Tin Cup Chalice

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Tin Cup Chalice


caption =
sire = Crusader Sword
grandsire = Damascus
dam = Twice Forbidden
damsire = Spectacular Bid
sex = Gelding
foaled = 2005
country = USA flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = Mike Lecesse
owner = Scott van Laer & Mike Lecesse
trainer = Mike Lecesse
record = 10 Starts: 9 – 1 - 0
earnings= $868,680
race = Finger Lakes Juvenile (2007)
Mike Lee Handicap (2008)
New York Derby (2008)
Albany Stakes (2008)
Indiana Derby (2008)
awards= First winner of the New York Bred Triple Crown
honours =
updated= September 12, 2008

Tin Cup Chalice (foaled in the state of New York on April 3, 2005), is the first New York-bred to win New York’s “Big Apple Triple Crown” of Racing: the Mike Lee Handicap, the New York Derby, and the Albany Stakes at varying distances all in one year: 2008. In the Albany, ridden by regular jockey Pedro Rodriguez, he defeated both Icabad Crane and Big Truck, both New York-breds and both recently off the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing trail.

By the Grade I winner Crusader Sword (whose own sire is the great Damascus by Sword Dancer) and the only son of Damascus standing in the Northeast. Tin Cup Chalice’s dam is Twice Forbidden, out of the first New York crop of Spectacular Bid who had been relocated from Claiborne Farm to the Miller Farm in 1992. Twice Forbidden also produced stakes winner, Don Corleone. Both Damascus and “The Bid” were Horses of the Year. All in all, Tin Cup Chalice, offered for $2,000 at the New York Breeders’ Sales Company 2005 October mixed sale, comes from a formidable family.

Named for a Jimmy Buffet song (although in the tradition of working out Thoroughbred names from their sire and dam’s names, Crusader Sword and Twice Forbidden seems a subtle way to achieve Tin Cup Chalice), Tin Cup Chalice is a black-pointed Bay making his home base at Finger Lakes race track (where America’s great loser Zippy Chippy might or might not be a stable pony). The colt nearly died twice before he was a year old, once from a case of botulism and once from a bout with horse colic. He’s also from the same female family as Silky Sullivan, the “come-from-the-clouds” California fan favorite back in 1957 and 1958, and after Silky, is probably the most talented. But even as the half-bother of Don Corleone, no one put in so much as a bid when he appeared in the ring at the 2006 New York Breeders Sale at Saratoga...possibly because his sire hadn’t yet produced anything really exciting except the multiple graded stakes winner Isitingood in 1991, or possibly because Tin Cup Chalice was small and narrow and had come too near death too often to inspire confidence.

To take the Albany and with it the Triple Crown of New York-breds, Tin Cup Chalice had to step up in class. Before the race he'd faced only New York-breds, or lesser-quality stakes horses, in his short career. In the Albany, he went up against top national competition. His co-owner, breeder and trainer, Lecesse of Farmington, New York, said, “I know one thing. I wouldn’t bet against a horse that’s unfeated.” [ [http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080820/SPORTS/808200333] ]

In his first start outside New York and in graded stakes company, Tin Cup Chalice won the Indiana Derby. Against the likes of the deep closer Pyro (who came up fast to place), he clicked off splits of :23.20, :48.20 and 1:13.40. In his only defeat, he placed in the Step Nicely Stakes at Belmont.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/tin+cup+chalice Tin Cup Chalice’s pedigree, stats, and photo]
* [http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/46157/tin-cup-chalice-poised-for-triple-title Bloodhorse article on Tin Cup Chalice.]