Prove Out (1969–1990) was an American

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

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 ...

best known for his wins over

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ameri ...

in the 1973

Woodward Stakes The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward. The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Ra ...

, and

Riva Ridge Riva Ridge (April 13, 1969 – April 21, 1985) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972. Often remembered simply as a stablemate of Secretariat, Riva Ridge was a successful racehorse in his own ri ...

in the 1973

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the ...

Background

Prove Out was a

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelate ...

horse bred by

King Ranch King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the state of Rhode Island and country of Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the Triple Crown winning racehorse Assault. The ranch is lo ...

. During his racing career he was trained by

H. Allen Jerkens Harry Allen Jerkens (April 21, 1929 – March 18, 2015) was an American thoroughbred race horse Hall of Fame trainer. Jerkens' father owned a riding academy on Long Island that led to his interest in horse racing, and in the spring of 195 ...

. Prove Out's dam Equal Venture, was a sister of the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * T ...

winner

Assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cri ...

and the granddam of the

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furl ...

winner

Solford Solford (foaled 31 January 1980) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was undefeated in his first five races, culminating in a victory over a strong international field in the Eclipse Stakes in 1983. He also de ...

Racing career

In the 1973 Woodward, Prove Out, at odds of 16:1, upset odds-on favorite

champion Secretariat by 4 lengths, while conceding 7 pounds to the eventual 1973

Horse of the Year The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million ye ...

. Prove Out also defeated Secretariat's stablemate, the 1972

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-yea ...

winner and 1973 U.S. Champion Older Horse Riva Ridge, in the 1973

. In addition to his two memorable victories in 1973, Prove Out also ran track record times at

Saratoga Saratoga may refer to: Places Australia * Saratoga, New South Wales, coastal suburb of Central Coast Council United States New York *Saratoga County, New York **Saratoga, New York, town **Saratoga Springs, New York, city (commonly referred to ...

for 7 furlongs (1:21), and at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Raci ...

for 1 miles (1:40). His Woodward Stakes time of 2:25 for 1 miles on an off track is the second fastest performance ever recorded for that distance at Belmont Park, behind only Secretariat's 2:24 record Belmont Stakes win. Prove Out's winning performance in the 2 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup was timed in 3:20, bettered in American racing only by the great Kelso. In a span of two months Prove Out decisively defeated four Hall of Fame horses:

Forego Forego (April 30, 1970 – August 27, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter. Background Foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentuck ...

, Secretariat,

Cougar II Cougar II (1966–1989) was a Chilean Thoroughbred racehorse who also competed in the United States, where he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Cougar was noted for his late running style and versatility, winning ...

, and Riva Ridge.Haskin 2008
/ref> Prove Out would go on to win one other stakes race, the 1974

Grey Lag Handicap The Grey Lag Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Open to horses age three and older, in its final years it was contested on dirt over a distance of one and three-sixteenths miles ...

Stud record

Prove Out was the broodmare sire of the champion filly

Miesque Miesque ( ; March 14, 1984 – January 20, 2011) was a champion Thoroughbred racemare. At age three, she was a dual Classic winner in France and Britain, then went on to win the Breeders' Cup Mile in America. Her four-year-old campaign was highl ...

References

{{reflist 1969 racehorse births 1990 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 4-c