Lost in the Fog


He was bred in Florida, but he became a legend of Northern California racing.

Ironically, only four of his fourteen starts took place on that circuit. But those outings were part of an amazing run that encompassed just under one year while taking this dark bay with a unique white blaze towards the status of champion.

Sired by Lost Soldier, Lost in the Fog was a descendant of the great Northern Dancer, himself a multiple divisional champion as well as the 1964 Horse of the Year. His mare was the unraced Dr. Carter dam Cloud Break, but Lost in the Fog would in time show everyone who saw him that he inherited his sire's penchant for winning races.

Golden Gate Fields served as the site for Lost in the Fog's debut in November 2004. Aboard to pilot him was perennial Northern California rider Russell Baze (who would ride him in all but one start). Asked to go five furlongs on the main track (he would race in nothing but sprints throughout his entire career), Lost in the Fog showed what he was made of from the start. After an early duel, Lost in the Fog emerged with the lead. He turned back a challenger and opened up in the stretch to romp home by several lengths. Trainer Greg Gilchrist and owner Harry J. Aleo had not just a debut winner on their hands. They had a special horse.

What followed next was a brilliant ten-race winning streak that took Lost in the Fog all over the country. Raised in class for his next start, he was even more dominant at Turf Paradise when he captured the Arizona Juvenile Stakes on December 26. Tracking the pace early on, Lost in the Fog took over in the far turn and made the frontstretch his own personal stage, winning by well over ten lengths for the first of many stakes scores.

For most of his three-year-old season, Lost in the Fog could not be touched. From late January to early October, he built on his winning streak while winning at Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct, Golden Gate, Belmont Park, Calder, Saratoga and Bay Meadows. He did so with tactical speed. Though he loved to take the early lead, Lost in the Fog was fine with letting another horse set early fractions. More often than not, he won handily. No one could get by him in the stretch, much less defeat him.

During that prolific period in his career, Lost in the Fog went from minor stakes winner to graded stakes winner. In total, he captured seven stakes as a three-year-old, with four of them being graded. He would score some Grade II and Grade III wins during visits to Gulfstream, Aqueduct, Belmont and Calder. But the biggest win would come at Saratoga when Lost in the Fog captured the Grade I King's Bishop Stakes. After obtaining the early lead, he opened up his advantage in true Lost in the Fog fashion before getting to the wire well clear of the runner up.

A return visit to Northern California saw Lost in the Fog record his tenth consecutive victory by taking the Bay Meadows Speed Handicap, and that set him up for another run at Belmont Park in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint. Heavily favored to make it eleven straight appearances in front of the camera, Lost in the Fog had the lead at the top of the stretch, but could not sustain his bid. He finished seventh, but another win would follow his first defeat.

Following a 2005 campaign that saw him win eight races (with five of them being graded), Eclipse Award voters honored Lost in the Fog as the year's Champion Sprinter. And that confirmed him the title of legend in Northern California racing.

Lost in the Fog made three starts in 2006, finishing second in the Golden Gate Fields sprint before picking up another Grade III win by adding the Aristides Breeders' Cup Handicap to his resume. His last start came at Calder that July, where he finished ninth in the Grade II Smile Sprint Handicap.

Sadly, Lost in the Fog was discovered to have malignant tumors later that summer. At least one was deemed inoperable, and Lost in the Fog passed that September at the age of four. He was cremated and returned to Golden Gate Fields, the track where he debuted. It was also the venue that hosted Lost in the Fog the most times, with the colt making three starts there. His ashes were buried in the infield, which is also where Silky Sullivan is located. In his honor, Golden Gate Fields first ran the Lost in the Fog Stakes in 2007, and multiple editions have followed since.

As a racehorse, Lost in the Fog was easy to root for. He loved to win races, and he relished dominating on the track. Traveling to other racetracks was no issue, as he could win at different venues. He made winning look easy and effortless. When he ran in the stretch, there were times it seemed like he was just moving along and in no hurry. But he displayed his toughness when he needed to. He just had everything he needed to be a racehorse.

Being related to a fellow champion in Northern Dancer, Lost in the Fog added a new chapter to the family tree with his own divisional title. But he forged his own legend, and he is still very much loved by many in the sport, and particularly in Northern California.

Though he was called Lost in the Fog, he found success, and he was a bright light on the racetrack.


Entry added July 30, 2023. AF