Over the decades that Thoroughbred foals have been born for racing, there is usually at least one year that produces a number of exceptional runners that set that year apart from its 10-year contemporaries. From the 1954 crop of 9,064 foals came Bold Ruler, Round Table, Gallant Man, and the star-crossed Gen. Duke; the 1966 foals (20,288) contained Majestic Prince, Arts and Letters, and Ack Ack along with the outstanding fillies Shuvee and Ta Wee; in the 1970 crop of 24,361 youngsters were Secretariat, Forego, Mr. Prospector, and Dahlia; and 1984 produced such notables as champions Alysheba, Capote, and Gulch as well as the most expensive yearling ever sold at auction, the $13.1 million group 2 winner Seattle Dancer.
But perhaps one of the best all-around of this heady 1984 bunch was a dark bay colt bred in Kentucky by Thomas P. Whitney's George G. Farm and sold for $190,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale to Phillip Teinowitz who named him Cryptoclearance. Scotty Schulhofer trained him throughout a 44-start, four-year career in which he banked $3,376,327.
At first glance, there was nothing about the son of Fappiano—Naval Orange, by Hoist the Flag, to catch the eye. Far from flashy, he was, however, a well-made, muscular, medium-sized youngster with good bone and an underlying desire to achieve, despite a bit of a Schulhofer-described "Peck's Bad Boy" personality, full of life, mischief, and antics.
A paternal grandson of the speedy Mr. Prospector, Cryptoclearance had enough quickness to break his maiden by 12 1/4 lengths over seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course as a 2-year-old in addition to a mile allowance contest by four.
At 3 his racing style reflected the stamina influence of Fappiano, preferring to let others play "catch me if you can" over longer distance before setting sail in the closing furlongs. Sometimes it worked as in the Florida Derby (G1), where he defeated future Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Bet Twice; and in the Pegasus Handicap (G1) in which he bettered Arlington Classic (G1) victor Lost Code.
In 15 starts that year (all stakes), he failed to hit the board just twice (both fifth-place finishes). He missed Bet Twice in the Belmont, leaving both Gulch and Alysheba behind, and fell to Java Gold in the Travers Stakes (G1), with Bet Twice, Gulch, and Alysheba wallowing in the wake. Cryptoclearance had also finished fourth and third, respectively, behind Alysheba in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1).
At 4 in 1988, Cryptoclearance continued knocking on the door of big stakes races, with surface or pace scenario often proving his Achilles' heel. Just twice did the doors open for him: the Budweiser-Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) and the Paterson Handicap (G2). He was runner-up in four graded races, including three grade 1s. His worst finish in 14 starts came in his only race on turf: the Red Smith Handicap (G2T) at Belmont Park.
He opened his 1989 campaign in the forerunner of today's Donn Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream Park. Facing 11 opponents in the nine-furlong event, high-weighted Cryptoclearance and jockey Jose Santos sat 11th off the pace of the developing handicapper Slew City Slew through the first four furlongs. With three furlongs remaining, the pursuer had moved six wide into third, three lengths behind the leader. Mid-stretch it was over as the favorite caught his rival and extended the margin to 1 1/2 lengths at the wire.
Cryptoclearance won two more stakes from his nine remaining starts.
As honest as a mirror throughout his career, Cryptoclearance passed the same fortitude to his offspring, both as a sire and a broodmare sire.
