Tinners Way

Tinners Way (May 25, 1990 – July 5, 2017) was an American Thoroughbred best known as the last colt from his sire Secretariat's final crop. He began running on European turf in 1992 and concluded three and a half seasons later with strong performances against top-rated fields on American dirt courses, including back-to-back wins in the Pacific Classic. His earnings exceeded $1.8 million, which established him, along with Risen Star, Lady's Secret, and General Assembly, as one of his sire's top performers. After standing at stud for many years in Kentucky, California and Texas, he was retired to Old Friends Equine near Lexington, Kentucky in 2010, where he died in 2017. Background Tinners Way was a golden chestnut horse with a white star and stripe on his forehead, reminiscent of his sire Secretariat. His dam was Devon Diva, whose sire The Minstrel won both the Epsom and Irish Derby. Although Devon Diva only won once, her dam Devon Ditty was the Champion 2-year-old filly in England. Career highlights Bred by and running for Juddmonte Farms, Tinners Way began his career on the British turf, trained by John Gosden and ridden by Pat Eddery. His first start was on November 7, 1992 with a 7-furlong maiden win at Doncaster Racecourse. He returned five months later at age three in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, where he finished third. On May 9, he faced Group 1 company in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp, finishing ninth. He next tried the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and finished eighth. Dropping down to the City of York Stakes, he earned his first win of the season, and followed it up with a win in the Fortune Stakes at Kempton Park. He then finished third in the prestigious Prix de la Forêt at Longchamp before being shipped to Santa Anita Park in California for the Volante Handicap, where he finished fourth. For 1994, he remained in the United States and was placed under the conditioning of Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. He raced on the dirt for the first time in an allowance race at Santa Anita Park, finishing second. This was followed by losses in five stakes races, though he did manage to place in the Mervyn Leroy Handicap and Arcadia Handicap, the latter being his only turf competition for the year. He finally returned to the winner's circle in the Golden Gate Fields Breeders' Cup Handicap, then finished second in the Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park.