History of the Triple Crown Winners
Today I’m taking $6.00 & going to try to win a bit of money gambling on the Preakness –
Geoff’s placing the bets for me when he goes down to see the race later today
Haven’t followed horseracing since I was a girl in high school after watching on TV & seeing Secretariat win back in 73;
I like many other teenage girls who read Black Beauty & the Black Stallion series was in love with horses
I didn’t know what to do for picking a longshot to try to make the most of my little $6.00 –
back in JR & SR High I use to be able to list off who was related to who & could pick a winner but I’ve not thought in those terms since then
So my 3 picks for today each $2.00 to show / place are:
Like Now who’s 12:1 – this horse I liked the numbers on; lots of top 3 spots for the number of races run
Diabolical who’s 30:1 – this horse is simply due to me liking the fact that he’s an offspring of Seattle Slew
& Platinum Couple who’s 50:1 – this is pure heart story his pregnant daughter is going to the race & will name her twins depending upon the outcome of the race – also the number of races run & placed were pretty good for this horse compared to a few others & I liked the fact the owner & trainer are feeling confident that on dry track he’ll do better than the oddmakers are stating they spoke more positive about their own horse as opposed to the favorite horse – I like that kind of confidence
I seriously doubt that any of them will win but I don’t think that the top horse is as great as they’re making out
well the stories of the 3 I picked are kind of fun & have more to do with how I feel rather than truly horse racing knowledge
I figure the $6.00 is simply gone like spending it on a movie ticket,
but if any of the 3 actually pay out it’ll be kind of interesting & fun time so we’ll get to go out to dinner with the winnings
so I’ll know this evening if we’ll get to go out for steak & shrimp later on this week
Triple Crown Winners
| It is no longer necessary to prove that the Triple Crown is the most elusive prize in sports. It has been 27 years since Affirmed, the latest of eleven Thoroughbreds in history, achieved the prestigious feat in 1978. There have been but three Triple Crown winners since Citation in 1948. There was one spell, a quarter of a century, from Citation in 1948 until 1973, that brought talk of tinkering with the scheduling or devising some sort of relief to make the Triple Crown more accessible because it seemed it would never again be won. Then Secretariat came along and romped through the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1973. When Funny Cide lost the potential Triple Crown at the 2003 Belmont Stakes, a new time elapsed record was set. Six times in the last eight years a horse has gone to New York with a chance at a $5 million dollar bonus only to falter in the "Test of a Champion". The intriguing series of spring races is over 125 years old with the prize becoming available in 1875, with the first running of the Kentucky Derby, the last of the Triple Crown events to be introduced. The Preakness dates back to 1873, while the Belmont Stakes began in 1867. |
| |
Johnny Loftus, rider | Sir Barton |
Commander J. K. L. Ross, who owned a farm in Maryland where the former Freestate harness track was located, purchased Sir Barton for $10,000 as a 2-year-old at Saratoga. Ross had an outstanding 3-year-old prospect in 1919 — Billy Kelly — but Sir Barton, his stablemate, who had never won a race, was started in the Derby as part of the Ross entry. Sir Barton broke on top in the Derby and never looked back. Perhaps more amazing, Sir Barton was immediately shipped to Pimlico because that year the Maryland classic was run on Wednesday, just four days after the Derby. Once again the unheralded Sir Barton galloped home by four lengths in a display of stamina. In the Belmont, he set an American record of 2:17 2/5 for the mile and three-eighths, the distance then. | |
| |
Gallant Fox |
Earle Sande, rider Keeneland-Cook Photo |
The son of Sir Gallahad III had a medicore 2-year-old season winning but two stakes. It was hardly an indication of his 3-yearold superiority. After capturing the Wood Memorial, Gallant Fox swept the Preakness, Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in that order. He is the only Triple Crown winner to win the Preakness week before the Derby. Later as a 3-year-old he captured the Dwyer Stakes, Arlington Classic, Saratoga Cup, Lawrence Realization and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The “Fox of Belair” was retired for breeding after his 3-year-old campaign, which netted $308,275, a single season record then. Gallant Fox sired the winners of more than ninety races | |
| |
Omaha |
Willie Saunders, rider Bert Morgan Photo |
Omaha was born in Kentucky in 1932, just two years after The William Woodward owned and bred colt, like his sire, Omaha is the only Triple Crown winner to race abroad. | |
| |
Charles Kurtsinger, rider C. C. Cook Photo | War Admiral |
