Raise a Native, a son of the great Native Dancer, was foaled by the classy, stakes-winning mare, Raise You, on April 18, 1961, at R.A. Alexander’s Bosque Bonita Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.  Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Cortright Wetherill, who owned Happy Hill Farm, Raise a Native was eventually sold as a yearling at the Keeneland fall sale to E. H. Augustus’s Keswick Stables for $22,000, then a record price for a weanling sold at a Keeneland auction.

Before he even stepped foot on a racetrack, interest in Raise a Native was high.  He was a big, raw-boned chestnut with the kind of fire in his eyes that horsemen found interesting.  He was also a son of Native Dancer, who was fast becoming prominent as a sire (he would eventually be designated a double Chefs-de-Race.)  But there was more to Raise a Native than his sire.  His dam, Raise You, was noted for her blazing speed and, in 1948, won three sprinting stakes, including the New Jersey Futurity when she defeated colts.  This daughter of Case Ace was also a successful broodmare and was designated a Reine-de-Course mare.  In 1951, she produced Kingmaker, a gelded son of Princequillo which won seven stakes, including the 1957 Grey Lag Handicap at Aqueduct in 1:48 1/5, a track record, and later that summer at Saratoga, scored a smashing victory in the Whitney Stakes.  Kingmaker also won the 1958 Royal Palm Handicap when he upset the 1957 Kentucky Derby winner, Iron Liege, this being one of four stakes that the gelding won at nine furlongs.

The prospect of buying a colt produced by a mare that had won stakes sprinting and had already foaled a colt that could win stakes going a distance of ground excited Louis Wolfson. The following summer at Saratoga, he eagerly paid $39,000 for Raise a Native who would race in the colors of his Harbor View Farm.

In his 1963 review of American thoroughbred racing, Charles Hatton described Raise a Native as ” a colt muscled like a gladiator, with a coat like a sunburst.”

Mr. Hatton’s description of Raise a Native was so true because once people set eyes on him, memories of his sire often flooded their minds.  Raise a Native might have been a different color than the Dancer, but much like the magnificent grey, he was powerfully built and very muscular, estimated to reach sixteen hands by the time he turned three.  Though his muscular hind end made him look smaller, it eventually gave the gritty colt quarter-horse type propulsion and made one wonder if those comparisons to Native Dancer might be duplicated on the racetrack.

And who better to train this colt to his full potential than Burley Parke, a patient man who was renowned for his ability to work with two-year-olds?  In the early nineteen forties, Parke made a name for himself as the trainer of Occupy, the co-champion two-year-old colt with Platter in 1943.  Burley also trained Occupy’s full brother, Occupation, which defeated the great Count Fleet twice in 1942 when they were two-year-olds.  Parke, who was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1986, was good with the older set, too, as he conditioned the Irish-bred colt Noor during its tremendous North America campaign in 1950.

Raise a Native had just turned two on January 1, 1963, the universal birthday for all North American foals, when he joined Louis Wolfson’s stable at Hialeah.  The colt quickly drew attention in his morning workouts with his blazing speed.  He was so advanced that Parke decided to enter him in one of Hialeah’s baby races on February 28, the oddity being that he was not officially two calendar years old.  The distance was three furlongs, and the field broke from a chute in the front stretch on the Nursery Course.

Racing fans had been made aware that Raise a Native was an extremely fast colt, and he was sent off as the 6-5 favorite in the field of fourteen.  They were also used to these green two-year-olds leaving the starting gate running all out for three furlongs and then fizzling out, but what they saw that day amazed them.  With John Rotz up, the big copper-colored chestnut, who was on the rail, broke like a bullet and was in front by two lengths after the first quarter mile in 22 1/5 seconds.  From there, he went on to win the race by six lengths in 33 2/5, and he did this without even breathing hard.

Many of those at Hialeah that day couldn’t wait for Raise a Native to make his next start, but Burley Parke decided to keep him in the barn.  He knew he had something special, but his precious colt was still maturing, and he decided to bring him along slowly.  With that in mind, Raise a Native left Florida and moved on to Aqueduct and its spring stakes program.  To get him ready for his first added money event, Parke entered Raise a Native in an allowance race on May 4th, which ironically was Kentucky Derby Day.

