JOHN HENRY's 1983 ARLINGTON MILLION and JOCKEY CLUB GOLD CUP (Entire Televised Broadcasts)

JOHN HENRY was your horse and mine...a horse for the ages. What made him so special was that he represented all walks of life. Anyone could relate to JOHN HENRY, from America's bush tracks to its most majestic race places. If ever the game had an ambassador for racing, it was not any hired human or public figure, but rather a culturally binding animal named JOHN HENRY, for whom we could all stand up and cheer.

He came from nothing and rose to greatness. A namesake to American folklore, how fitting it was that JOHN HENRY would later join the ranks of national icons.

Watch JOHN HENRY in both the 1983 Arlington Million and 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup - two now historic races that prove like all champions now and then...they are all mortal and will eventually give valiant efforts only to be denied.

Off more than seven months after his Japan trip, eight-year-old JOHN HENRY is back on the scene for his second Arlington Million engagement (1983), where he finishes second by a neck to TOLOMEO who snuck in on the rail. Other horses in the field included ERINS ISLE, THE WONDER, ROSSI GOLD, MUSCATITE, TREVITA, HUSH DEAR, NIJINSKY'S SECRET, THUNDER PUDDLES, BE MY NATIVE, MAJESTY'S PRINCE, BOLD RUN and THE NOBLE PLAYER - a solid field of turf specialists.

The 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup boasted a stellar field that included SLEW O'GOLD (that year's racing sensation), SIR MALA MALA, SING SING, BOUNDING BASQUE, SILVER SUPREME, HIGHLAND BLADE, REINVESTED, ERINS ISLE, DESERT WINE and PLAY FELLOW. JOHN HENRY would finish fifth and out of the money today but the day belonged to two retired and beloved New York-based geldings - both multiple champions in their day who returned to Belmont Park, the site of so many of their sweeping wins...five-time Horse-of-the-Year KELSO, winner of five Jockey Club Gold Cups in-a-row (1960-1964) and FOREGO, two-time Horse-of-the-Year.

AS AN ADDED BONUS, viewers are treated to a very rare and historic segment of both KELSO and FOREGO shown together for the first time ever in the paddock at Belmont Park before the running of the 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup. If this isn't enough, another future racing great, JOHN HENRY, is to run in this race and is shown being saddled in the outdoor saddling enclosure at Belmont Park. Next, both KELSO and FOREGO are shown fully dressed and leading the way out of the paddock en-route to the track to lead the post-parade. To make things even more nostalgic, retired track announcer Fred Caposella (the voice of New York racing for so many years) is brought out of retirement for the day to introduce 26-year-old KELSO and 13-year-old FOREGO to a packed grandstand at Belmont Park which drew a standing ovation for several minutes. This is the first and last time ever that all three beloved geldings: KELSO, FOREGO and JOHN HENRY would all be together at the same time as sadly, KELSO died the very next day. You've probably heard of this historic meeting of all three racing legends but now you can actually watch it in its entirety!


(75 Minutes)