1978 Santa Anita Handicap Vigors Wins The RARE Full Race Version

[@Jean0987654321]

Track announcer: Dave Johnson

[@marieprovencio4882]

Thank you for sharing this with us all. Cool!!!! Super cool!!!

[@bennyboy6367]

Ah yes. I was there that day with my father. Of course, I had Mr. Redoy! Great memories. Love you pops!

[@rdred8693]

I was there too! I was 12

[@bennyboy6367]

@@rdred8693 Small world! I was 17. I remember Santa Anita was packed that day. It was our favorite track. We'd also go to Hollywood Park, Del Mar, and Caliente. Great memories!

[@pauloreilly3240]

This was my 1st. $50 wp bet I ever made...Sandy Hawley just couldn't quite hang on. $4.00 to place as I recall--got my $$ back.

[@david1044]

A very underrated champion.. and a damn good sire to boot.

[@robbybonfire9944]

I still have a $2 winning ticket on Vigors, that ticket still in my wallet is now 40 years old. Whoa, how the time flies!

[@oldiesgeek454]

I think it's a little too late to cash it now... Lol. But, you might get a few bucks off it on ebay. That was when tickets still had the "classic" look I believe... I miss those tickets. I believe they also had separate windows for selling and cashing-Unlike today when you can bet or cash a ticket at any window.

[@emmelineclarke2637]

That tickets worth more now. You should consider to Frame it, with his picture. :)

[@radarahead]

Wow! Thank you for posting this! My favorite jockey and horse combination of all time! I was there as a child and was wondering if he would be able to make up all that ground. Amazing! Thank you again for helping me relive a great childhood memory.

[@rdred8693]

I was there too, that day. How interesting

[@dede3746]

Vigors is one of my all time favorite horses. He was incredible! Thanks for this. THE WHITE TORNADO!

[@Diane9509]

Mine too awesome horse

[@JoeKoOhNo]

He was #1 that year, no doubt about it.

[@gumby2412]

I was there..Darrel was on fire that day. VIGORS THE GREAT WHITE HORSE! We were up stairs with Dick Reilly Johnny Logden Laz Barrera standing at the finish line. That's when racing was great. Santa Anita in the 70s was the place to be.

[@emmelineclarke2637]

Santa Anita any day is the place to be.

[@laurenurban3942]

Vigors was a good horse and a decent stallion. I remember Text and a few others in this race. Great memories.

[@UNCANDNEPHEW13]

I just turned 52 and Vigors is still my #1 was at the track that day and never forgot the THE GREAT VIGORS

[@chrispafrieddreams9118]

What an effort by the big white horse, acceleration in the stretch was amazing..❤️🙏👉🇺🇸

[@joecastanon2479]

I was there that day with my mother and father I was 17 at the time!

[@ruffiantilian]

I LOVE Vigors. He was so compelling and wonderful and beautiful. He ranks with me in my top 5 horses ever. Just an amazing horse and a blaze of glory on the track.

[@emmelineclarke2637]

My cat is named after this beautiful boy.

[@peteyweestro9611]

I was there as a 10 year old and Vigors was my fav horse at the time, this race was magnificent.

[@peteyweestro9611]

Yeah my grandparents began me going to the races from the time i could walk almost, always loved the animals and glad to know someone else was there and remembers the day sweet !!

[@keeferdog5617]

I was there as an 18yr old-I’ll never forget it!

[@rdred8693]

@@peteyweestro9611 I was there too

[@jimmym12]

I was there that day! Great Memories!!!

[@debradonley3825]

I began working on the racetrack that year, though I no longer do. Crystal Water and Vigors were the two big horses then. Text wasn't bad, either. Good days. Sadly, I got married ten years later and left the racetrack.

[@ginawyatt163]

Not only was he gorgeous, but Vigors had a presence & the personality to realize he was special. I loved going to watch him race when he was in Southern Calif

[@robbybonfire9944]

You are so right re Vigors knowing he was special. I made the same observation watching his controlled energy in the saddling paddock before he went out and won the San Antonio Stakes prep for the SA Hcp.

[@radarrobbie]

Thanks for the post! Vigors was always my all time favorite as a kid growing up, then Zenyatta came along and became my new all time favorite.. How do you not like horses that come from 20 back and make it exciting?

