Colossus

[Risen Star]

That's the word that readily comes to my mind when I think about this horse.

In just a few months we'll commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death, and I've been re-studying his career over the past few days, pouring over news stories and my biographical books.

As many of you know, in most of his starts at two, and many at three, he always broke slow, was at the back of the pack in the early going, and then came from behind in devastating fashion. From what I've read, he "chose" to run like this, probably because of what happened to him in his first career start, as this YouTube video clearly illustrates. I've never seen a horse get pounded at the break like this, but then this is a frontal view, so you can see everything.

When the video is over, some of his other races, mostly highlights, are presented in succession.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuATpq0t62E&feature=fvsr

I've also posted below the YouTube videos of the last two starts of his career, the only ones on grass where he won by 5 and 6 1/2 lengths respectively. I couldn't help wonder what he would have accomplished as a four-year-old, and as primarily a grass specialist. And then I imagined seeing him compete in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Citation is really my favorite horse, but for some inexplicable reason, this one really pulls hard on my heart strings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHJkz5K6uk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1xW9YqP ... re=related

[Rosethorn2]

hee hee...funny....in the Man O' War, his ears are pinned so far back, it don't look like he has any, .............what a horse......we'll never see the likes of him again...unfortunately.