Timely Writer

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Timely Writer


caption =
sire = Staff Writer
grandsire = Northern Dancer
dam = Timely Roman
damsire = Sette Bello
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1979
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = Dorothy Davis
owner = Peter and Francis Martin
trainer = Dominic Imprescia
record = 15: 9-1-2
earnings = $605,491
race = Mayflower Stakes (1981)
Hopeful Stakes (1981)
Champagne Stakes (1981)
Flamingo Stakes (1982)
Florida Derby (1982)
awards=
honours =
updated= August 17, 2007

Timely Writer (1979-1982) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.

The "Boston Globe" once described Timely Writer as "the horse with the greatest potential—and the worst luck—whose very story was a fairytale of racing history."

He was known as "The People's Horse." His bloodlines included Northern Dancer, Swaps, Tim Tam, Ribot, Tom Fool, and Count Fleet and others. He was purchased for only $13,500 by Peter and Francis Martin, owners of a meat-packing plant in Boston, Massachusetts.

Timely Writer began his stakes career as a claimer at Monmouth Park, winning by eight lengths, and matching a track record set in 1943. Ridden by Roger Danjean, the colt commanded real attention with wins in the Grade I Hopeful Stakes and under Jeffrey Fell in October's Grade I Champagne Stakes in which he overtook the 4-5 favorite by nearly five lengths.

Timely Writer's racing career was marked by several disappointments. He was passed over in favor of Deputy Minister for the 1981 Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old colt. Key wins in the 1982 Flamingo Stakes and the '82 Florida Derby made Timely Writer a favorite for a Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1982, until a severe case of colic sidelined him for the entire spring season.

With a 50% chance of surviving surgery, Timely Writer once again beat the odds. He not only recovered, but came back to win at Saratoga Race Course less than six months later. The famed Dr. William O. Reed purchased the colt's breeding rights for the sum of three million dollars. Before heading to the breeding shed, Timely Writer would complete the 1982 racing season.

Traces of an anti-bacterial substance found in his system forced Writer's withdrawal from the $150,000 Jerome Handicap, for which he was the favorite. Unprepared for his next start, he finished a seventh but rebounded to win his next start.

As seen on live television, Timely Writer started to show winning form as he broke from the pack in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He coasted along in third before jockey Jeffrey Fell began to urge the colt forward as they approached the far turn. Suddenly, and with no apparent warning, the colt's left foreleg snapped and he fell to the ground where three other horses stumbled over him. With no possibilty of repairing his leg, Timely Writer was humanely euthanized. Another colt, Johnny Dance, who had collided with the fallen horse, also had to be euthanized.

Timely Writer was buried at the head of the stretch at Belmont Park, an honor previously granted only to the great filly, Ruffian.

A poignant tribute to Timely Writer is included in the book, "Beyond the Rainbow Bridge" by Kimberly Gatto (2005, Half Halt Press) ISBN 0939481715

Edited to add: The Blood-Horse magazine has a nice tribute article on Timely Writer in its September 29, 2007 issue.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/timely+writer Timely Writer's pedigree]
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/johnny+dance The pedigree of Johnny Dance]