War Admiral was a smaller copy of his illustrious sire, Man At three, War Admiral, who prepped in Maryland for the In the Derby, War Admiral led from flag to finish, but The Belmont Stakes proved to be War Admiral’s easiest victory in the Triple Crown despite his stumbling at the start. In all, War Admiral won 21 of 26 starts and finished out | |
| |
<FE Eddie Arcaro, rider Bert Morgan Photo | Whirlaway |
Once Trainer Ben Jones solved Whirlaway’s bewildering habit With Eddie Arcaro riding, Whirlaway made a dramatic stretch A week later, Whirlaway again came from far back to Whirlaway, who won five other stakes in addition to the | |
| |
Count Fleet |
Johnny Longden, rider Bert Clark Thayer Photo |
Count Fleet shot like a meteor across the racing stage when World War II was raging in 1942 and 1943. After winning ten of fifteen starts as a 2-year-old, he was all but conceded the Triple Crown after being complimented with 132 pounds in the Experimental Handicap ratings. A son of Reigh Count, the 1928 Derby winner, and foaled by Quickly by Haste, Count Fleet carried the colors of Mrs. John D. Hertz, wife of the Chicago taxicab executive. A striking brown colt, Count Fleet was hailed as a successor to Man O’ War by some after his perfect six for six 3-year-old season. The war-time ban on racing in Florida forced Count Fleet to train at Oaklawn Park in preparation for his 3-year-old campaign. In the Triple Crown, Count Fleet, with Johnny Longden riding, found little opposition. He galloped in the Derby, captured the Preakness with only three challengers by eight lengths, and then, after taking the Withers, annexed the Triple Crown with a 25-length triumph in the Belmont Stakes. | |
| |
Assault |
Warren Mehrtens, rider Bert Morgan Photo |
Assault, the seventh Triple Crown winner, overcame long To start with, his dam, Iqual, sired by Equipoise, never raced. She was sickly as a foal and never recovered sufficiently to stand the rigors of training. Her first two foals were not notable. Her third, Assault, sired by Bold Venture, the 1936 Derby winner, had the misfortune to step on a surveyor’s stake at the King Ranch in Texas where he was born. The hoof healed but Assault had a tendency to favor the foot, making it appear that he was crippled. His trainer, Max Hirsch, at first thought the colt would not train because of his crooked foot. Assault was not impressive at two, winning only two races. Even after taking the Experimental Handicap and Wood Memorial at three, he went off at 8–1 odds in the Derby. Favored in the Preakness, Assault won by a neck, after holding a four length advantage with an eighth mile to go. Then jockey Warren Mehrtens changed his tactics in the Belmont, reserving the colt and charging from behind to win by three lengths. | |
| |
Eddie Arcaro, rider NYRA Photo | Citation |
Citation, from Calumet Farm, capped the glorious ’40’s There is little argument that the bay colt by Bull Lea — Big Cy, although bred in Kentucky by Warren Wright, made As a 3-year-old, Citation went 19 for 20. His only loss occurred The Triple Crown was hardly a challenge for Citation. | |
| |
Ron Turcotte, rider Maryland Jockey Club Photo | Secretariat |
Secretariat, often described as the perfect horse in appearance Before he was nominated for the Triple Crown, Secretariat In the Kentucky Derby, he set a record for the mile and a | |
| |
Seattle Slew |
Jean Cruguet, rider Maryland Jockey Club Photo |
Seattle Slew holds an unique Triple Crown record. The grandson of Bold Ruler is the only Thoroughbred in history to capture the Triple Crown with an unbeaten record. After the Triple Crown, Seattle Slew lost only three of seventeen career starts on his way to total earnings of $1,208,727. Bred in Kentucky by Ben S. Castleman, Seattle Slew was purchased at the bargain price of $17,500 at a Kentucky yearling auction by Mickey Taylor for his wife Karen, in whose silks the son of Bold Reasoning raced. Veterinarian Dr. James Hill and his wife Sally shared ownership of Seattle Slew. It was Hill who had recommended the purchase of the colt. Seattle Slew was named the 2-year-old champion in 1976 and Horse of the Year as well as the top 3-year-old in 1977. William H. “Billy” Turner, Jr., a former steeplechase rider from Monkton, Md. was only 37 when he trained Seattle Slew to his 2- and 3-year-old championships. Seattle Slew was retired for breeding in 1979 after being syndicated for $12 million. | |
| |
Affirmed |
Steve Cauthen, rider Maryland Jockey Club Photo |
Affirmed became the last Triple Crown winner in 1978 and it was not easy. Affirmed’s combined margin of victory in the Triple Crown was less than two lengths — 11/2 lengths in the Derby, a neck in the Preakness and a head in the Belmont. Amazingly, each time it was Alydar, battling him to the wire. The Florida-bred colt — the first from that state to win the Triple Crown — raced for the Harbor View Farm of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Wolfson. Affirmed won 22 of his 29 career starts, earning $2,393,818. |
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home