ENGLISH TEXTS
But more than just the victory of an American horse in a race designed for American horses , even one owned by Godolphin , it is to Cody Dorman that the event owes its place in many memories . This 17-year-old was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome , a rare genetic disorder that can cause delayed growth , intellectual disability and seizures . He had undergone over forty operations to survive and could only communicate using a tablet .
This therapeutic ability of horses with people in distress is well known . They help veterans recover and cope with depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms . Peyo , a former dressage horse , visits patients in hospitals and retirement homes with his rider Hassen Bouchakour .
Five years earlier , during a visit by Cody and his parents to Gainsborough Farm in Kentucky , a foal by Curlin , not yet named Cody ’ s Wish , was growing up . “ He was a nice , quiet , laid-back foal ,“ stud manager Danny Mulvihill recalled . “ It was very important from my point of view to see if we could get a foal close to Cody , knowing he was in a wheelchair .“ This family visit had been organized by Keeneland for the Make-A-Wish Foundation , which tries to grant the wishes of children in difficulty .
Once there , he goes directly to those most in need and his presence acts on them like a charm .
BACK TO THE ARTICLE � � PAGE 38And so it was that the foal , after sniffing his visitor and his unusual equipment , rested his head on the young man ’ s lap , who was obviously delighted . A small miracle .
� PAGE 40A year ago , Cody ’ s Wish won the Breeders ’ Cup Dirt Mile for the second year running , this time after an inquiry , at odds of 8 / 10 at Del Mar Racetrack . We have just witnessed the 18
Godolphin , breeder and owner of the foal , soon named the colt Cody ’ s Wish and two years later , he would return to his friend every time he visited ... “ And Cody , you know , that deep belly laugh . I can count on one hand the number of times I ’ ve heard him do that .” recalls the young man ’ s father , Kelly , in an NBC Video .
thedition of this race , added in 2007 to the already robust “ supersize me “ program of the American horseracing championship , which has grown from eight to fourteen races since its inception forty years ago .
To put this into perspective , the same amount of time has passed between the first edition of the Breeders ’ Cup and today as between D-Day in Normandy and the inauguration of this great invention by American breeder John Gaines in 1984 .
Later , when the horse became a particularly competitive champion , Cody Dorman and his family naturally continued to support him at the racetracks . The story became very popular , culminating in that day in November 2023 , the day of the horse ’ s last race .
Remarkable , isn ’ t it ?
Tragedy struck again , however , as Cody passed away the day after his champion ’ s second Breeders ’ Cup victory , on his way back home to Kentucky .
1 . THE MOTIVATION
The conditions required for a horse to win the same race seven times are numerous . The first , and not the least , is that it must be capable of racing and maintaining its best level over several seasons . This almost excludes
A book has since been published , and a film is currently in the works .
ENGLISH TEXTS
To last as long as he did , Al Capone II had to choose his battles wisely . Known for enjoying heavy autumn ground , he was carefully prepared for this season . Gradually , his trainer Bernard Sécly reduced the number of his outings to preserve the horse . Al Capone II raced between seven and nine times a year until he was 9 . Then , he ran five to six times during his last three seasons , including two hurdle races each campaign , whereas he had only alternated once a year with steeplechasing in his younger years .
entire horses , which struggle to maintain their motivation beyond a certain age . Moreover , once they reach a certain level , their connections often prioritize their entry into the breeding shed .
This brings us to one of the horse ’ s main qualities : his intelligence . Bernard Sécly described him as cunning , having adapted his way of running to his physical limits , as he was , according to the trainer , “ small .“ He stood 1.62m at the withers , just 2cm taller than the height of the rail-ditch-and-fence , which he cleared about fifteen times . But he did so in his own way : he always lost several lengths at that obstacle because he had to slow down to negotiate it . Rather than jumping it like Katko before him or Ucello II alongside him — as if it were just a simple hurdle — Al Capone II had to climb it , almost literally . He seemed to decompose his leap into three distinct phases : vertical takeoff , flight , and landing . It wasn ’ t a leap ; it was more of a gymnastic exercise . Instead of gliding , he seemed to rise up to the obstacle . It was a unique spectacle during which Auteuil held its breath , because even though this method was very secure , it appeared acrobatic . Perhaps this approach was also less taxing than the extravagant leaps of his brilliant rivals , which required considerable energy , hidden by the size of the extraordinary athletes leaping over mountains with a flick of the ankle . Yet , these grand jumps leave more traces than our hero ’ s cautious climbs .