[@EarlSkakel]

Are there anymore Vigors races on You Tube? I coudln't find any but would love to see anymore as he along with Seattle Slew were my favorites. I also remember Vigorous Vigors being pretty good too.

[@benjones6030]

You on Danish & O'Neill brought me here, brilliant finish!

[@eddiecorrea5175]

I don't remember how i found it but yes there is at least one more Vigors video like this video here on KZbin that I saw a few years back . Unfortunately I forgot to put like on it and also forgot how i found it. But i I saw it at least twice on that day I found it and i havent seen it since . Don't really remember any details I just know that he won the race and came from last place to win it. He w¹asn't that far back as he was in the Big Cap , althojgh as he was here which by the way I witnessed live I was 12 years old at the time my stepdad would always take us to Santa Anita and Hollywood Park racetrack nearly every weekend . I've seen the likes of Affirmed J,O Tobin Tiller Exceller Crystal Water Valdez Tex Super Moment Mr Redoy Jumping Hill Double Diiscount Relaunch Spectacular Bid Alydar Ancient Title Flying Paster and many others

[@EarlSkakel]

@@eddiecorrea5175 I do remember Vigorous Vigors as well, not quite as good as Vigors but very much the same racing style.

[@ipaulosan]

I'm pretty sure I was at that race and had money on Vigors. That was one special racehorse.

[@keeferdog5617]

A fucking thing of beauty! AKA “THE WHITE TORNADO”. Darrel and the “GREAT WHITE HORSE” rocked! My all time fav and I was fortunate enough to watch him run at the big SA. Thanks for the memories!!!

[@rdred8693]

I was there that day

[@Bad401]

Does anyone remember who beat Vigors in the Hollywood Gold Cup?

[@marysueeasteregg]

I remember Vigors. Decades ago I clipped a picture of him from the newspaper, I think it was when he was prepping for the Washington D.C. International, because he was so pretty.

[@Venckman]

Boy, did Vigors get hammered by Drapier coming out of the gate. Awesome race by a very underrated horse. Loved watching him.

[@unavailableUsernameu]

I am kid at 1:58 jumping up and down

[@rodd7]

@papadoowop Gosh, I wish they could all come back for a race. It would be My Personal favorites Vigors, Cougar 2nd and John Henry vs the so called best Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and Sunday Silence. Let me call the race . Affirmed is in front by a length, John Henry is 2nd and on his outside 3rd is Spectacular Bid, a length back to 4th is Sunday Silence 5 lengths back in 5th is Cougar and far back almost 10 lengths off the pace is Vigors. AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME.

[@debradonley3825]

Sunday Silence was a pure nutcase! He was mean and very hard to handle. Had he been of a more tractable nature he would have smoked all of the above. But his mind never let him become the racehorse he could have been, though he was still great.

[@rodd7]

Well if I would base it on track records alone the order of finish would be, Win - Spectacular Bid Place- Vigors don't think the rest broke any track records ? Show*- Affirmed 4th - Cougar 5th - Sunday Silence 6th John Henry

[@oldiesgeek1]

Great race! I wonder if McHargue won the 9th race too?

[@KREMDemiK82]

Danish and O’Neill podcast brought me here. Thnx to the Rare D&A guests cast Earl Skakel! #danishandoneill

[@EarlSkakel]

Was I wrong?!!!

[@EarlSkakel]

asked 5 years ago but just wanted to know if there are anymore races of Vigors out there on video as he along with Seattle Slew were my fav horses as a kid.Off memory Vigors had a kid called Vigorous Vigors that was pretty good?

[@GirlWithAnOpinion]

Yeah, where are his wins at Hollywood, too? Loved this horse!

[@EarlSkakel]

@@GirlWithAnOpinion Not alot of footage of Vigors for some reason on here? No footage of Vigorous Vigors at all either.

[@EarlSkakel]

Still seems like there should be more footage of this amazing horse.

[@JasonEmerson711]

Wow. Amazing. Look like that horse shot out of a catapult.

[@papadoowop]

Like I said dude, he beats them all, the best ever to have run at Santa Anita.

[@debradonley3825]

No, not really. Affirmed and Spectacular Bid were that.

