The Tin Man (horse)
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| The Tin Man | ||
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| Sire: | Affirmed | |
| Grandsire: | Exclusive Native | |
| Dam: | Lizzie Rolfe | |
| Damsire: | Tom Rolfe | |
| Sex: | gelding | |
| Foaled: | 1998 | |
| Country: | USA | |
| Colour: | Brown | |
| Breeder: | Ralph and Aury Todd | |
| Owner: | The Todds | |
| Trainer: | Richard Mandella | |
| Record: | 26:11-5-2 | |
| Earnings: | $3,126,850. | |
| Major Racing Wins & Honours & Awards | ||
| Major Racing Wins | ||
| Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes (2002, 2006) American Handicap (2002) San Luis Obispo Handicap (2003) Arlington Million (2006) American Handicap (2006) San Marcos Stakes (2006) |
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Infobox last updated on: September 18, 2006. |
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Born in California on February 18, 1998, The Tin Man is a thoroughbred racehorse by the great Affirmed, the last horse to win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. His dam was the unplaced Lizzie Rolfe by another great horse, Tom Rolfe, who was an exceptional racehorse but a better broodmare sire.
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[edit] A Liking for Grass
A dark brown gelding, homebred and raced by Ralph and Aury Todd (who live in California's Santa Ynez Valley), The Tin Man's sire never ran on grass, but his descendents have proved themselves over and over on the turf. Affirmed's daughter, and The Tin Man's half-sister, Hall of Famer Flawlessly, was a superb grass runner. His half-brother, Charlie Barley, was a Canadian turf champion. Trained by Richard Mandella, The Tin Man is proving himself worthy to be included in their company...but only as he grows older. It seems his greatest racing days were not his youngest, but his oldest. He just gets better with time.
The Todd's began their adventure with race horses by buying a mare called Dancin' Liz by the legendary Northern Dancer. Right out of the gate, she became a stakes winner and a stakes producer. Her foals include the Grade II winner Oraibi, by Forli. She also dropped a Skywalker foal, the stakes placed gelding Santero. Her filly by the noted Tom Rolfe is The Tin Man's dam.
The Tin Man was Lizzie Rolfe's ninth live foal. She died in 2000 giving birth to a full sister to The Tin Man. This sister is called She's a Rich Girl.
[edit] A Slow Start
As a two-year-old, The Tin Man bowed both tendons, injuries that required surgical repair. This early injury sidelined him for quite some time. "He had some injuries that would've stopped some horses along the way," said Mandella. "His body must have a great ability to overcome them."
At 4:
He won the Grade I Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes and the Grade II American Handicap. He placed in the Grade II Del Mar Handicap and came in third in the Grade III San Francisco Breeders' Cup. All these races were on the turf.
At 5:
He won the Grade II San Luis Obispo Handicap and placed in the Grade I United Nations Handicap. These were also on the turf.
[edit] And a Fast Finish
Due to an ankle injury in the Hirsch, thereby incurring major soft-tissue damage, The Tin Man was away from the races for fifteen months. He spent that time at River Edge Farm near Buellton, California, where the Todd's board their mares. Ralph and Aury often went to see him. "He's a dandy," says Ralph Todd, "...we'd go to visit, and as soon as he saw us, he'd come right over." Somehow, The Tin Man seemed to come out of his enforced "vacation" a different racehorse than he went in. Mandella said, "When we started him back, he just got better and better."
At 7:
He won at Santa Anita in December of 2005 in his first race back.
At 8:
In January of 2006, he took the Grade IIT San Marcos Handicap. A runner up in the Grade I Dubai Duty Free Stakes in the United Arab Emirates, he then, ridden by Victor Espinoza, wired the Grade I Arlington Million on turf as well as having again won the Grade II American Handicap.
[edit] The Tin Man's Heart
After the Arlington Million, Mandella said he'd happily look at the 2006 running of the Breeders' Cup Turf. (The Tin Man has twice run fourth in the BC Turf.) Mandella's win in the Arlington was his seventh attempt. "I've been trying to win this race for a long time, and it's nice to finally win it," said Mandella. "The Tin Man has been around for a long time. He's a pretty cool guy."
With his second win in the September 30th, 2006 Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes, The Tin Man has won $3,126,860. With this win, he's beaten John Henry's record as the oldest horse to win the Hirsch (known, in John's day, as the Oak Tree Turf).
Richard Mandella opted to keep The Tin Man out of the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2006, saying he would start him in the Citation Handicap for the first time. But after some disappointing workouts, Mandella is giving his horse the rest of the year off.
The Tin Man is under consideration for Eclipse honors.
At last report in early February 2007, The Tin Man is beginning to re-enter training.
