// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Linda's Chief a good leader? He's the head honcho.
| Linda's Chief | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Chieftain |
| Grandsire | Bold Ruler |
| Dam | Dream Path |
| Damsire | Ambehaving |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | March 13, 1970 |
| Died | May 11, 1974 (aged 4) |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Dark bay or brown |
| Breeder | Neil Hellman |
| Owner | Neil Hellman Aaron U. Jones |
| Trainer | Alfred A. Scotti Robert J. Frankel Charlie Whittingham |
| Record | 30: 15–6–3 |
| Earnings | US$490,571 |
| Major wins | |
| Juvenile Stakes (1972) Tremont Stakes (1972) | |
| Awards | |
| Florida-bred champion three-year-old colt (1973) | |
| Last updated on July 2026 | |
Linda's Chief (March 13, 1970 – May 11, 1974) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won 15 of 30 starts and earned $490,571.[1] At two, he won the Juvenile Stakes, Tremont Stakes, and Youthful Stakes.[2][3] In the Sanford Stakes, he became the only horse to start favored over Secretariat, but finished second to him by three lengths.[4]
As a three-year-old in 1973, Linda's Chief won seven graded stakes, including the San Felipe Handicap, California Derby, Withers Stakes, Pontiac Grand Prix Stakes, and Saranac Stakes.[2][3] He also finished second to Sham in the Santa Anita Derby, one of the major West Coast preps for the 1973 Kentucky Derby.[5] Later in 1973, a proposed one-mile match race between Linda's Chief and Secretariat was discussed before the idea was abandoned.[6]
Linda's Chief returned at four in 1974 but did not regain his earlier form. He died after a racing accident in the Los Angeles Handicap at Hollywood Park on May 11, 1974.[6][1]
Background
[edit]Linda's Chief was a dark bay or brown colt foaled in Florida on March 13, 1970.[1] He was bred by businessman and racehorse owner Neil Hellman, who also owned him during the first part of his racing career.[7]
He was by Chieftain, a son of Bold Ruler who won 13 races and later sired several major stakes winners.[2][8] Linda's Chief's dam, Dream Path, was by Ambehaving out of Ilea, a daughter of I Will.[2][7]
Linda's Chief was described as a small, light-framed colt with a nearly black coat.[6] He was first trained by Alfred A. Scotti, a former jockey who developed him in New York.[3] At three, he was sent to California and transferred to Robert J. Frankel, then a young trainer building his West Coast stable.[5][6] Later in 1973, Linda's Chief was sold to Oregon lumberman Aaron U. Jones and was eventually transferred to Charlie Whittingham.[6]
Racing career
[edit]1972: Two-year-old season
[edit]Linda's Chief began his career by winning his first five starts.[9] His early wins included the Juvenile Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Tremont and Youthful stakes at Belmont Park.[2][3] Linda's Chief won his first two starts by five and eight lengths and set a Belmont Park track record for 51⁄2 furlongs before adding three consecutive stakes wins.[6]
In the Tremont, Linda's Chief was ridden by Braulio Baeza and completed 51⁄2 furlongs in 1:033⁄5.[10] His unbeaten record and three stakes victories made him a leading juvenile before the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.[9][6]
The Sanford was Secretariat's stakes debut. Linda's Chief started as the 3–5 favorite, while Secretariat was the 3–2 second choice.[9][4] Linda's Chief raced in striking position while Secretariat was taken back and encountered traffic. In the stretch, Secretariat came through an opening and drew off to win by three lengths in 1:10 for six furlongs.[4][6] Linda's Chief finished second, six lengths ahead of the third horse.[6] Scotti later said he had not expected any horse to beat Linda's Chief going into the race, but described Secretariat's performance as exceptional.[6]
Linda's Chief later finished third in the Cowdin Stakes, where Step Nicely defeated Stop the Music and Linda's Chief.[11] He also raced in the Champagne Stakes, in which Secretariat finished first but was disqualified and placed second behind Stop the Music.[4][6]
1973: California campaign
