John Henry to get statue at Santa Anita

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John Henry, who retired in 1985 as thoroughbred racing’s all-time leading money-won earner with $6,591,860, will be immortalized with a life-size bronze statue to be unveiled by his longtime Hall of Fame trainer, Ron McAnally, in Santa Anita’s paddock gardens on opening day, Dec. 26.

The gelding died in 2007 at age 32. Henry won the inaugural Arlington Million in 1981 and became the first two-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, in 1981 and ’82.

He was purchased as a 3-year-old for $25,000 and became one of the top turf horses in America. The statue unveiling is scheduled after the third race on opening day. Sculpted by Nina Kaiser, it has been worked on for more than two years.

-- Eric Sondheimer