Kentucky Derby contenders revisited: Court Vision

Foaled on March 27, 2005, Court Vision ended up having a long career with a 9-4-4 record with 31 starts and lifetime earnings of $3,746,658. WinStar Farm purchased the son of Gulch, the Eclipse Award 1988 Champion Sprinter, as a 2-year-old and gave him an athletic name with some unique inspiration. “The point guard on a basketball team has to have court vision, to be athletic and intelligent, which we think he is,” President and CEO Doug Cauthen said.

The dark bay was sent to trainer Bill Mott and soon broke his maiden second start out at Keeneland in October 2007. Soon after, during the same year, he won the Iroquois S. (G3), the signature race for juveniles at Churchill Downs on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Continuing on this trail in 2008, he was victorious in the Remsen S. (G2) and finished third in both the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and the Wood Memorial S. (G1).

After the 2008 Kentucky Derby, where he finished 13th, the decision was made to try turf. While this surface brought him some of his greatest triumphs, Court Vision continued to display inconsistencies as his placements began to bounce all over the place. However, he manged to win at least one Grade 1 race for three consecutive years after the Kentucky Derby loss, including the Hollywood Derby (2008), Shadwell Turf Mile S. (2009), Gulfstream Park Turf H. (2010), and Woodbine Mile S. (2010).

Following a string of disappointing losses, including a sixth place as the favorite in the United Nations S. (G1) in 2009, he was transferred to the barn of Rick Dutrow. After the change in scenery, he was triumphant in his next start: the 2009 Shadwell (G1) at Keeneland. He was a Breeders’ Cup Mile contender that same year, finishing fourth, and in 2010, finishing fifth. The latter began a downturn where he did not finish in the money for six straight races. He was then purchased by Spendthrift Farm, and for the last two races of his career was with trainer Dale Romans.

The Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs would be the horse’s final race, and the third and final attempt in the championship series. Goldikova, who was seeking a fourth consecutive victory in the contest, was the heavy favorite. Gio Ponti, champion male turf horse of 2009 and 2010, was also a formidable contender.

However, on that day, Court Vision was the underdog and went off as the longest shot in the 13-horse field at 64-1. People felt they knew why as they watched him trail second to last for half of the race. With a quarter-mile left to run, he flew home, winning by a nose over Turallure and Goldikova placing third. Court Vision paid a whopping $131.60 to win. At the time, this was the second biggest payoff in Breeders’ Cup history. The win was Romans’ second win in the year-end championships.

“I’ve loved Court Vision since he was a 2-year-old,” Romans said. “We saw him at the sales and have been following him. I’ve been saying all week how good this horse was doing. When I saw how easy he was running down the backside, I thought if they just back up a little we’ve got a hell of a shot.”

Court Vision was well-traveled during his career, taken to 12 tracks—including Colonial Downs, Churchill Downs, Saratoga, Belmont, and Turfway Park.

After his racing career ended, he began his stud career at the Ontario-based Park Stud, and he was Canada’s leading freshman sire in 2015 in both earnings and stakes horses. In 2016, his stallion career continued in Kentucky and Louisiana, and he moved to Nebraska in 2021. Among his stakes horses are Storm the Court, the 2019 Eclipse Award Champion Two-Year-Old.

Court Vision was later inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2022.