1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's horse racing season, with the Kentucky Derby first 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: up this weekend. Now, even if you don't spend a 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: lot of time around horses, watching those breath takingly beautiful, 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: gigantic animals running for the roses is kind of a thrill, 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: along with sipping a frosty minjulip or two. But look 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: at the size and the power of those horses and 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: then try to figure out how somebody would be able 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: to kidnap one of them. I'm Patty Steele, a billionaire's 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: Derby winning thoroughbread disappeared into thin air. That's next on 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: the backstory. We're back with the backstory, all right. Even 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: if you only see one or two horse races a year, 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: it's really fun to watch those magnificent, kind of skittish 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: animals run. And the money attached to them is absolutely insane, 14 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: including breeding them, buying them, training them, racing them. But 15 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: a winner is the stuff of legend. Let's go back 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: to the nineteen forties. Ali Khan was the son of 17 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: Aga Khan, the third, a major presence in the world 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: of thoroughbred horse racing. Ali was the ultimate playboy, betting 19 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: and sometimes marrying movie stars like Grita Hayworth, his second wife. 20 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: But above all, he was a famous breeder and owner 21 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: of magnificent race horses. When his father passed him over 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 1: as Aga Khan the Fourth, giving the title to Ali's son, 23 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: he continued to live the life of a playboy horse breeder, 24 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: and he was incredibly successful. Race horses were in the 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: family's blood, and Ali's son, who became Agakon the Fourth 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: when he was just twenty years old, was now the 27 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: billionaire leader of the world's Ismali Muslims, and he was 28 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: also a major breeder of thoroughbreds like his father and 29 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,639 Speaker 1: his grandfather. On top of that, he had a degree 30 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: from Harvard and had competed in the Olympics as a skier, 31 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: kind of accomplished. Later on he was active in resort 32 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: development and charity work, but horses were his first passion. 33 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: By nineteen eighty one, the prize possession of Agakon the 34 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: Fourth was the powerful race horse Sugar. That year he 35 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: was entered into the Epsom Derby, Britain's most prestigious race. 36 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: He won by an incredible ten lengths, a record that 37 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: still stands today. One radio commentator said there's only one 38 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: horse in it. You'd need a telescope to see the rest. 39 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: Shugar was called one of the greatest horses ever to 40 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: run in the Derby. He went on to win other 41 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: major races that year, including the Irish Derby. He'd been 42 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: bred in Ireland, so he was a national hero there. 43 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: To make the most of his investment, the Aga Khan 44 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: sold shares of Shugar keeping for himself around twenty percent, 45 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: but he cleared about twelve million dollars or thirty four 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: million in today's money. It was time to put Shurgar 47 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 1: out to stud. In late nineteen eighty one, he was retired, 48 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: set for the delightful life of a stud horse, with 49 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: every expectation that he would sire a generation of champion 50 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: race horses. Shargar's studfee was one hundred thousand dollars, about 51 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: the same as America's triple Crown winner Secretariat a few 52 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: years earlier. Nineteen eighty two was a good season for him. 53 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,119 Speaker 1: He sired thirty five foals, but then it all came 54 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: crashing down. Now it's early nineteen eighty three. Sugar is 55 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: in his stable in Newbridge, Ireland, on a cold, dark 56 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: winter night in February. Problem is a stable is not 57 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: well protected. A horse trailer arrives at the stud buildings 58 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: at eight thirty p m. Inside his house, Shugar's groom, 59 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: James Fitzgerald thinks he hears a car in the yard, 60 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: but then hearing nothing else, he forgets about it. Ten 61 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: minutes go by, there's a knock at the door. Bernard, 62 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: James Fitzgerald's son, answers it. It's a man in a 63 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: police uniform wearing a face mask. He asks for James, 64 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: but then knocks young Bernard to the floor. James comes 65 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: into the room and sees his son on the floor. Suddenly, 66 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: three more men shove their way into the house. They 67 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: hold the family at gunpoint in the kitchen. James says 68 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: they were exceptionally calm and well organized. Several of the 69 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,239 Speaker 1: armed men forced James to lead them to Shurgar's stable. 70 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: Once there, they load the thoroughbread into a trailer and 71 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: drive off. James is forced into another vehicle and driven 72 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: around for about three hours before he's thrown out of 73 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: the car. The crime shocks everyone. How do you kidnap 74 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: a champion racehorse who was unheard of before? And since 75 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: the crime was front page news around the world. The 76 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: AGA Khan's uncle said, the whole thing seems like fiction. 77 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: The kidnappers told James the Groom they wanted three million 78 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: dollars for the horse's return, close to ten million dollars 79 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: in today's money, but the horse was valued at thirty 80 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: five million in today's money. Now the problem is the horse, 81 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: as we know, is now owned by a syndicate, and 82 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: while the Aga Khan holds a large share, the group 83 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: decides no ransom will be paid. The cops make little progress. 84 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: Landowners and farmers try to help out, and even mediums 85 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: and psychics are called in. But there's nothing, no leads, 86 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: no evidence, no viable suspects, not even a body. James Murphy, 87 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: the Chief Superintendent of the Irish Police, at one point 88 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: says at a news conference, a clue that is something 89 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: we haven't got. As time passes, it seems pretty clear 90 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: the horse must be dead. The big British insurance company, 91 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,679 Speaker 1: Lloyd's of London, agrees to pay out millions of dollars 92 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: to the owners. But this magnificent animal has vanished without 93 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: a trace. It's been forty two years and Sugar has 94 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: never been seen again. Soon suspicion points at the Irish 95 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: Republican Army, which was in a violent struggle with US 96 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: Britain at the time. Insiders tell the story that the 97 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: kidnappers knew very little about these powerful but fragile horses. 98 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: They had a rough time managing the high spirited stallion. 99 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: They claim he was killed only a few hours after 100 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: the kidnapping, possibly after injuring himself, and that he was 101 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: buried in a remote area, but his final resting place 102 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 1: has never been found. The case remains formally open. Hope 103 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: you like the Backstory with Patty Steele, Please leave a review. 104 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: I would love it if you'd subscribe or follow for 105 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and feel free 106 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: to dm me if you have a story you'd like 107 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on 108 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is 109 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartMedia, Premier Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, 110 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our 111 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. 112 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: Feel free to reach out to me with comments and 113 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: even story suggestions. On Instagram at Real Patty Steele and 114 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the 115 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: backstory with Patty Steele, the pieces of history you didn't 116 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: know you needed to know.