Karayel (horse)

Karayel's first race came on September 2, 1972, just 1100 meters long at Veliefendi Race Course. He won it easily under jockey Ekrem Kurt. His second race was only 15 days later under Jockey Süleyman Akdı, It was the only time a jockey other then Ekrem Kurt rode the horse.[3] Kurt would climb back aboard as the regular rider in the Grade 2 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes run at 1400 meters. It was the longest odds he would ever go under paying 1.55 for every dollar bet on him. This win would also be the first of 16 consecutive graded stakes victories Karayel would win over the course of his career all of which were piloted by Ekrem Kurt.[4]

People described Ekrem and Karayel's connection as being more than just horse and rider. Turkish turf writers said it was more like a human connection. One story goes that Karayel would go up to the 1200 meter pole after training Ekrem would dismount and slap him on the back. He would then walk to the 1400 meter pole before crossing between tracks to meet his groom with Ekrem walking behind him. It was something said to not be seen with any other horse and rider.

His first two graded stakes endeavours with Ekrem would both be at 1400 meters or 7 furlongs. His win in the T.Başer Stakes was an immediate spring board to his first try at 1 mile and his first Grade 1 race the Çaldiran Stakes just two weeks later. The field itself was relatively light with only one other graded stakes winner in the 6 horse field coming in the form of Indigo who had won the Grade 2 Sakarya Koşusu earlier in the year.[5] Indigo finished third and Karayel took home his first Grade 1 win establishing himself as the best 2-year-old in the country.[6]

His most productive year was at the age of 3 where he ran 11 times more than double his other two seasons on the racetrack. After winning the Grade 3 Akif Akson Stakes as a seasonal debut he went straight for the first jewel of the Turkish Triple Crown the Erkek Tay Deneme Koşusu run at a mile. Karayel was usually a come from behind horse with the front runner being Abd-el-Kader who was second to Karayel the start before but in the final furlong he was past by Karayel again and then by Baskin.[4] Karayel had stormed home by 3 lengths and taken his first classic and the first jewel of the Triple Crown. His quest for the Triple Crown started only a day after Secretariat's who won the Kentucky Derby on May 5.[7]

The next jewel of the Triple Crown was the Gazi Race by far the biggest race in Turkey. At this point Karayel had never ran further then 1 mile in his career and the Gazi was 2400 meters or 1+1⁄2 miles. To get him ready for the distance only 2 weeks after the Erkek Tay Deneme Koşus he ran in the Sait Akson Koşusu at 2200 meters only a furlong shorter. The competition proved minimal his best opponent was Baskin who finished second to him the start before. It proved another easy win setting him for the biggest race in his career and the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

His biggest challenge this time would be the filly Ophelia who had won the Kisrak Koşusu also known as the (Turkish Oaks) only 15 days prior.[8] She was a front runner opening up a major lead in the early part of the race. Maxing at 20 lengths in the final 1000 meters and raising doubts that Karayel could catch her in time. Karayel did not budge until the final 600 meters of the race. He effortlessly passed Ophelia with 150 yards to go and had enough time to open up 4 lengths and win the race in style. While the time itself 0.042:34.62 was considered slow with Bold Pilot's track and stakes record of 2.26.22 being 8.4 seconds faster the manner of how Karayel had won the race was what made it his most famous victory.

Only 2 horses challenged him in his next race the Sadun Atig Stakes which seemed more like a paid walkover. The last jewel of the Turkish Triple Crown was the Ankara Stakes at 2800 meters of 1 3/4 miles. Another test in distance so just like with the Gazi he took a prep race to get him ready for the distance challenge taking the Sadun Atig Stakes at 3000 meters long. It was the longest race he ever won defeating Ophelia once again. Ophelia remained the closest thing to a challenge in the Ankara but he would not give her a solo lead chasing right after her from the start and easily subduing her and joining Sadettin as a Turkish Triple Crown winner.

The race would kick off a streak of 5 Grade 1 level victories with his next challenge being Older horses in the Cumhuriyetin 50.Yili Stakes. It was the only race after the Triple Crown where he wasn't odds on but his odds still remained very high paying 1.15 for every Lira. But after he won the race he went back to the odds on 1.05 that he had always been and never left it. He rounded out his 11 race campaign with two Grade 1's in 2 weeks against older horses in November and his fifth consecutive Grade 1 the Cumhuriyet Senatosu Stakes in December at 3000 meters.