“Who’s it laughs at years that movement?

Who’s it all the time will get the dough?

Whose solely creed is go and go?

Exterminator.”

The above verse, a part of a brief poem titled “Previous Bones,” was affectionately written by Man McGee and revealed within the Each day Racing Kind on June 22, 1922. By means of the years, comparatively few racehorses have impressed folks to publish poetry of their honor, however then once more, few horses have ever sparked the creativeness of racing followers fairly like Previous Bones, the legendary Exterminator.

Within the spring of 1918, racing followers had their eyes on the thrilling champion 2-year-old Solar Briar, who was getting ready for a begin within the Kentucky Derby. Owned by Willis Sharpe Kilmer and skilled by Henry McDaniel, Solar Briar had been such a gifted 2-year-old that many have been anticipating nice issues of him in 1918, and successful the Kentucky Derby appeared like a mere formality.

However nearly as good as Solar Briar had been in 1917, he was not coaching properly prematurely of the Derby, which led coach Henry McDaniel to rearrange the acquisition of an unknown gelding named Exterminator to function Solar Briar’s coaching mate.

Bred by F. D. Knight and owned as a 2-year-old by J. C. Milam, Exterminator had proven promise in 1917, successful two races from 4 begins and ending fourth within the others. Though he had by no means contested a stakes race, Milam had nominated Exterminator to the Kentucky Derby and thought sufficient of him to place a hefty price ticket on the colt. However McDaniel had been impressed by Exterminator, and regardless of the worth, the acquisition was made, and Solar Briar had his workmate.

There was just one downside: Exterminator proved to be sooner than Solar Briar. And when Solar Briar’s coaching continued to disappoint and he was withdrawn from the Derby, Kilmer reluctantly determined to enter Exterminator as an alternative.

A roller-coaster trip lasting six years was about to start.

With out the advantage of a single prep race – he hadn’t raced in 9 ½ months! – Exterminator shocked the world within the Kentucky Derby. Racing on a muddy observe that he clearly relished, Exterminator took the lead within the Derby after six furlongs, was headed with an eighth of a mile to go, then fought again courageously to win by a size as a 29.60-1 longshot.

Over the remainder of the 12 months, Exterminator gained 4 extra stakes races, together with the Pimlico Autumn Handicap, to show that his Derby victory wasn’t a fluke. He additionally showcased superb sturdiness, racing 5 instances in the course of the month of October and 4 instances throughout November, and he additionally demonstrated a love for long-distance races when he beat older horses within the 2 ¼-mile Latonia Cup Handicap.

His sturdiness and stamina would quickly make him a legend.

In 1919, Exterminator raced a outstanding 21 instances at 10 tracks in 4 completely different states, successful the Ben Ali Handicap and Camden Handicap early within the season, in addition to the 1 ¾-mile Saratoga Cup in August and the two ¼-mile Pimlico Cup Handicap on the finish of the 12 months. He didn’t obtain fairly sufficient to be acknowledged because the champion handicap horse of the 12 months – that honor was shared by the succesful Cudgel and Solar Briar, who was again to his finest type – however Exterminator nonetheless proved himself able to beating nearly any horse within the nation, together with Cudgel and the Triple Crown winner Sir Barton.

Most Kentucky Derby winners are retired by the point they flip 5 years outdated, however Exterminator – being a gelding – stayed in coaching for 1920, and like a tremendous wine, he received higher with age. He began off gradual, successful a couple of and shedding a couple of, however received on a roll in August when shipped to Windsor racetrack in Canada. On Aug. 21, he gained the Windsor Jockey Membership Handicap over the succesful Wildair, then beat that rival once more within the Aug. 28 George Hendrie Handicap.

Displaying off his iron structure, Exterminator shipped from Windsor to Saratoga and on Aug. 31 – simply three days after the George Hendrie! – he gained the 1 ¾-mile Saratoga Cup by six lengths over the champion filly Cleopatra. Two weeks later, he carried 128 kilos to victory within the two-mile Autumn Gold Cup at Belmont Park, successful by a head over Damask whereas conceding that rival 30 kilos. Again in Canada 10 days later, Exterminator dropped down in distance and upped his weight task to 132 kilos, however nonetheless managed to win the 1 1/4-mile Toronto Autumn Cup by a head over My Pricey, who carried 40 kilos much less!

Exterminator introduced his successful streak to 6 straight races with a straightforward win within the 2 ¼-mile Ontario Jockey Membership Cup beneath 134 kilos, and following a defeat within the Bowie Handicap, he ended the season with a nostril victory within the 2 ¼-mile Pimlico Cup Handicap, once more showcasing his thorough domination of the long-distance cup races. All advised, Exterminator gained 10 races in 1920 – 9 of them stakes races – to be acknowledged because the champion handicap horse that 12 months.

