A bronze statue honoring Kentucky Derby and Preakness winnerAlysheba was unveiled Friday across from a monument for John Henry,giving a final resting place of two of the greatest racehorsesever.
The structures, surrounded by flowers and bushes, show thehorses looking at each other with an imaginary gust of wind hittingJohn Henry from the back and Alysheba from the front. Together theyform the gate heralding the entrance of the champions barn.
The parks Hall of Champions is a place for racing fans to visitsome of the sports living legends, such as current residents Cigarand Funny Cide. But now anyone making the trek to see them willpass between the monuments.
“Now and forever this great Hall of Champions will be watchedover by John Henry and Alysheba, horse park executive directorJohn Nicholson said. “Both are great symbols of all that we holddear here and reminders of what we believe is the great majesty ofthe horse – a great gift from God.
Alyshebas statue unveiling came one year after his memorialservice at the park. Many of the same people who attended then werethere Friday, including owner Clarence Scharbauer III and jockeyChris McCarron, who rode both horses now honored in bronze.
“I get goose bumps, said McCarron, standing between the twostatues. “Its fantastic. I just cant get over how blessed I wasto be affiliated with a couple champions like that.
Dubbed “Americas Horse, Alysheba had spent eight yearsabroad before returning to the United States as a gift from theSaudi king to live out his days at the horse park. Six monthslater, he had to be euthanized after an accident in his stall.
McCarron, who says Alysheba “put me on the map, listed theKentucky Derby as his top accomplishment. The first question alljockeys get asked, he said, is whether they had a successful Runfor the Roses.
“From that first Saturday in May 1987, I was able to stick outmy chest and raise my head really high and say, Yep, I won theDerby, he said.
Shelley Hunter, who created the sculptures for both horses,recalled watching Alysheba in the horse park paddock and observingan immensely happy animal.
“He just stood there, looked at that grass and those trees, andIve never seen a horse quite so much look like, Im home, shesaid.
Scharbauer, whose mother and sister previously owned the horse,said he saw the statue of John Henry and was determined to givesimilar treatment to his familys beloved star.
While he said he didnt want the tribute to Alysheba to“upstage the one for beloved John Henry, he said he was prettysure Alysheba was the superior runner.
“Im not so sure he couldnt take him, Scharbauer said. “Ofcourse, Im biased.