecca for Horse racing Arlington Sportsmans Hawthorne Maywood Balmoral, what great times they were!
That was one hell of a race love to hear the Great Phil Georgeff call John Henry what a gamer and Shoe maybe the best jockey ever !!!!
R.I.P. John Henry, Bill Shoemaker, Phil Georgeff, Pete Axthelm, Dick Enberg and all those in this video who are no longer with us.
My father was one of the last persons to get an autograph from Bill Shoemaker. Days later, Shoemaker crashed his car and was paralyzed as a result.
No horse who ever raced had more guts then John Henry.
bigjoetube
Winx reminds me of John Henry. Those kind dig deep.
Seattle slew
You never watched KELSO or you wouldn’t make that comment, he was five times Horse of the Year . John Henry was an outstanding horse .
Don't forget forego
You should have seen the great Round Table fight back after being passed when he was carrying 137 lbs.
Here, they come spinning out of the turn. Rest easy master race caller.
i got to see him too a few years ago and Cigar. It was amazing to see them both.
"She didn't quicken on the ground, the dead ground." Shoe said John Henry had trouble handling the surface but kept to his task to prevail. He was as game as they come. Inaugural running of the Million, the first million dollar purse.
I was at this race - 12 years old, with my dad and grandpa, who was an Englishman and a big horse fan.
The best Race caller of all time....starting listening in1958.....Gramps took me to Arlington....was 5 years old..... I can hear his voice now.... the horses are at the post...they' re at the post....... They 're entering their stalls...the flag is up......and thereeeeee off...........around the far turn and into the stretch......here come Round Table...........one of the greatest horses of all time....ck his record
I was at the old Hollywood Park with my dad and some of his friends. We watched the simulcast on the big screen they had in the infield. I was 16, and I was the only one out of all of us who thought John Henry had won. Great memory.
i dont know anything about this stuff but my dad always said he really liked this horse that it really had personality, if another horse came up beside him he would pin his ears back and really dig
Also, a great call by Phil Georgeff...
Awesome Racehorse. John Henry stretched out to win by a lip, but his rear was clearly behind The Bart ! JH knew exactly where the finish was.
I saw John at age 28 at the Kentucky Horse Park. He was still a class act. He nipped the poor girl leading him around the ring there on the Bum. Saw him and Cigar. Never forget that trip. And for sure he was a fighter who never quit. I saw Cigar race but never John
May they both RIP.
I agree! The wire photo proves John~John won with a nose hair! He knew how to stretch out and get the win. Jose Mercado and Lewis Cenicola had their hands full in the winner's circle. Have to wonder what John Henry was thinking :-) Love you "The Living Legend" John Henry! See you soon. XOXO Judy (Burbank) BC thanks for this great posting!
John Henry wins the 1981 Arlington Million by a head bob with Shoemaker up! an incredible horse/jockey match up.
He was the authentic last iron horse!!
Yes
Absolutely,.. John Henry is an American treasure...his reputation is legendary in deed!
I was there and will never forget this horse....
Kim Washington It was an amazing time.
Absolutely, Dawn Gannon☺
"John Henry is charging!" Exciting come from behind win. Just amazing how he made up that ground at the end of the race. Photo finish win. Love to watch this race.
❤️ John Henry ❤️
The Bart was no slouch though. 👍
Michael O'Hehir known the bart well from his 3yo days
I love how they discussed the results and concluded incorrectly - and then posted the wrong result on national TV (at 5:18) - and then had to change those results to show John Henry 1st after the commercial break. John Henry was such an amazing horse.
Patrick J. Murphy
Never seen that happen before. Turns out the 40-1 shot he beat, The Bart, was no "outsider."
Posting the unofficial results was based on their opinion ?
They said it was the OFFICIAL result, which might have caused some bettors to discard their tickets. Huge controversy at the time. John Henry got his nose down at just the right time. For 98 percent of the final stride The Bart was in front.
No wonder Chris Lincoln said "In fact the network had it both ways"
my father loved John henry
Great race call!
what a gutsy horse with a big heart!
I knew Phil from Arlington-Washington Park when I worked there, he was truly the best of the best, an amazing man.
Great to hear Michael O'Hehir as one of the commentators. He was a legend in Irish and British Racing as a broadcaster.
He call foinavon in that 1967 grand national
@@StFidjnr yep he did. His broadcast of JFK’s funeral is still the benchmark of how to do a major event.
@@Monokitty768 and he knows the Bart pretty well
That tough little SOB really knew where the wire was, didn't he? :)
John Henry was tough as nails.
John didn't lose many of these. Epic finish in a classic race by a one of a kind horse.
Yes
Thanks so much for posting. I can never get tired of watching John Henry race. What a legend!! I would LOVE to know if you have ever come across a Jim Hill CBS Sports Broadcast of a race at Hollywood Park, Pincay was atop John Henry. I've been searching and searching for this broadcast. Any ideas were I can find it?
Thanks for posting this "recutting" will be checking out Your other videos !
This was NBC's first-ever Thoroughbred Racing telecast (NBC had televised the last Hambletonian, the biggest in all of Harness Racing at DuQuion a year earlier before that went to The Meadowlands in '81 in its only other Horse Racing telecast to that point). They thought The Bart had won and that was the official result. HUGE controversy because some had actually thrown away what turned out to be winning tickets on John Henry as a result of that.
Phil Georgeff knocked me off my socks many times!
Eddie D. Class act.
John Henry really wanted to win!