[edit]Linda's Chief was transferred to Frankel for his three-year-old campaign in California.[5][6] He began the season by finishing second in the San Vicente Stakes, then won the six-furlong San Miguel Stakes.[2] He next won the one-mile San Jacinto Stakes on March 1 in 1:334⁄5, setting a Santa Anita track record for the distance and defeating Ancient Title by five lengths.[6][12]
On March 17, Linda's Chief won the San Felipe Handicap over 11⁄16 miles at Santa Anita Park. He again defeated Ancient Title, while Sham, making his first start against him, finished fourth after a troubled trip.[5][6] The win made Linda's Chief the leading West Coast candidate for the Santa Anita Derby two weeks later.[5]
The Santa Anita Derby was run on March 31. Linda's Chief started as the 1–2 favorite under Baeza, while Sham was coupled in the betting with his stablemate Knightly Dawn.[5] Knightly Dawn, drawn immediately outside Linda's Chief, angled inward shortly after the start. Frankel later believed the move disrupted Linda's Chief's usual early positioning, while Sham was able to secure better position and take command in the stretch.[5][6] Sham won by 21⁄2 lengths in 1:47, equaling the stakes record, with Linda's Chief second.[5] Baeza lodged a claim of foul, but the stewards allowed the result to stand.[5]
Linda's Chief returned on April 21 in the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Sent off as the 1–5 favorite, he defeated Easy Ern by less than a length, with Vietmine third.[13] Linda's Chief opened a large early lead through fast fractions and held on by three-quarters of a length, a performance that reinforced concerns about his effectiveness at longer distances.[6] Despite the victory, he was not entered in the Kentucky Derby.[13]
1973: New York and Midwest races
[edit]After the California Derby, Linda's Chief returned east and was again trained by Scotti.[6] Shortened to one mile in the Withers Stakes, he went to the lead and defeated Stop the Music by three lengths, with Forego third. His time of 1:344⁄5 was two-fifths of a second off the Belmont Park track record.[6][2]
Linda's Chief then won the Pontiac Grand Prix Stakes at Arlington Park over 11⁄16 miles on a sloppy track, giving weight to runner-up Blue Chip Dan.[6][2] On June 30, he won the Saranac Stakes at Aqueduct, carrying 126 pounds and running the mile in 1:34.[6][2] By that point, he had won graded stakes at Santa Anita, Golden Gate, Belmont, Arlington, and Aqueduct during his three-year-old season.[2][6]
In mid-summer, Linda's Chief won a 11⁄16-mile prep race for the Monmouth Invitational Handicap, opening a large lead and winning easily in a three-horse field.[6] By the time of the Monmouth Invitational, he had been purchased by Aaron U. Jones, with reports that placed the price at about $1.8 million to $2 million.[6] Around the same time, a one-mile winner-take-all match race between Linda's Chief and Secretariat was discussed, with Philip Morris proposing a $150,000 purse for a race at Belmont Park on September 15.[6]
The proposed match race did not materialize. Linda's Chief started as the odds-on favorite under 126 pounds in the Monmouth Invitational on August 4, but tired and finished outside the first three. Our Native won by a neck over Annihilate 'Em, with Aljamin third.[14] Secretariat also lost that day, finishing second to Onion in the Whitney Stakes.[14] The failed match-race idea helped lead to the creation of the inaugural Marlboro Cup, which Secretariat won on September 15.[6]
Linda's Chief later finished third in the Jerome Handicap behind Step Nicely and Forego.[6][2] After the Jerome, he was put away for the rest of the year and sent back to California to be trained by Whittingham.[6]
1974: Final season and death
[edit]Linda's Chief began his four-year-old season at Santa Anita. He finished second to Ancient Title in both the Malibu Stakes and San Fernando Stakes, with Ancient Title leading throughout each race.[15] The two met again in the Charles H. Strub Stakes, where Ancient Title again won and Linda's Chief finished seventh in a field of nine.[15] He later finished fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap and third in the Premiere Handicap.[6][2]
