Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Life Sign was the seventh foal out of the great mare Three Diamonds and the first of her foals by Abercrombie., Three Diamonds was in fact, a horse that Brittany Farm owner George Segal called "the first great hose I ever owned."

The youngster qualified fo the first time on July 11, 1992 at The Meadowlands, in rein to John Campbell, who would later steer him to victory in some of his greatest triumphs. He went on to win the American National for driver Bill Fahy at Sportsman's Park, besting Woodrow Wilson winner America's Pasttime that summer. He then added a win in the Internationla Stallion Stake at The Red Mile to his laurels, setting a 1:52.4 colt freshman record and then scored a second-place finish in the Breeders Crown behind Village Jiffy at Pompano Park. He added a 1:53.1 victory in the Governor's Cup at Garden State Park later that fall, besting Bonnie And Clyde by a nose.

"His biggest problem as a freshman is that he wouldn't pay attention," Riegle noted in a Hoof Beats article from 1993. "He raced much better if he was coming at a horse from off the pace."

His sophomore campaign got underway at Scioto Downs in late May, when he finished second in an Invitational there. He next scored three straight vicctories--two at Scioto and one at Greewood Raceway, in preparation for the North America Cup, when he finished a strong second. He also bled in that start.

Riegle did not like to "put his good horses on lasix," but he had no choice with Life Sign. He won his Meadowlands Pace elim easily in 1:50.3 but finished second in the final to Presidential Ball. That race, however, changed the big, green colt.

"He matured after that start," Riegel noted. "He sort of blossomed with that start. He became much more business-like, and developed into a better racehorse."

Life Sign went on to win the Rooney Pace at Yonkers in 1:52.1, and the MacFarlane Memorial at Hazel Park in 1:54, before it was time for the Little Brown Jug.

There was no person better equipped to discuss Life Sign's Little Brown Jug victory than driver John Campbell. Here's what he had to say about that immortal afternoon at Deleware.

"I’ve always appreciated the horse’s performance over my ability to drive, and can’t think of a better example than the 1993 Little Brown Jug with Life Sign. The second I went under the wire, I knew I’d been part of something special, and was awestruck by his effort that afternoon.

"First, my strategy failed miserably in the final. I wanted to get to the front, cut the mile and control the race. It never happened, and we were parked every step of the way. I used Life Sign pretty hard to get up to Riyadh, but couldn’t get past him. When I asked my horse for something extra on the last turn, he gave it his all. But it was also the people—they were all standing and cheering for my horse’s gutsy performance. The crowds there are not just casual fans, and they recognized how special that race was. From the time I pulled him up in the backstretch and returned to the winner’s circle, the noise was unbelievable.

"It was one of the gamest and greatest performances I’ve ever been lucky enough to be a part of. I’ve been in quite a few Jugs; even won a few [three], but I’ve never heard the crowd cheer louder."

Life Sign was retired at the end of his 3-year-old season and headed to Kentuckiana Farm to stand stud in 1994, where he serviced 174 mares that first year. He maintained a very high book for the first five years, producing such notables as Day In A Life, Island Fantasy, French Panicure, Life Source Real Desire, Peruvian Hanover and Fit For Life, among others.

In 1999 he moved to Kentuckiana of New Jersey and bred 150 mares, but his popularity soon waned and in 2005 he was exported to Morley Park Stud in Victoria, Australia.

*To date Life Sign has sired 992 starters who have earned well over $87.6 million.*

Life Sign's Racing Career Statistics
Year    Starts/Wins/2nds/3rds   Earnings       Record          Track & Date of Record
1993   22     13        6      3       $1,354,911       3, 1:50.3M       M M 07/10/1993
1992   13       5        4       2      $557,543         2, 1:52.4M        LEX M 10/09/1992
Total      35     18      10        5      $1,912,454       3, 1:50.3M