Karayel (horse)

Karayel (foaled April 8, 1970 – Death Date Unknown) was champion Turkish racehorse who was the second Turkish Triple Crown winner in 1973 but was the first to ever do it undefeated remaining unbeaten until the end of his 18 race career. He shares some parallels to Secretariat being born the same year, both being Triple Crown winners and well regarded as on the greatest racehorse in their respective countries.

Karayel
SirePrince Tudor
GrandsireKing Of The Tudors
DamLinda
DamsireCihangir
SexStallion
FoaledApril 8, 1970
CountryTurkey
ColourBay
BreederMr. Sadi Eliyesil
OwnerMr. Sadi Eliyesil
JockeyEkrem Kurt
Record18:18-0-0
Major wins
Çaldiran Stakes (1972)
Erkek Tay Deneme (1973)
Gazi Race (1973)
Ankara Stakes (1973)
Cumhuriyetin 50.Yili Stakes (1973)
Cumhurbaskanligi Stakes (1973)
Basbakanlik Stakes (1973)
Cumhuriyet Senatosu Stakes (1973)
Ahmet Atman Stakes (1974)
Bogazici Stakes (1974)
Honours
2nd Turkish Triple Crown Winner
Karayel Koşusu (G1)
Karayel Awards

Background

Born April 8, 1970, and considered a late foal Karayel.[1] He was sired by Prince Tudor an unsuccessful racehorse who was sent to Turkey in 1964 where he stood at Eliyesil Stud.[2] Eliyesil was named after the breeder of the farm Sadi Eliyesil who would bred Prince Tudor to a broodmare named Linda to produce Karayel. Along with breeding the horse Sadi Eliyesil also owned him his whole racing career.

Career

2-year-old Season

Karayel's first race came on September 2, 1972, just 1100 meters long at Veliefendi Race Course. He won it easily under jockey Ekrem Kurt. His second race was only 15 days later under Jockey Süleyman Akdı, It was the only time a jockey other then Ekrem Kurt rode the horse.[3] Kurt would climb back aboard as the regular rider in the Grade 2 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes run at 1400 meters. It was the longest odds he would ever go under paying 1.55 for every dollar bet on him. This win would also be the first of 16 consecutive graded stakes victories Karayel would win over the course of his career all of which were piloted by Ekrem Kurt.[4]

People described Ekrem and Karayel's connection as being more than just horse and rider. Turkish turf writers said it was more like a human connection. One story goes that Karayel would go up to the 1200 meter pole after training Ekrem would dismount and slap him on the back. He would then walk to the 1400 meter pole before crossing between tracks to meet his groom with Ekrem walking behind him. It was something said to not be seen with any other horse and rider.

His first two graded stakes endeavours with Ekrem would both be at 1400 meters or 7 furlongs. His win in the T.Başer Stakes was an immediate spring board to his first try at 1 mile and his first Grade 1 race the Çaldiran Stakes just two weeks later. The field itself was relatively light with only one other graded stakes winner in the 6 horse field coming in the form of Indigo who had won the Grade 2 Sakarya Koşusu earlier in the year.[5] Indigo finished third and Karayel took home his first Grade 1 win establishing himself as the best 2-year-old in the country.[6]

3-year-old Season

His most productive year was at the age of 3 where he ran 11 times more than double his other two seasons on the racetrack. After winning the Grade 3 Akif Akson Stakes as a seasonal debut he went straight for the first jewel of the Turkish Triple Crown the Erkek Tay Deneme Koşusu run at a mile. Karayel was usually a come from behind horse with the front runner being Abd-el-Kader who was second to Karayel the start before but in the final furlong he was past by Karayel again and then by Baskin.[4] Karayel had stormed home by 3 lengths and taken his first classic and the first jewel of the Triple Crown. His quest for the Triple Crown started only a day after Secretariat's who won the Kentucky Derby on May 5.[7]

The next jewel of the Triple Crown was the Gazi Race by far the biggest race in Turkey. At this point Karayel had never ran further then 1 mile in his career and the Gazi was 2400 meters or 1+12 miles. To get him ready for the distance only 2 weeks after the Erkek Tay Deneme Koşus he ran in the Sait Akson Koşusu at 2200 meters only a furlong shorter. The competition proved minimal his best opponent was Baskin who finished second to him the start before. It proved another easy win setting him for the biggest race in his career and the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

His biggest challenge this time would be the filly Ophelia who had won the Kisrak Koşusu also known as the (Turkish Oaks) only 15 days prior.[8] She was a front runner opening up a major lead in the early part of the race. Maxing at 20 lengths in the final 1000 meters and raising doubts that Karayel could catch her in time. Karayel did not budge until the final 600 meters of the race. He effortlessly passed Ophelia with 150 yards to go and had enough time to open up 4 lengths and win the race in style. While the time itself 0.042:34.62 was considered slow with Bold Pilot's track and stakes record of 2.26.22 being 8.4 seconds faster the manner of how Karayel had won the race was what made it his most famous victory.

