BY BROCK SHERIDAN
October 5, 1974—John L. Greer’s Florida-bred Foolish Pleasure capped an undefeated juvenile season in which he was named the 1974 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt with a six-length victory in the $489,022 Champagne (Grade 1) at Belmont Park.
Ridden by Jacinto Vasquez, who currently resides in retirement in Ocala, Fla., Foolish Pleasure was allowed to sit just behind front-runners Bombay Duck and Lefty through quarter-mile fractions of :23 2/5 and :43 3/5 before rushing past those two around the second turn. Foolish Pleasure was seven-lengths clear in the stretch before throttling down to win by six lengths as the heavy .30-1 favorite. Elmendorf Farm homebred Harvard Man was second with S. Sommer’s Ramahorn third.
Foolish Pleasure paid $2.60 to win.
Trained by Hall of Famer LeRoy Jolley, Foolish Pleasure was six-for-six as a 2-year-old with victories earlier in the Dover (G3) at Delaware Park, Tremont (G3) at Aqueduct, Sapling (G1) at Monmouth Park, Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and Cowdin (G2) at Belmont.
He started his sophomore campaign in 1975 winning the Flamingo (G1) at Hialeah but suffered his first defeat when third behind winner Prince Thou Art in the Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
He would then win the Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct before becoming the third Florida-bred winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1), following Needles (1956) and Carry Back (1961).
He was a runner-up to Master Derby in the Preakness (G1) and was second to Avatar in the Belmont (G1).
In July 1975, a match race was arranged between Foolish Pleasure and the unbeaten filly Ruffian. While on the lead, Ruffian broke down, allowing Foolish Pleasure to win unchallenged.
He completed his 3-year-old year in September, finishing second to Wajima in the Governor (G1) at Belmont Park.
In 1976, he won half of his eight starts including the Donn Handicap (G2) at Gulfstream, the Suburban (G1) at Belmont and Arlington Golden Invitational Handicap at Arlington Park in the final race of his career.
He retired with 16 wins from 26 starts with four seconds and three thirds while earning $1,216,705.
He was syndicated for $4.5 million and stood in Kentucky at Greentree Stud, Mint Lane Farm and later Spendthrift. He moved to Kerr Stock Farm in California before being sent to Horseshoe Ranch in Wyoming in 1993 where he died the following year at age 32.
Bred in Florida by Waldemar Farm, Foolish Pleasure was by What a Pleasure out of Fool-Me-Not, by Tom Fool. He was a $20,000 purchase by Greer at the 1973 Saratoga Yearling Sale.