With every season of racing, Exterminator had risen to larger heights, and for all he had completed, the most effective was nonetheless to return. In 1921, now 6 years outdated, Exterminator began slowly as soon as once more and warmed up in August, defeating the gifted Mad Hatter by a size within the Retailers & Residents Handicap at Saratoga earlier than successful the 1 ¾-mile Saratoga Cup in a walkover – no horse could possibly be discovered to run in opposition to him at his favourite distance! A run within the Autumn Gold Cup resulted in one other victory as he romped by six lengths beneath 130 kilos, after which he and My Pricey placed on a present in a second straight renewal of the Toronto Autumn Cup, with Exterminator carrying 137 kilos to win by a neck. He later added a 3rd straight Pimlico Cup Handicap to his file to earn repeat honors as champion handicap horse.

4 years had handed since he’d gained the Kentucky Derby, however nobody advised that to Exterminator, who continued to defy expectations by reaching even higher heights in 1922. On the age of seven, Exterminator opened the 12 months with a show of mind-boggling versatility when he reduce to 6 furlongs and defeated the highest sprinter Billy Kelly by a size within the Harford Handicap. Two begins later, he gained the 1 1/16-mile Pimlico Spring Handicap by a head beneath 133 kilos and adopted up with straightforward wins within the Clark Handicap and Kentucky Handicap whereas carrying 133 and 138 kilos, respectively, to victory. His subsequent two begins have been small handicap races (each of which he gained) that served as preps for the 1 1/8-mile Brooklyn Handicap, the place he would have a showdown with Gray Lag.

Gray Lag was a really gifted horse, and fairly probably the most effective horse Exterminator had ever confronted. As a 3-year-old in 1921, Gray Lag had been dominant, successful 10 of his 14 races – together with the Belmont Stakes and Brooklyn Handicap – to steal Horse of the Yr honors from Exterminator. Such was Gray Lag’s expertise that he was closely favored to defeat Exterminator within the 1922 Brooklyn Handicap, and the truth that he would carry simply 126 kilos – 9 lower than Exterminator – was anticipated to make his activity even simpler.

However Previous Bones wasn’t prepared to surrender the stage. Gray Lag adopted the script to perfection, staying in entrance of Exterminator each step of the way in which and getting into the homestretch with the lead, however then Exterminator stepped into the highlight and rewrote the ending. Because the racing world watched in amazement, Exterminator challenged Gray Lag with a furlong to go, refused to yield when Gray Lag fought again, and reeled in his youthful rival to win by a head.

It was arguably the best race of his profession.

Exterminator would win three extra stakes races that 12 months, together with the Saratoga Cup and Toronto Autumn Cup, to lastly safe the title of Horse of the Yr. Throughout an abbreviated 1923 marketing campaign, he gained the Philadelphia Handicap beneath 129 kilos however was sidelined with an harm after simply three begins. The next 12 months, his final season of racing, outdated age lastly caught as much as him and he did not win a stakes race, however he did win three allowance races and completed fourth by 1 ½ lengths within the Coffroth Handicap, the richest horse race ever run to that time with a handbag of $51,000.

Exterminator ended his legendary profession with a third-place end within the Queen’s Lodge Handicap at Dorval Park in Canada. Previous Bones was retired to Kilmer’s farm, Remlik Corridor, the place he lived to the ripe outdated age of 30, adored by his followers to the very finish.

Be aware: This story was initially revealed in August 2016 and has been up to date.

Enjoyable Information

• Exterminator’s nickname was ‘Previous Bones,’ a reference to his somewhat bony look.
• Throughout his profession, Exterminator was skilled by eight completely different trainers and ridden by 18 completely different jockeys.
• Exterminator retired with an official file of fifty wins, 17 seconds, and 17 thirds from 100 begins, with earnings of $252,996.
• In retirement, Exterminator lived with a pony named Peanuts (there have been truly three of them by means of the years), and he refused to go anyplace with out Peanuts.
• Exterminator gained races ranging in distance from 5.5 furlongs to 18 furlongs, a particularly uncommon and noteworthy show of versatility. He additionally gained on tracks labeled quick, good, heavy, muddy, and gradual.
• Exterminator carried 130 kilos or extra in 36 of his races, together with 10 consecutive races in 1922. Throughout that streak, he profitable carried 138 kilos to victory within the Kentucky Handicap and tried to hold 140 within the Independence Handicap, wherein he completed sixth.