Only 2 horses challenged him in his next race the Sadun Atig Stakes which seemed more like a paid walkover. The last jewel of the Turkish Triple Crown was the Ankara Stakes at 2800 meters of 1 3/4 miles. Another test in distance so just like with the Gazi he took a prep race to get him ready for the distance challenge taking the Sadun Atig Stakes at 3000 meters long. It was the longest race he ever won defeating Ophelia once again. Ophelia remained the closest thing to a challenge in the Ankara but he would not give her a solo lead chasing right after her from the start and easily subduing her and joining Sadettin as a Turkish Triple Crown winner.

The race would kick off a streak of 5 Grade 1 level victories with his next challenge being Older horses in the Cumhuriyetin 50.Yili Stakes. It was the only race after the Triple Crown where he wasn't odds on but his odds still remained very high paying 1.15 for every Lira. But after he won the race he went back to the odds on 1.05 that he had always been and never left it. He rounded out his 11 race campaign with two Grade 1's in 2 weeks against older horses in November and his fifth consecutive Grade 1 the Cumhuriyet Senatosu Stakes in December at 3000 meters.

Retirement

After his rigorous but flawless 3-year-old campaign plans were made to take Karayel outside of Turkey and race him in Europe under trainer Barry Hills who had trained Prix de l'Arc De Triomphe winner Rheingold and Willie Carson slated to ride. Before plans were finalised on this cross country campaign Karayel took the Ahmet Atman Stakes and the Bosphorus Trophy both at 2400 meters at Veliefendi Race Course. He managed both times to run faster than his signature win in the Gazi. But after almost everything was outlined and planned Karayel was injured before he could take on the trip and was subsequently retired with a perfect record in 18 starts standing at stud in Turkey producing multiple winners of The Gazi in Cartegena, Seren 1, and duel Cumhurbaskanligi Stakes winner Karanimo.[3]

Race Record

Date Race name Class D(m) Course Prize (₺) Odds Runners Place Runner-up Time Jockey
2 September 1972 Maiden Maiden 061100 Veliefendi 05007,000 1.25 1.50 7 1 Derby Day 1.10.60 Ekrem Kurt
17 September 1972 Baltaci Koşusu Allowance 061400 Veliefendi 17,500 0.671.05 064 1 Tipasa 1.26.48 Süleyman Akdı
15 October 1972 Kraliçe II. Elizabeth Koşusu

(Queen Elizabeth II Stakes)

G2 071400 Ankara 52,000 0.361.55 11 1 Toyota 1.25.32 Ekrem Kurt
5 November 1972 Prof. Tevfik Başer Koşusu

(T.Başer Stakes)

G3 1400 Ankara 28,000 3.51.15 0608 10 1 Sonşans 1.27.66 Ekrem Kurt
19 November 1972 Çaldiran Koşusu

(Çaldiran Stakes)

G1 1600 Ankara 84,000 0.471.20[6] 096 1 Suat I 1.40.26 Ekrem Kurt
21 April 1973 Akif Ersoy Koşusu

(Akif Akson Stakes)

G3 1400 Veliefendi 35,000 0.031.05 036 1 Abd El Kader 1.28.22 Ekrem Kurt
6 May 1973 Erkek Tay Deneme Koşusu

(Turkish 2,000 Guineas)

G2 1600 Veliefendi 63,000 0.31.35 059 1 Baskin 1631:37.54 Ekrem Kurt
20 May 1973 Sait Akson Koşusu G3 2200 Veliefendi 56,000 1.05 075 1 St Mirin 201.42:20.48 Ekrem Kurt
10 June 1973 Gazi Race G1 2400 Veliefendi 210,000 1.05 038 1 Ophelia 0.042:34.62 Ekrem Kurt
29 July 1973 Sadun E.G. Atığ Koşusu

(Sadun Atig Stakes)

G3 2000 Veliefendi 047535,000 1.05 013 1 Newmarket 2:10.20 Ekrem Kurt
30 August 1973 Büyük Taarruz Koşusu

(Büyük Taarruz Stakes)

G2 3000 Veliefendi 49,000 0.011.05 035 1 Ophelia 1393:18.06 Ekrem Kurt
23 September 1973 Ankara Koşusu G1 2800 Veliefendi 065091,000 0.141.05 5 1 Ophelia 1422:54.64 Ekrem Kurt
29 October 1973 Cumhuriyet Koşusu

(Cumhuriyetin 50.Yili Stakes)

G1 1800 Veliefendi 105,000 1.15 0110 1 Primavera 1:50.72 Ekrem Kurt
11 November 1973 Cumhurbaşkanlığı Koşusu G1 2400 Ankara 092091,000 0.25 1.05 5 1 Tempest 2:29.44 Ekrem Kurt
25 November 1973 Başbakanlık Koşusu

(Basbakanlik Stakes)

G1 2000 Ankara 77,000 0.81.05 048 1 Nazenin 2.02.20 Ekrem Kurt
8 December 1973 Imperial Gold Cup G1 06 3000 Ankara 059080,500 0.31.05 036 1 Tempest 3.16.70 Ekrem Kurt
16 June 1974 Ahmet Atman Koşusu

(Ahmet Atman Stakes)

G3 2400 Veliefendi 35,000 1.05 6 1 Rain Breeze 2.32.28 Ekrem Kurt
14 July 1974 Boğaziçi Koşusu

(Bosphorus Trophy)

G2 2400 Veliefendi 87,500 1.05 5 1 Tünkut 2.28.64 Ekrem Kurt

References List

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