One of America’s greatest racing moments and is going down the Toilet with the sale of Arlington
Unbelievable!!! They posted "The Bart" as the official winner.
Everybody called The Bart as the winner, but it was WAY TO CLOSE TO CALL. Actually, after the slow motion replay, it appeared that John Henry did WIN. What knuckleheads!!!
Key To Content was one of my favorite horses
"We apologize for any confusion..."
Ole Bob Bowers was by Prince Blessed, who was a Princequillo out of a Bull Lea mare.
Can you imagine the $900 spent on an unraced colt in 1963.
Yep, he was Calumet's Bull Dog top and bottom. Blue Larkspur on the dam side.
His blood was made at the great Calumet.
Happy Birthday John Henry
It was never easy for racing foes to take John Henry out in the home stretch.
Never loved a horse as much as John.
I wish we'd seen the photo. At the rebuilt Arlington Park there was a life-sized bronze statue of the two at the finish. It was scintillating for many years.
they all said the bart on tv but not so fast my friend!!
John Henry definitely one of the greatest Ever!
5:12 the top 2 horses in the million 1981 are the big focus we all know madam gay took home the show spot
Man...I thought I was seeing my first real 100% 'dead heat'! It really was a nose hair...how could they see that? LOL
Fantastic!!!!!! Thanks for posting.
He loved Arlington Park and Arlington fans loved him
Last to first, attaboy John Henry
He was famous for being a rogue in his stall. They thought it would help settle him down if he were gelded. It didn't work. he still tore up ever stall he was kept in.
I agree that this announcer is exciting, but I always had a problem with his "Here they come spinning out of the turn!" bit... I always picture the horses suddenly rearing up on their hind legs and twirling around, like those Lippizzaner stallions :)
Wow what a finish what a historic moment ..I still say the Bart WON LOL..GREATNESS ALL AROUND ..especially jockeys and horses in here
Best race ever
The Bart was a hell of a good looking horse.
i was just a kid. I always would look for his shadow roll. this one threw me
I hate that they retired American Pheroah at 3 after only 9 races(i think) Seattle Slew and Affirmed ran at 4
Secretariat retired at three, mostly because they needed the syndication money and insuring him at four would have been too expensive. Today the horses are just too fragile.
Eddy D, all class!
Phil Georgeff -->>>> GOAT!
At 5:41 it shows how NBC had listed The Bart as the "Official" winner, causing a lot of consternation among the viewers, many of whom took them at their word.
It is.
I was there as well and have not missed a Million since including Toronto! Used to watch the first couple of millions from the roof, could not sneak up there anymore with the new place. Not many of my original crew left from then :(
how about sending a copy of the pictures you took?
Eddie D. was 29! What? Where did the time go?
I’m reminded that Sideshow Bob said that Die Bart Die was simply German for The Bart The.
I think I counted 5 time Phil Georgeff said you couldn't pick a winner. Almost a dead heat. And the these guys and the network keep telling us The Bart won! Lol
Phil has no doubt madam gay will get the show money
The Bart was just gobbling up that ground in the last eighth.
Unbelievable they put #4 first and #1A second and said official on the TV screen and ended up being wrong. Inexcusable. They would never do that now days.
stupid NBC puts the Bart as the "unofficial" winner
1:51 home stretch time as Phil will call it
John @ Shoe !!!!
Did the guy calling this used to do auctions by any chance?
Old Bobby Bowers, Michigan Bred
Phill Georgeff the announcer.
May he rest in peace. Did you here? John Henry was put down today.
It would have been really great a race between John and Bid, in 1980, when John already was a star. Unfortunately, they never met.
John was terrificly brave, but I think Bid would have beat John narrowly.
What do you think?
No way !!!!!
Round Table ridden by the Shoe.......at equal weights would have crushed them both......look up Round Table
Doug Lewis
I’m glad we have another round table fan out there!
Richard B. Davis
No way, meaning bid would easily beat John Henry or John Henry would beat the bid?
Tricky angle, fooled the TV guys
GOAT
And John Henry made fools out of the announcers.
5:43 dick enberg is the most STUNNED NBC sports person
The Bart won the damn race.
Actually, no.
@@beachcomber7200 The Bart jockey did not ride through the wire.
2:18 we know which horse will get the show money
Remember an unmamagable horse named Seabisquit ? Tom Smith and Mr. Howard didn't resort to castration...AKA, the easy way out. Tom took the time to watch and listen. Mr. Howard knew when to trust in the abilities of others.
Will we ever see the likes of men like "The Lone Plainsman" again ? Yes, we have. But they are fewer and even farther between now.
pjzdreamz Seabiscuit wasn't nasty like John Henry. He was a lot like Dynaformer, you just didn't turn your back on him or you'd pay for it.
@@goforwand31 And Seabiscuit's breeding was a lot more promising than John Henry's, so there would have been greater reluctance to castrate him. The great geldings Kelso, Forego and Native Diver all were castrated due to difficult temperaments.
I was standing by the finish the. Bart was the clear winner
Diana Boozer
Look at the photo. John Henry is the clear winner. I’m sure others standing by the finish thought John Henry was the winner. The winner of a race isn’t decided by who a fan thinks wins. The photo objectively shows who’s in front at the wire. John Henry got his nose down.
Giant¡¡
Don't care what anyone says, I *know* The Bart won the head bob. lol
the bart IMO Europeans version of gunsynd
By a head bob.
they use dominion cameras there 😜😜😜😜
Wow dumb commentators lol and whoever put up The Bart before the photo was released lolll
Still no way John Henry won this race.