Ask someone who the top Minnesota-bred thoroughbred of all-time is and there is a short list of names you will hear in response. Off the top of my head, the most likely candidates you would hear are: Blair’s Cove, Crocrock, Timeless Prince, Wally’s Choice and Princess Elaine. These horses all had excellent careers and are at or near the top of the record books for Canterbury Park in several categories. But there is one name that you probably won’t hear mentioned, a Minnesota-bred that accomplished something that, to my knowledge, no other Minnesota-bred thoroughbred has accomplished.
That horse is Super Abound, and he won the Grade I Secretariat on the grass at Arlington Park on September 3, 1990.
Super Abound was the son of Superbity, owned by Frances A. Genter and trained by Carl Nafzger. He debuted as a 2-year-old on the dirt at Canterbury in August 1989 with a front-running victory at 23-1 in a maiden special-weight race for Minnesota-breds. He finished third in his second lifetime start behind Boogiemonster and Timeless Prince, and proceeded to run five more times on the dirt without winning. In January 1990, Nafzger switched Super Abound to the grass in an Allowance race at Gulfstream Park and Super Abound responded with a decisive 2¼ length victory at 15-1. After failing in the 50K Lord Avie Stakes on the dirt at Gulfstream Park, Nafzger returned Super Abound to the grass for the remainder of his career.
Super Abound ran in 14 Graded races on the grass in his career, but his shining moment came in the Grade I Secretariat at Arlington Park on September 3, 1990. Super Abound was coupled that day with stablemate and Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, who was trying the grass for the first time. According to the New York Times, Unbridled moved up to take a brief lead in the stretch, but Super Abound outfinished him and won by three-quarters of a length with Randy Romero aboard. Of course, all the questions for Nafzger afterwards were about Unbridled’s defeat, not Super Abound’s victory.
Super Abound returned to Canterbury as a four-year old in 1991 to run in the Budweiser Breeders Cup Handicap but finished a close 5th at 8 to 5 odds behind Galliari, Mr. Importance and Kiltartan Cross. The chart indicated that Super Abound was steadied, blocked and checked during the running of the race.
Super Abound had a career record of 36-6-5-7 with earnings of $398,918. He raced against nationally renowned horses such as Sky Classic, Fourstarsallstar, Itsallgreektome, Opening Verse and Tightspot. You could make a strong argument that he faced the highest level of competition of any Minnesota-bred throughout his career. He certainly deserves a mention as one of the best Minnesota-breds of all time. Do I hear the Canterbury Hall of Fame calling???
The Oracle
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