In the Caballero Handicap, Linda's Chief again ran poorly. Bill Shoemaker, who rode him, said afterward that he had been "lugging out all the way".[6] His final start came in the seven-furlong Los Angeles Handicap at Hollywood Park on May 11, 1974.[1][6] Soon after the start, Linda's Chief propped, turned sharply left, and unseated jockey Steve Valdez. He struck the rail and fell heavily.[6] Veterinarians reported that he had broken his back and was paralyzed in both hind legs; later examination found that he had severed his spinal column and fractured his pelvis.[6] He was euthanized because of the injuries.[6]
Linda's Chief completed his career with 15 wins, six seconds, and three thirds from 30 starts, with earnings of $490,571.[1]
Assessment
[edit]Linda's Chief was most effective from sprint distances through about 11⁄16 miles. His major wins at three came at distances from six furlongs to 11⁄8 miles, but his later record suggested that extended routes were less suitable for him.[6][2] In the 1973 Daily Racing Form Free Handicap for American sprinters, he was rated second at 129 pounds, one pound below champion sprinter Shecky Greene.[16]
His 1973 campaign placed him among the leading American three-year-olds outside the Triple Crown series. He defeated or placed ahead of several important contemporaries, including Ancient Title, Sham, Stop the Music, and Forego, and his rivalry with Sham in California made him part of the broader 1973 three-year-old division associated with Secretariat.[6][5]
Pedigree
[edit]Linda's Chief belonged to Thoroughbred family 13-c.[7] His sire, Chieftain, was by Bold Ruler out of Pocahontas, a daughter of Roman. His dam, Dream Path, was by Ambehaving out of Ilea.[2][7]
| Sire Chieftain |
Bold Ruler | Nasrullah | Nearco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumtaz Begum | |||
| Miss Disco | Discovery | ||
| Outdone | |||
| Pocahontas | Roman | Sir Gallahad | |
| Buckup | |||
| How | Princequillo | ||
| The Squaw | |||
| Dam Dream Path |
Ambehaving | Ambiorix | Tourbillon |
| Lavendula | |||
| Dentifrice | Reaping Reward | ||
| Gino Patty | |||
| Ilea | I Will | Roman | |
| Breathless | |||
| Leas Rose | Bull Lea | ||
| Bell Bird |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Horse Profile for Linda's Chief". Equibase. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Linda's Chief (USA)". JBIS Search (in Japanese). Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Al Scotti, Trainer of Linda's Chief, Dies". BloodHorse. April 4, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Bouyea, Brien. "Secretariat Was Superior from the Start". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hovdey, Jay (April 7, 2023). "Long Ago Santa Anita Derby Lives in Big Red's Shadow". BloodHorse. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Haskin, Steve (August 15, 2022). "Linda's Chief Helped Give Birth to a Legend". Secretariat.com. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Linda's Chief Horse Pedigree". Thoroughbred Horse Pedigree Query. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Maryland Horse Stallion and Statistical Issue 1978". Internet Archive. Maryland Horse. 1978. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Ryall, G. F. T. (August 26, 1972). "S. R. O." The New Yorker. p. 70. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Tremont Stakes". Belmont Stakes. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- ↑ Ryall, G. F. T. (October 14, 1972). "Ten Straight". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- ↑ Jones, Gordon (May 5, 1973). "Secretariat One in Hundred for 99th Derby". The Sporting News. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- 1 2 Ryall, G. F. T. (April 28, 1973). "Eagle Bird". The New Yorker. p. 106. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- 1 2 Ryall, G. F. T. (August 13, 1973). "An Idol Falls". The New Yorker. p. 77. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- 1 2 Ryall, G. F. T. (February 25, 1974). "Here We Go Again". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- ↑ Hunter, Avalyn. "Shecky Greene". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Linda's Chief at Equibase
- Linda's Chief at JBIS Search