Taboga wins the 1976 Manitoba Maturity. Her longtime companion, Rick Ball, far right.
By G.S. Thompson
A few weeks ago we wrote about Rick Ball and his favourite horse, Taboga. Sadly, Rick passed away on November 5, shortly after our final interview with him. During the interview, Rick became emotional as he described Taboga as one of the best mares ever to race at Assiniboia Downs, and how she had beaten some of the best horses at Woodbine, but there were no official records.
Now, thanks to Erika Williams, a research services associate at the Keeneland Library in Lexington, Kentucky, we have been able to piece together Taboga’s entire record, including her three races at Woodbine. Turns out that the horse that “floated” did indeed beat some of the best at Woodbine.
But first… Taboga broke her maiden as a 2-year-old in a six-furlong Maiden Special Weight at Calder in Florida on August 28, 1974.
Purchased privately after that race by trainer Glen Ball for Wescana Stable, she made her first start as a 3-year-old at Assiniboia Downs on May 19, 1975, in a five-furlong allowance race, and finished second. She won her first race at Assiniboia Downs in her next start on May 24, going 5 ½- furlongs and romping by eight lengths in an allowance race as the heavy favourite under jockey Jimmy Anderson.
In her next start on May 31, Taboga finished second in a six-furlong allowance race. She then rattled off three straight victories in allowance company on June 8, 14, and 20. Stepped up into stakes company for her next start going a mile in the Wheat City Handicap, Taboga opened up by a length after a half mile, increased her margin into the stretch, and held on to win by three-quarters of a length.
High-class speed was Taboga’s game and everybody knew it, but in her next race, the Harry Jeffrey Handicap going 1 1/16-miles on July 27, she ran into a monster in the form of Laurel Futurity (G1) and Queen’s Plate winner L’Enjoleur. The game filly gave her best to finish second beaten 2 ½-lengths to the Canadian champion, who went on to win the Manitoba Derby in his next start, and later the Prince of Wales Stakes.
In her next start going a mile in the Sears Distaff Handicap on August 13, Taboga led to the stretch, turned back one rival, and responded gamely when challenged by a fresh rival, but succumbed late to finish second beaten a length. She then reared at the break in her next start going a mile in the Kensington Building Handicap, rushed up and duelled to the final turn before fading to fifth, but she wasn’t done for the season yet. Or was she?
Shipped to Woodbine with Rick, her constant companion and exercise rider, Taboga was sent off at 8-1 going six furlongs in an allowance race and finished last. The naysayers came out in full force, but…
In her next start in an allowance race going 6 ½-furlongs, the real Taboga showed up, dueling early, opening up and romping away to win by 4 ½-lengths over some of the best fillies at Woodbine including stakes winners La Bourrasque and Meadowsweet.
Meadowsweet was conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Frank Merrill, a 19-time Canadian training champion who also led the North American standings in 1955, 1958, and 1960. According to Shane Ball, Glen Ball’s son and younger brother to Rick, Merrill liked what he saw so much that he offered $100,000 for Taboga.
The offer was turned down, and Taboga made one more start at Woodbine, this time going a mile in an allowance race on the Marshall Turf Course against older males on October 23.
Sent off at 7-1, Taboga ran all but one of her rivals off their feet, opening up early and leading all the way to the wire, but couldn’t quite hold on and missed by a nose to favourite Cast in Bronze, a 17-time winner and $200,000 earner who had placed in the Woodlawn Stakes (G3) at Pimlico.
Taboga had truly proven her worth in her final start at Woodbine. There was more than one stakes-placed runner in the beaten field, and at least three of the horses that finished behind her in that race had earned over $60,000, which would be worth over $360,000 today. In other words, she defeated some very good horses in her Woodbine races, just as Rick said she had.
Returned to Assiniboia Downs for the 1976 season, Taboga won three of her six starts including the Manitoba Maturity and also set a new 5 ½-furlong track record at Assiniboia Downs.
In 1977, Taboga won her first start of the year in the Inaugural Handicap, defeating older males including Manitoba Derby winner Merry’s Jay, and stakes winners Sunraysed, Turn to Rule, and Federal Ruler, among others. She also finished second in the Polo Park Handicap to Sunraysed, but again finished ahead of numerous multiple stakes winners.
Taboga went 2-for-7 in 1977 and was sold in a dispersal sale. She made five starts for her new connections in 1978, but could only manage one third-place finish before she was retired to the broodmare ranks.
Rick Ball exercising Taboga, circa 1977.
Rick, who had spent every waking hour with Taboga before she was sold, said that after she left for another barn, she just wasn’t the same horse. “I spoiled her,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I never put her on the walker. I always hand grazed her. I spent a lot of time in the stall with her, did extra work on her legs. I always talked to her during our gallops…”
With a heavy heart, Taboga missed her longtime friend and companion. He missed her, too…
Until the day he died.