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He was durable, brilliant and his performances were unprecedented. For distances of 1-1/2 to two miles, KELSO might very well be the best racehorse that ever lived. In his three-year-old season the rangy, dark bay grandson of HYPERION was not produced in time to enter the classics but won eight of nine starts in 1960 and earned his first of five consecutive Horse-of-the-Year titles! He raced from the age of two through nine and at two miles, KELSO never lost a race. He won an unequaled five Jockey Club Gold Cups over this distance and at the time of his retirement, he was the world's leading money winning horse. The great gelding was first or second 81% of the time posting 39 victories and twelve second-places from his 63 career starts, earning $1,977,876.

KELSO was to provide the New York racing fans with some remarkable years of racing in the years of 1960, 1961 and 1963; KELSO won all 18 of his starts in New York. The mighty KELSO - known affectionately as "KELLY" by many New York fans carried tremendous weight of up to 136 lbs. throughout his career; he won thirteen times with 130 lbs. and more. He could run from six furlongs to two miles on muddy, sloppy, good and fast tracks and on the turf. EDDIE ARCARO who rode KELSO fourteen times and MILO VALENZUELA who rode him 35 times both agreed that KELSO was the best horse they had ever ridden.

Ten of KELSO's most memorable races - ALL IN THEIR ENTIRETY FROM GATE TO WIRE are included in this rare time capsule saluting racing's most beloved gelding - his Handicap Triple Crown Races: 1961 Metropolitan, Suburban and Brooklyn, four runnings of the Jockey Club Gold Cup from 1960-1963 and finally the 1964 Aqueduct Handicap.

First witness KELSO become the third-only American Handicap Triple Crown winner after WHISK BROOM II and TOM FOOL, winning the 1961 Metropolitan/Suburban/Brooklyn Handicap races convincingly.

Then watch KELSO's unbelievable consecutive victories in four straight years' worth of Jockey Club Gold Cup races from 1960-1963.

Next see KELSO dominate in both the 1961 and 1963 Whitney Handicaps at Saratoga.

And finally his memorable victory over GUN BOW and SAIDAM in the 1964 Aqueduct Handicap.

KELSO's most distinguishing characteristic was his quiet but constant determination to win and those who knew him best do not credit KELSO's few defeats to any flaw in the horse's temperament; he always gave his best and when he failed to win it was because of some human miscalculation or to the imposition of too great a disadvantage.

His soundness was legendary despite what appears to have been a systematic effort on the part of racing secretaries to break him down with weight contrived to equalize his ability with that of his rivals.

KELSO didn't completely retire, though, for a while he enjoyed another career; the DuPont's schooled him in dressage and over jumps and he made charitable public appearances at horse shows and race tracks always drawing admirers.

Also included is RARE FOOTAGE OF THE 25-YEAR-OLD KELSO IN RETIREMENT at Woodstock Farm in Maryland in 1982 living it up like he should be and running with other horses in his paddock...all the while still receiving his share of fan mail!

Through seven grueling seasons of racing, KELSO had endured unprecedented stamina and fortitude and through it all, he wore his five Horse of the Year crowns like the true king he was!

AS AN ADDED BONUS...viewers are treated to a very rare and priceless segment of both KELSO and FOREGO shown together for the first time ever in the paddock at Belmont Park before the running of the 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup. If this isn't enough, another future racing great, JOHN HENRY, is to run in this race and is shown being saddled in the outdoor saddling enclosure at Belmont Park. Then both KELSO and FOREGO are shown fully dressed and leading the way out of the paddock en route to the track to lead the post-parade. To make things even more nostalgic, retired track announcer Fred Caposella (the voice of New York racing for so many years) is brought out of retirement for the day to introduce 26-year-old KELSO and 13-year-old FOREGO to a packed grandstand at Belmont Park which drew a standing ovation for several minutes. This is the first and last time ever that all three beloved geldings: KELSO, FOREGO and JOHN HENRY would all be together at the same time as sadly, KELSO died the very next day.  You've probably heard of this historic meeting of all three racing legends but now you can actually watch it in its entirety!

A very rare opportunity to step back in time and see KELSO in action in some of his greatest racing feats plus a glimpse of KELSO's life after the races can be the next welcome addition to your racing collection.
 

 

FOR A DETAILED CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF ALL 10 RACES FEATURED IN THIS TIME CAPSULE, JUST REQUEST A COPY AND A COMPILATION SHEET ALONG WITH THE 1,2,3 FINISHERS WILL BE E-MAILED TO YOU.

 

 

60 Minutes.

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