[@robbybonfire9944]

Someone PLEASE put up the 1976 Santa Anita Hcp. I was there, Royal Glint from the Dan Lasater Stable was the winner.

[@papadoowop]

Simply the greatest horse ever to have run at Santa Anita, EVER!! Sorry Zenyatta but you couldn't have beaten half this field, much less Vigors. This race was equal to a breeders cup classic field back in 1978, what a horse he was.

[@debradonley3825]

Vigors was a nice horse, but he had to have things his way or he could not win. That race set up for him perfectly but he would never have gotten by Affirmed or John Henry. Never. Larry Sterling was not the greatest trainer to ever walk the ground, believe me.

[@JoeKoOhNo]

@@debradonley3825 He was very reliable with that big move for about a year. He was easily the top handicap horse. I don't think he could have run down Slew or Bid but he would have given Affirmed a run for the money. I think he could beat John Henry but I would to see that race.

[@judithdemers3608]

Me too

[@fagerflies]

I remember the :"tornado" very well. his rallies were astounding. If you look closely at this race he won this easily. Silky Sullivan was never of the class that this horse was. As to the best horse to ever run at S.A. I would have to disagree. Affirmed as a 4 year old and then Spectacular Bid's amazing SA handicap in 1980 outrank him

[@debradonley3825]

Yep. Affirmed and The Bid were something to see.

[@JoeKoOhNo]

Bid.

[@randyb9337]

Vigors trainer lived next door to me in Temple City. Larry Sterling Sr. was his name and Vigors was his only big name horse he ever stabled. We joked about the horses nick name, " Vigors the great white" because he attacked from behind like a shark. He is also known as the last pure white north American champion thoroughbred race horse as the industry no longer lists horses as "white". Let me leave off with this question for race horse loyalists.... What was the name of the greatest (thoroughbred) race horse of all time? If your guess is "The mighty Secretariat", you were very close. He was second. Answer...………….. "Eclipse"! if you don't know who Eclipse is, you don't know horse racing very well.

[@grandcosmo]

Vigors was looking at the grandstand the whole way around the last turn through most of the stretch.

[@legestrom]

Like watching Jordan - like if the Church brought you here!

[@judithdemers9352]

fantastic./

[@TheChesskingking]

ok i was there too....and i am going to say it......zenyada would had got smoke too and the shoe would have been on zen or vigors...but we all know the shoe would have taken vigors closer to the pack....and is better fit for zen...therefore vigors would have just smoke a zenya for dinner...lol..hahahahaha....

[@keno8spot]

@sbloomer i was there i bet $250 to win on vigors at 3/5 i never bet odds on i didnt think he could be beaten he was so much the best in that race slammed into out of the gate then carried out to the beach by j o tobin and still in the photo clean trip he wins by daylight never raced again

[@EarlSkakel]

WOW I have not heard the name JO Tobin in years, thanks for the memories.

[@SoCalBuck42]

Was Vigors related to Silky Sullivan ?

[@GirlWithAnOpinion]

No

[@chamaco64]

@papadoowop ...HAHAHAHAAA!!!!!! While Vigors was fun to watch...I don't think he could have beaten any of the horses I mentioned. 9 wins in 34 starts. Can't match up with those others who won more races than he did. His win here was awesome though!!!!!

[@debradonley3825]

Best racehorse I ever saw, and I worked on the racetrack for many years, was Affirmed. He was just pure talent and heart. Secretariat for pure talent, but his heart was never challenged, really, so we don't know about that. For sheer intelligence and being able to win from anywhere? Pleasantly Perfect. Forego has to be in there somewhere,also. Zenyatta, John Henry, Spectacular Bid, Lemon Drop Kid, and Beholder were awesome to witness, also.

[@mervthepenguin]

thats a T.B.B.P

[@chamaco64]

@papadoowop ...lemme see, Gentlemen, Spectacular Bid, Damascus,Affirmed, John Henry, Round Table, Swaps,Citation, Noor (had to put him in just becuase he BEAT Citation...twice if not 3 X's), Seabiscuit...better than those? I'm a big Zen fan...but lets not get carried away. Would add Invasor and Candy Ride but they never ran at SA.

[@debradonley3825]

Gentleman was an amazing horse, indeed. I love your list and agree with it. Vigors was a very good horse on his day, but he lost more than he won.