Carry Back (FL)

Biography

At the time of his retirement, Carry Back ranked fourth all time in earnings with $1,241,165, trailing only Hall of Famers Round Table, Kelso, and Nashua.

Bred in Florida at Ocala Stud by Jack Price, Carry Back was trained by Price and ran in the colors of his wife, Katherine. Carry Back was of modest breeding and little was expected of the medium-sized brown colt.

As a 2-year-old in 1960, Carry Back raced 21 times with a record of 5-4-4 and earnings of $286,299. He showed potential late in the year, winning the Cowdin, Remsen, and Garden State stakes.

Known for coming from far off the pace, Carry Back’s late runs made him a crowd favorite as a 3-year-old, as he used eye-catching stretch runs under regular rider Johnny Sellers to win the Everglades Stakes, Flamingo Stakes, and Florida Derby early in 1961.

Following a defeat in the Wood Memorial, Carry Back won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with two of the greatest stretch runs of his career. Although he finished seventh in the Belmont Stakes, Carry Back added wins in the Jerome and Trenton handicaps in the fall to be recognized as the Champion 3-Year-Old Male of 1961. He finished the year with a record of 9-1-3 and earnings of $565,349 in 16 starts.

As a 4-year-old, Carry Back defeated Kelso in both the Metropolitan Handicap and Monmouth Handicap, setting a track record each time. Carry Back ran the Met Mile in 1:33⅗ and the 10-furlong Monmouth Handicap in 2:00⅖. He also won the Whitney that year while carrying 130 pounds.

Carry Back stood a season at stud in 1963 before returning to race that year as a 5-year-old. He won the Trenton Handicap for the second time in his career that year before being retired with an overall record of 21-11-11 from 61 starts.

Carry Back died at the age of 25 on March 24, 1983.

Achievements

Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1961

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Kentucky Derby — 1961
Won the Preakness Stakes — 1961