The distance was five furlongs, and the competition was much stronger than the field he had demolished at Hialeah. Leading the challenge was Ramblin Road, a speedy colt that would defeat Northern Dancer in the Vandal Stakes at Fort Erie later that year. The son of Lincoln Road had won his only start, a two-furlong dash at Fort Erie in 22 1/5 seconds by two-and-one-quarter lengths, a dominating performance for such a short distance.

Also lining up was True Flight, a Hobeau Farm colt coming into the race with off a nose victory in an $8,000 maiden claimer at Aqueduct, getting the five furlongs in 59 3/5 seconds.  Like many colts that begin their careers as claimers and eventually become allowance and stakes winners, at the time Seabiscuit and Stymie being prime examples, True Flight would eventually leave those low-level ranks and go on to win the Cherry Hill Stakes and the James Conners Memorial later in the year.

Another colt with some class was Mr. Brick, who in 1964 would finish sixth to Northern Dancer in the Kentucky Derby. The son of John’s Joy had won its last start, a five-furlong MSW at Aqueduct in 1:00 1/5 and would eventually place in several stakes before winning the Sapling at Monmouth Park.

The allowance dash was the third race on a card that featured a strong field of sprinters in the seven-furlong Carter Handicap.  As usual, talk about the stake horses dominated conversations throughout the grandstand, but once Raise a Native was let loose, the gist of the conversations changed.  The colt wowed everyone with yet another amazing performance, so much so that when the races were over, more people were talking about him than Admiral’s Voyage, which had won the Carter.

Off at 2-5 with Robert Ussery up, Raise a Native left from post eight in the field of nine.  But unlike his quick break from the gate at Hialeah, this time he broke fourth.

One thing that was consistent about the strong-willed colt was that he did not like horses running in front of him.  Maybe it was his “pack mentality,” but like a stallion on the open range, he had to be the boss, and all the other horses had to take their place behind him while he held his rightful place up front.  Quickly settling into stride, he immediately charged after the speedy Ramblin Road.  Everyone in the stands settled back and watched as the big colt got within a head of the lead after an opening quarter in 22 seconds flat.  This would be the only time in his short career that Raise a Native was not in front after a call, and though Ramblin Road was trying desperately to keep up, his efforts were futile.  Turning into the stretch, Raise a Native was on top by two lengths, and at the eighth pole, the lead was five.  With the crowd looking on, amazed, he went on to crush the field, crossing the line some eight lengths in front of Ramblin Road in 57 4/5 seconds, which was a track record.  And when he crossed the line, he was eased up.

Twenty-seven days later, on May 31st, Raise a Native made his third start.  It was in the five-furlong Juvenile Stakes at Aqueduct.  As usual, the colt was the betting favorite, again going off at 2-5.  Among his five challengers was Claiborne Farm’s Alphabet, which won its only start, a five-furlong MSW at Aqueduct on May 15th in 59 seconds flat.  Another was Greentree Stable’s Delirium, a son of Cohoes that would win the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga later that summer.  The balance of the field consisted of Dark King, who was coming off a win in the Youthful Stakes when he defeated Chieftain by half a length in 58 seconds; Timbeau, a son of Tim Tam, who was destined to win three of his four races at two including the National Stallion Stakes over Alphabet; and the maiden winner Round Plate the longest shot in the field at 70-1.

Leaving from post three, Raise a Native exploded out of the gate and, feeling a couple of needless cracks of the whip from jockey John Rotz, immediately opened up a three-length lead after the opening quarter-mile timed in 22 seconds.  At this point, everyone knew that the race was over, but Raise a Native was not one to leave anything on the racetrack.  Still flying, he threw in a 22 1/5 second quarter, then streaked to the finish line without urging, a powerful winner by two-and-one-half lengths over Alphabet in 57 4/5 seconds, matching his time in his previous race.

