BY BROCK SHERIDAN
MAY 23, 1987—Florida-bred Lost Code used his instinctive speed to go wire to wire and win the Grade 3 Illinois Derby at Sportsman’s Park for his fourth straight stakes victory and first against graded company for trainer William L. Donovan and Donald Levinson’s Wendover Stable.
With jockey Gene St. Leon aboard, Lost Code was restrained through the first quarter mile in :23 3/5 before picking up the pace to finish the half mile in :46 while two lengths clear of longshot You’re No Bargain and Homebuilder, who had finished second to Lost Code in the $350,000 Alabama Derby on April 11. Lost Code stretched his lead to three lengths around the turn and was four lengths in front in deep stretch before St. Leon allowed him to gallop under the wire to win by two lengths, finishing the nine furlongs in 1:49 3/5.
The late running Florida-bred Blanco finished a head in front of Valid Prospect to get second followed by Homebuilder, War, You’re No Bargain and Blue General.
Lost Code paid $3.80 as the 4-5 favorite.
Among the most popular in strong class of 3-year-olds that included Alysheba, Bet Twice, Cryptoclearance, Gulch and Alfeet, Lost Code began a seven-race win streak by taking the Hoop Jr. Stakes at Birmingham Race Course in track record time (a mile-and-a-sixteenth in 1:45 3/5) in March before winning the Alabama Derby there by a length-and-a-quarter. He tuned up for the Illinois Derby by winning the $75,000 Thomas D. Nash at Sportsman’s on May 8.
After the Illinois Derby, Lost Code resumed his stretch of victories by taking the Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown on June 13, the St. Paul Derby (G3) 15 days later at Canterbury Park before scoring in the Arlington Classic (G1) at Arlington on July 11.
He then tested the best of his class at Monmouth Park in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on Aug. 1, facing Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1)-winner Alysheba; and Bet Twice, who was second in both the Derby and Preakness and a 14-length-winner of the Belmont (G1).
In one of the best races of the year, Lost Code led throughout but was third in a blanket finish, two necks shy of winner Bet Twice with Alysheba second.
He was then third against older horses in the Philip H. Iselin Handicap (G1) at Monmouth in August and second to Cryptoclearance in the Pegasus (G1) at the Meadowlands in September. In his final start of 1987, Lost Code finished second to Afleet in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) in October.
As a 4-year-old, Lost Code won six of seven starts, beginning with a 15 ½-length victory in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 5.
He then won the Razorback Handicap (G2), defeating Red Attack and Demons Begone in March; then defeated Cryptoclearance and Gulch in the Oaklawn Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park on April 16. He then lost to Bet Twice in the Pimlico Special on May 14, defeating Crytoclearance in third. He won the last three races of his career by scoring in the National Jockey Club Handicap (G3) at Sportman’s on June 11, the Massachusetts Handicap (G2) by nearly eight lengths at Suffolk Downs two weeks later and won the Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap by four-and-a-half lengths at Detroit Race Course on July 16.
By Florida-bred Codex out of Loss or Gain, by Ack Ack, Lost Code was bred in Florida by Mareinvest 83, Ltd. He won 15 of 27 career starts with five seconds and two thirds, earning $2,085,396 for Wendover, who acquired him after Donovan purchased him privately as a 2-year-old for $30,000.
He was a graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company, selling out of the Norm Casse consignment for $7,300 to Red Port Farm as agent at the 1985 August Yearling Sale.
Lost Code entered stud in 1989 at Dearborn/Vinery Stallions near Midway, Ky., starting out with a $15,000 fee. He sired 12 crops with progeny earnings of $34,060,158, producing 45 stakes winners, of which seven were graded stakes winners. His top runners included Canadian champion mare Magic Code, multiple grade 1-winning millionaire Kalookan Queen and Grade 2 winners Tricky Code and Jacoby.
Lost Code died suddenly of a heart attack on Feb. 10, 2001 at Legacy Farm in Virginia, just moments before covering his first mare of the season.
Return to the May 24 issue of Wire to Wire