Certainly , he sometimes had to carry 72 kilos in this discipline , but rarely against the best competitors . For his final hurdle outing , in September 2000 , he finished 5
To a lesser extent , these arguments also apply to females , who are very rare among those achieving long series of victories . However , we must note the six wins of Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham .
thin the Prix d ’ Angers , eight lengths behind First Gold , who would later deny him an 8
thLa Haye Jousselin victory , having been born just eight months before Al Capone II ’ s first autumn championship win .
In 2000 , at the age of 12 ( he was born in March ), Robert Fougedoire ’ s star raced only twice in the spring , without attempting the Grand Steeple , in which he had finished 2
2 . HEALTH
This also implies having unyielding health , particularly in jumping races . The mere seven minutes it takes to complete the 5,500 meters of the Prix La Haye Jousselin pales in comparison to the hours of work needed to reach peak fitness and maintain it . Al Capone II had his setbacks . He missed four Grand Steeple-Chases during even years , but he never missed a La Haye Jousselin from ages 5 to 12 .
ndthe previous year . To endure , he also needed to avoid adventures outside this framework . Changing environments also means changing routines and preparations . In jumping , especially after establishing a specialty at Auteuil , changing paths inevitably challenges one ’ s balance and mastery of the exercise . If Bernard Sécly had , for example , wanted to take Al Capone II to England — an endeavor that likely wouldn ’ t have produced good results given the champion ’ s style — the harmony that produced this series of seven successes would have likely been disrupted . When Al Capone II lost a race , it was at home . He even fell three times , twice at 8 years old , and once just before his 5
Another quite rare fact in the annals : he passed away in November 2020 , just three weeks before his favorite race , having outlived two significant figures in his life — his jockey , Jean- Yves Beaurain , who passed away in 2010 , and his trainer , Bernard Sécly , who left us in 2015 .
Isn ’ t it also this technique that allowed “ Pompon “ to sprint as he did , a kilometer later , between the last hurdle and the finish line , while his competitors were often exhausted ? Who knows ... Nevertheless , before he passed away near the training grounds of Chantilly , where he had evolved long after his retirement , he blew out his 32
thLa Haye Jousselin . Each misstep , rather than leading to uncertainty , taught Al Capone II to be more cautious . He was a winner of six editions of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Dieppe in the years ...
3 . CONCENTRATION
ndcandle , just a week before the La Haye Jousselin .
5 . THE GROUND
Al Capone II ’ s ability to handle sticky and heavy tracks also worked in his favor . This aptitude is a significant advantage for the autumn season , especially at a time when the Auteuil ground — effectively drained since — was
4 . A HELPING HAND
110ENGLISH TEXTS more challenging . Class horses can theoretically perform on any ground , but some prefer firmer tracks .
7 . THE ENVIRONMENT
Page 46 This album features rider Jean- Yves Beaurain , who rode Al Capone in each of his 7 victories , the horse retired to the Aigles stud with his former stablemate El Paso , top left Robert Fougedoire , the owner , alongside Dany and Bernard Sécly , and with Serge Landon , and below with Bernard Cyprès , who is stroking the horse co-bred by his family .One last factor that may have played in Al Capone II ’ s favor to establish his record is the conditions of the race . When he first won it at the age of 5 , it included a weight penalty based on earnings of up to eight kilos , for a total weight of 70kg , then 10kg in 1995 . In 1996 , however , the base weight for the Prix La Haye Jousselin increased from 62 to 65 kilos , but with no additional penalty . Two years later , starting in 1998 , 5-year-olds received a two-kilo allowance . Thus , Al Capone II was able to win five of his seven trophies with 65 kilos , and only two with 70 kilos . In 1999 , could he have maintained an edge over Matinée Lover if there had been a greater weight difference ? Not sure . These new rules may explain the frequency of winning streaks after Al Capone II ’ s , with three for Bipolaire and Milord Thomas , and two for Rubi Ball and Remember Rose , totaling ten editions of the classic Auteuil race over the past 25 years .
6 . THE COMPETITION
Examples of winning streaks are also numerous in times or regions where , due to a lack of a sufficiently large population , a gifted individual can thrive for a long time without a true rival . Balto , for example , won seven editions of the Clarke Cup between 1964 and 1970 in New Caledonia , where the equine population does not allow for the regular emergence of champions . Many records date back to the 19
BACK TO THE ARTICLE � th � PAGE 43century , when poorly established genetics produced true monsters against “ rustic “ thoroughbreds . The all-time champion in terms of wins in a single race is Leaping Plum , who won eight editions of the Grasmick Handicap , a $ 15,000 race held in Nebraska at Fonners ’ Park , a parallel circuit that hardly attracts visitors . His latest success in this event was in 2003 . From a racing perspective , Nebraska today is comparable to the New Caledonian turf of the 1960s .
