The famous cerise, black and white colors of Louis E. Wolfson's Harbor View Farm, part of American racing history for nearly a half-century with stars such as 1965 Horse-of the-Year Roman Brother and 1978 Triple Crown hero and two-time Horse-of-the-Year Affirmed, were back in the winner's circle Dec. 24 at Calder Race Course.The 3-year-old Kentucky homebred filly The Legend Grows, a daughter of Siphon developed and trained by Marty Wolfson for his father and his father's wife, Patrice Jacobs Wolfson, went gate to wire in her debut for a 6 3/4-length win in the fourth race. Patrice Wolfson was in the winners' circle for the special occasion and reported that Louis Wolfson was "very comfortable at home" in Miami, although not able to attend the races anymore. "He'll be 94 on January 28," she said. "I told him we were running this filly. It's been a while since we had a runner and I had to take the colors out of mothballs."This filly (The Legend Grows) is particularly special since she is out of Straight Deal's last daughter, Affirmatively, who is by Affirmed. She was named for the spirit of Affirmed and hopefully some day will become a broodmare herself. There is a lot of family history here for us. Straight Deal raced in my mother's colors (Mrs. Ethel Jacobs), and her sire Hail to Reason raced in my colors."Patrice's father was the legendary Hall of Fame horseman Hirsch Jacobs, whose best runners were owned by his family, including 1960 2-year-old champion Hail to Reason and 1967 older filly and mare champion Straight Deal, who became a very influential broodmare. Her daughters' produce included Reminiscing, Commemorate, Persevered, Premiership, Belonging, Belong to Me, Desiree, Adored and Qualify.Louis and Patrice were married in 1972. Their pictures with trainer Laz Barrera and young jockey Steve Cauthen were splashed prominently in newspapers and magazines across the nation throughout the three Eclipse championship seasons of Affirmed, America's last Triple Crown winner, in 1978.Affirmed's remarkable collection of trophies will be on display at the Kentucky Horse Park beginning in May. The homebred chestnut son of Exclusive Native went on to a highly successful career at stud standing at Jonabell Farm until his death in 2001. He has his own Web site detailing his lofty place in Thoroughbred racing history (www.affirmedtribute.com).The victory by The Legend Grows also put a nice holiday touch to a splendid year for 55-year-old Marty Wolfson and his wife and top assistant Karla. The 2006 season was highlighted by the victory of Live Oak Plantation's 7-year-old Miesque's Approval in the $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs, a performance that has cast him as a leading Eclipse Award candidate.
(Chart, Equibase)