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 Sketches of Triple Crown Winners
Posted: Wednesday June 02, 1999 05:41 PM
Sir Barton (1919)A chestnut colt by Star Shoot-Lady Sterling, by Hanover. Owned by J.K.L. Ross, trained by H.G. Bedwell and ridden by Johnny Loftus. Was a maiden when he entered the Kentucky Derby. Went to the post coupled with Billy Kelly and was the favorite because because of the entry. Set the pace in the Kentucky Derby and drew away to win by five lengths over Billy Kelly. Won in the same fashion in both the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Won the Preakness by four lengths over Eternal. Set an American record as well as a Belmont Stakes record by running the 1 3-8 miles in 2:17 2-5 after a slow start for a 5-length victory over Sweep On. Gallant Fox (1930)A bay colt by Sir Gallahad III-Marguerite, by Celt. Owned by Belair Stud, trained by James Fitzsimmons and ridden by Earl Sande. Including the Triple Crown, posted nine victories and a second in 10 starts to set a record for earnings with $308,275 as a 3-year-old. Wore down Crack Brigade, who set the pace, in the streach to take the Preakness by three-quarters of a length. Took the lead in the back stretch and won by two lengths over Gallant Knight in the Kentucky Derby. Completed the sweep with an easy 3-length victory over Wichone. Omaha (1935)A chestnut colt by Gallant Fox-Flambino, by Wrack. Owned by Belair Stud, trained by James Fitzsimmons and ridden by Willie Saunders. Omaha was born from the first crop by Gallant Fox, making them the only father-son combination ever to win the Triple Crown. Was the second favorite to Nellie Flag, a filly, and closed fast to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Roman Soldier in the Kentucky Derby. Came back a week later as the favorite in the Preakness and won by six lengths over Firethorn with the second fastest time in that race up to that time. Overtook Firethorn in the stretch at Belmont to take the race by 11/2 lengths. War Admiral (1937)A brown colt by Man o' War-Brushup, by Sweep. Owned by Glen Riddle Farm, trained by George Conway and ridden by Charles Kurtsinger. Won all eight of his starts, six of them stakes, as 3-year-old and became the first Triple Crown Winner to go unbeaten in his sophomore year. Was the post-time favorite in the Kentucky Derby and took an early lead and beat Pompoon by 1 3/4 lengths. A week later at the Preakness, War Admiral and Pompoon battled again with a terrific duel in the stretch. War Admiral held a slight the lead throughout the stretch to win by a head. The Belmont was War Admiral's easiest race of the three, as he posted a 3-length victory over Sceneshifter. Whirlaway (1941)A chestnut colt by Blenheim II-Dustwhirl, by Sweep. Owned by Calumet Farm, trained by B.A. Jones and ridden by Eddie Arcaro. As a 2-year-old had a tendency to run the outside rail when going around turns, but was cured when trainer Ben Jones devised a blinker which prevented him from seeing the outside rail. Whirlaway set a Kentucky Derby record with a burst of speed in the stretch to double his 4-length lead and shave Twenty Grand's mark of 2:01 4-5 to 2:01 2-5, a record he held for 21 years. A week later in the Preakness he came on from seventh place to the lead at the quarter-mile mark and won easily by 5 1/2 lengths over King Cole. Only three horses challenged him in the Belmont and he by 21/2 lengths over Robert Morris. Count Fleet (1943)A brown colt by Reigh Count-Quickly, by Haste. Owned by Mrs. John D. Hertz, trained by D.G. Cameron and ridden by Johnny Longden. Won all six races as a 3-year-old. Was the favorite in all three races and led all three wire-to-wire. Posted a 3-length victory in the Kentucky Derby and an 8-length victory in Preakness besting Blue Swords both times. He outran both horses from the start in the Belmont and galloped through the stretch for a 25-length triumph over Fairy Manhurst. Unfortunately the Belmont was his final race when it was discovered that he rapped his right foreleg, bowing the tendon. Assault (1946)A chestnut colt by Bold Venture-Igual, by Equipose. Owned by King Ranch, trained by M. Hirsch and ridden by Warren Mehrtens. Assault won the Horse of the Year title and took home $424,195, breaking the record for 3-year-olds held by the 1930 Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox. He overcame a crippled hoof and only posted two victories in nine starts as a 2-year-old. Was given little consideration as he went off at better than 8-to-1 in the Kentucky Derby and won by eight lengths over Spy Song. Was the favorite for the first time in his career in the Preakness. After having a four-length lead in the stretch he had to hang on to finish a neck ahead of Lord Boswell. Assault came from behind, trailing Natchez by five lengths at the eighth pole, and came on in the final furlong to win by three lengths. Citation (1948)A bay colt by Bull Lea-Hydroplane II, by Hyperion. Owned by Calumet Farm, trained by H.A. Jones and ridden by Eddie Acaro. Posted 19 victories and a second in 20 starts as a 3-year-old. His only loss was to Saggy in the Chesapeake Trial Stakes. Stablemate Coaltown set the pace in the Kentucky Derby and Citation took the lead at the top of the stretch and coasted to a 31/2-length victory. In the Preakness, he led wire-to-wire and finished 51/2 lengths ahead of Vulcan's Forge. The final leg was the easiest as he again led wire-to-wire and won by eight lengths over Better Self in the Belmont. Secretariat (1973)A chestnut colt by Bold Ruler-Somethingroyal, by Princequillo. Owned by Meadow Stable, trained by Lucien Laurin and ridden by Ron Turcotte. The first Triple Crown winner in 24 years captured the attention of millions as he set two world records, two track records and tied another as a three-year-old. Became the only Kentucky Derby winner ever to finish under two minutes with a 1:59 2-5 clocking as he passed rivals on the outside for a 2 1/2-length victory over Sham. Secretariat beat Sham by the same margin in the Preakness. He posted one of the greatest feats in thoroughbred racing with a 31-length victory in the Belmont Stakes and a world record time of 2:24 for the 1 1/2 miles, shattering Gallant Man's record by 2 3-5 seconds. Seattle Slew (1977)A dark brown colt by Bold Reasoning-My Charmer, by Poker. Owned by Mrs. Karen Taylor, trained by Ben S. Castleman and ridden by Jean Cruguet. Purchased for $17,500 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Sales and was later given a world-record book value of $12 million in 1978 when a half interest was sold for $6 million. He is the Triple Crown winner to race through the series with an unbeaten record. In the Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew took the lead from For The Moment at the top of the stretch and held off Run Dusty Run for a 13/4-length victory. He ran the fastest first mile in the Preakness at 1:34 4-5 and held off a challenge by Iron Constitution for a 11/2-length victory. Ran wire-to-wire in the Belmont to post a four-length victory over Derby challenger, Run Dusty Run. Affirmed (1978)A chestnut colt by Exclusive Native-Won't Tell You, by Crafty Admiral. Owned by Harbor View Farm, trained by Lazaro S. Barrera and ridden by Steve Cauthen. Followed Seattle Slew's triumph in 1977 to mark the only back-to-back Triple Crown winners. Affirmed also had the toughest road to the Crown as he beat Alydar, the father of 1987 Triple Crown hopeful Alysheba, in all three races by a combined margin of less than two lengths. Affirmed came off the pace to win the Kentucky Derby by 11/2 lengths, the largest margin of the the series. He withstood a late challenge by Alydar to win by a neck in the Preakness. In the Belmont Stakes, Affirmed and Alydar staged a classic head-to-head duel with Affirmed winning by a head. It is considered perhaps the greatest Triple Crown Series.
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