STATISTICS / NUMBERS
Al Capone II ( March 30 , 1988 , Nièvre - November 9 , 2020 , Oise ) French Saddle horse by Italic ( French Saddle ) and L ’ Oranaise ( thoroughbred ), by Paris Jour . 65 races , including 64 at Auteuil 26 wins , including 9 Gr1 races 7 Prix La Haye Jousselin 1 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris € 2,623,874 in earnings . Breeders : Jacques Cyprès and Laurent Couétil Owner : Robert Fougedoire Trainer : Bernard Sécly Jockey : Jean-Yves Beaurain
Despite this , we are still far from the staggering figure of seven wins in a single Gr1 race .
That said , the presence of a true specialist in a race also discourages competition from challenging . This may be one reason why , in the 1850s and 1860s , Franc Picard won the Grand Steeple-Chase de Dieppe seven times , even though he was 15 years old the last time , and had notably raced twice in the Grand National at Liverpool , an eclecticism that is hardly seen today . More recently , Risk of Thunder won La Touche Cup seven times , a cross-country race held at the Irish racecourse Punchestown . Here again , it ’ s because cross-country horses are rather rare across the Channel .
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Al Capone II ’ s seven stars were undoubtedly aligned , and he was a force of nature with an exceptional mentality . He became even more popular as , in an Auteuil that now seems twilight compared to the 1950s , Pompon managed to win hearts and continues to do so . He is like those cyclists and athletes we admired without ulterior motives — world champions who were postal workers , police officers , accountants , or shepherds .
BACK TO THE ARTICLE � � PAGE 44FRANÇOIS DOUMEN : “ AL CAPONE II WAS SUPPOSED TO JOIN MY STABLE ”
“ I recently reviewed the best horses I ’ ve trained while writing my memoirs , and Al Capone II comes up quite a bit , as he faced some tough competitors ! In truth , he was supposed to join my stable because Robert Fougedoire , his owner , took me to
Al Capone II , however , faced top-class competitors at the peak of their form , like Ucello II , The Fellow , and Chamberko . He did not have an easy time of it !
In addition to winning , these champions resemble us . Pompon is the girl-nextdoor of racing at Auteuil .
111ENGLISH TEXTS
see the Cyprès family every year to choose yearlings . For instance , that ’ s how I got The Fellow , who is a year older than Al Capone II . Al Capone II wasn ’ t very big , but there was no reason to overlook him , so Robert Fougedoire included him in the selection . However , in the meantime , we had a falling out , and Al Capone II went to my great rival , Bernard Sécly . I couldn ’ t have done better than him , obviously . But I would watch him regularly , as a neighbor , with some annoyance . Bernard deserved credit for knowing how to handle him so well because he wasn ’ t easy . He would jump to the right while leaping , and he wasn ’ t the most reliable jumper out there . He wouldn ’ t have been able to keep up with his brother in England . They were very different from each other . His jumping style wouldn ’ t have suited the English fences . He practically only raced at Auteuil because of that . It ’ s a shame , but it was the right choice . Bernard had the wisdom to give him the program that suited him best .“
Now , if Satanas had bet on Al Capone II every time he raced in the Prix La Haye Jousselin , wagering 100 francs ( yes , we weren ’ t yet using euros !) when he won on November 14 , 1993 , he would have received 240 francs . This amount would then have been multiplied by 1.70F , 3.20F , 1.40F , 1.10F , 1.50F , and 1.70F for his 7
victory . In total , that would be 5,127 francs , a return of 50 / 1 . But knowing Satanas , he would have lost it all in November 2000 betting everything on an Al Capone II at 5.80 !
� PAGE 52THE WACKY RACERS AT AUTEUIL
BACK TO THE ARTICLE �It was destined , and fans of the animated series Wacky Races had known it for a long time . Several clues linked Al Capone II to the number 7 . In the French version of this zany series , Satanas and his terrible dog Diabolo ( who even got their own spin-off ) try by all means to win the race but never succeed . Among their rivals is Al Carbone and his crew . Their car bears the number 7 , and there are seven of them racing to make it go .