After that dominating performance, many now considered Raise a Native the best two-year-old colt in the country.  Jockey John Rotz was particularly impressed.  “He’s a real free-running colt,” the future Hall of Fame jockey said.  “I hit him several times when we left the gate and let him run.  In the final sixteenth, I eased him up a bit.  I really didn’t take hold.  He’s a willing one.”

Trainer Burley Parke, who had won many big-time two-year-old races in his lengthy career, could not contain his enthusiasm.  “This colt is as advanced in his training right now as any other two-year-old I’ve had, and that would be at the end of their season, not in the middle of it.”

Leslie Coombs II, the famous breeder and the owner of Spendthrift Farm, was duly impressed and proclaimed Raise a Native to be the best two-year-old since Citation, even better than Hill Prince, Tom Fool, Native Dancer, Nashua, Needles, Bold Ruler, First Landing, and Hail to Reason when they were two.

Mr. Coombs’ accolades, though brazen, were nevertheless difficult to disagree with.  Raise a Native was a perfect three-for-three with a track record and a stakes victory to his credit, and the truth was that he had never really been challenged.  Some thought that would happen in his next race, the five-and-one-half furlong Great American Stakes at Aqueduct on July 17th.  As it was, only three trainers decided to let their horses run, those being Mr. Brick, Chieftain, and Mighty Mark.

Mr. Brick had been busy since he last met Raise a Native on May 4^th, finishing second to Delirium in an allowance race on May 23^rd and winning a five-and-one-half furlong allowance race at Aqueduct on June 1st.  After that, there were three consecutive second place finishes in five-and-one-half furlong stakes races: to Chieftain in the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth on June 8^th, to Big Pete in the Christiana Stakes at Delaware on June 22nd, and to Big Pete again, this time in the Dover Stakes at Delaware Park on July 4th.

Mighty Mark, by Attention Mark, started his career off with a win in a Hialeah three-furlong MSW in January but hadn’t won since, though he did finish third to Chieftain in the Tremont Stakes at Aqueduct on July 10th.  And though Mr. Brick and Mighty Mark were both at double-digit odds and weren’t considered threats, Chieftain was.  The speedy colt had won three of his four starts coming into the Great American and would leave the gate bet down to 2-1.

Chieftain was well-bred by Bold Ruler and out of the Roman mare Pocahontas, the dam of future champion Tom Rolfe.  The chocolate brown colt began his career in fine style by winning a four-and-one-half furlong MSW at Laurel by ten lengths on March 27th.  He then finished second by a half-length to Dark King in the Youthful Stakes on May 8th and followed that with back-to-back stakes victories, rolling home six lengths in front of Mr. Brick in the Tyro at Monmouth Park on June 8th, then followed that brilliant effort with a length-and-one-half triumph over Delirium in the Tremont on July 10th, a race in which he was bet down to 1-7 odds.

Manny Ycaza had the mount on Raise a Native, and with a crowd of slightly more than 24,000 looking on, they exploded away from the gate and opened up a two-length lead after a superb opening quarter in 21 3/5 seconds, then cruised by the half-mile pole in 44 1/5.  At this point, Jockey Larry Adams decided to take a run at him with Mr. Brick, and he felt confident when he managed to get his horse within a length of the lead at the five-furlong mark in 56 2/5.  Then reality set in as Raise a Native suddenly dug in and pulled away.

The crowd was thrilled as they watched the field struggle to keep up, and why not?  Raise a Native, carrying 124 lbs., crossed the line a winner by two lengths in 1:02 2/5, once again breaking the track record as he beat the former mark of 1:03 4/5 set by five-year-old Tinkalero under 118 pounds in 1960 and tied by two-year-old Polylad in 1961.  The time was also just a fifth of a second slower than the world record set by Matisse at Centennial Park in Denver and equaled by Porterhouse at Hollywood Park.

After the race, a smiling Manny Ycaza said, “We just rode along until Mr. Brick came up to challenge us in the stretch.  I flicked the whip just once at my colt and zip; he was gone.”