Angle Light (April 18, 1970 – unknown) was an American
Thoroughbred racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
who defeated the champion
Secretariat in the 1973
Wood Memorial Stakes.
Background
Angle Light was bred by Howard B. Noonan and
Runnymede Farm and was purchased and raced by Edwin Whittaker. He was sired by 1964
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...
winner
Quadrangle, out of the
mare Pilot Light. He was trained by future
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee
Lucien Laurin.
Racing career
Angle Light remains best known for winning the April 21, 1973,
Wood Memorial Stakes at
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...
in
Ozone Park, Queens,
New York
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* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
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Film and television
* '' ...
Stablemate,
Secretariat, the reigning
American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and early favorite to win that May's
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
, entered the race as a better than even-money favorite. However, unknown to most race fans, Secretariat had contracted a minor
illness in the weeks before the Wood; an
abscess
An abscess is a collection of pus that has built up within the tissue of the body. Signs and symptoms of abscesses include redness, pain, warmth, and swelling. The swelling may feel fluid-filled when pressed. The area of redness often extends b ...
was found under his lip hours before the race. Angle Light, a true speed horse who never won a race without an early lead, ran wire-to-wire under
Jacinto Vásquez, with
Sham finishing second and Secretariat in third
Angle Light finished tenth in the
1973 Kentucky Derby, ensuing Kentucky Derby won by Secretariat.
Retirement
Angle Light retired from racing with a record of 4-4-3 in 21 starts and earned $194,986. He is the only horse to defeat both Secretariat and Sham in the same race.
After his retirement from racing, Angle Light stood as a stallion at Blue Ridge Farm in Virginia. He died at Flag's Up Farm.
Sources
*
Nack, William. ''Secretariat: The Making of a Champion'' (2002) Da Capo Press
Angle Light's pedigree and partial racing stats
Information on Angle Light at Runnymede FarmVideo at YouTube of Angle Light winning the 1973 Wood Memorial Stakes{{reflist
1970 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Thoroughbred family 8-c