I'll Raise You One, once described by Jim Morgan as "the fastest horse I ever trained," was euthanized due to infirmities of old age at Fair Winds Farm in Waynesville, Ohio.
The 29-year-old grandson of Northern Dancer held the track record at Arlington Park running 7 1/2 furlongs in 1:28 4/5 (a time that is faster than the existing record on Arlington’s synthetic surface). The dirt mark was later held by Without A Doubt, who was timed in 1:28.15 in 2006.
"He made his first start at Hialeah when that track was 'The Place'," recalled Morgan, Ohio’s all-time leading stakes trainer. "He won by 12 or 14 lengths and impressed everyone, even the track announcer."
I’ll Raise You One was second in the 1987 Fairmont Park Derby (gr. II), though Morgan maintained he should have won.
"I won’t name the Hall of Fame jockey, but the race was run very late at night and I think he fell asleep in the final yards and he let a horse slip through on the rail and we were beaten a short neck,” said Morgan.
Owned throughout his career by Al Corrado, the son of Far North out of the Raise a Native mare Get Out of Town was retired to stud in 1991 with a record of 8-6-3 from 28 starts for earnings of $152,762.
I'll Raise You One sired breeder Corrado's top two runners, four-time stakes winner Doubly Fun ($248,304) and three-time stakes winner Double Your Fun ($141,324). Both were out of the Flying Paster mare Flying Pleasure.
"Al really loved I’ll Raise You One," said Lori Williams, who operates Fair Winds Farm with her husband, Kim. "Right up to the year he passed away, every single Christmas he would send a big basket for him filled with apples, carrots, and peppermints.”
From 14 crops. I’ll Raise You One sired 50 winners, including five stakes victors. He was buried at the farm alongside Ohio’s multiple state champion sire Honey Jay.