horse racing ,triple crown,guiness,belmont stakes,favrites,stakes,attempt

For the third year in a row, a thoroughbred will enter the starting gate of the Belmont Stakes 1 1/2 miles away from history. Working against Smarty Jones will be history and the ghosts of 17 great champions that lined up in that same gate. As Smarty Jones prepares to take his place among horse racing elite and have his name placed among the champions of champions to never be forgotten, it is time once again to recall those who have gone on before him only to fail.

In the 1930’s, Burgoo King and Bold Venture won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but tendon injuries prevented them from running in the Belmont Stakes. In 1944 Pensive won the Derby and Preakness, but took second place in the Belmont. In 1948 Citation won the Triple Crown and became the 8th horse in 29 years to win the Crown. Over the next 54 years 18 horses would stand on the threshold of horse racing immortality, but only 3 others were up to the challenge.

In 1958, Tim Tam, a dark bay colt by Tom Fool out of Two Lea, trained by H.A. Jones and bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm made his run for glory. This horse had bloodline connections to such greats as Coaltown, Bewitch, and Citation. Tim Tam won the Derby by 1/2 length, the Preakness by 1 1/2 lengths, but lost in the Belmont by 6 lengths.

In 1961, Carry Back, a brown colt by Saggy out of Joppy, trained by J.A. Price and bred in Florida by J.A. Price was the next to take his shot. A horse that had once beaten the great Citation sired this colt. He had won the Florida Derby, finished second in the Wood Memorial, and went off as the favorite in all three Triple Crown races. Carry Back won the Derby and Preakness by 3/4 lengths, but finished 7th in the Belmont.

In 1964 the great Northern Dancer, a bay colt by Nearctic out of Natalma, trained by Horatio Luro and bred in Canada by E.P. Taylor had his shot at Triple Crown glory. While not the favorite in either the Derby or Preakness, this colt did win the Florida Derby, Flamingo Stakes, Blue Grass Stakes and Remsen Stakes. Northern Dancer won the Derby by a neck and the Preakness by 2 3/4 lengths. Distance was a problem in the Belmont and he finished in 3rd place despite going off as the favorite. Northern Dancer would finish his career with 18 starts, 14 wins, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds. Today he is recognized as one of the greatest sires in all of racing.

In 1966 Kauai King, a dark bay colt by Native Dancer out of Sweep In, trained by Henry Forrest, and bred in Maryland by Pine Brook Farm, went off as the strong favorite in all 3 races. Kauai King won the Derby by a 1/2 length, the Preakness by 1 3/4 lengths, but finished 4th in the Belmont.

The most controversial decision in all of Triple Crown racing took place in 1968. Forward Pass, a bay colt by On-and-On out of Princess Turia, trained by Henry Forest and bred in Kentucky by his owner Calumet Farm, won the Derby via disqualification. Forward Pass went off as the favorite in all 3 races but lost to Dancer’s Image by 1 1/2 lengths in the Derby. Dancer’s Image was later disqualified when phenylbutazone was found in his post-race urine sample. While this was legal at some racetracks, Churchill Downs was not among them at the time. The Kentucky State Racing Commission ordered redistribution of the purse with first money to Forward Pass, second money to Francie's Hat, third money to T.V. Commercial and fourth money to Kentucky Sherry, because of its finding of prohibited medication in Dancer's Image. After extensive litigation, the Commission's order was upheld in April, 1972, by Kentucky's highest court in Kentucky State Racing Commission et al v Peter Fuller, 481 S. W. 298.

Because this ruling appeared to affect only the money distribution, no one was sure who should be listed as having come in first. In a subsequent proceeding, the Commission also ordered that Forward Pass be considered the winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, except for pari-mutuel pay-offs, and that the 1968 gold cup Kentucky Derby trophy be awarded to its owner, Calumet Farm. Forward Pass won the Preakness by 6 lengths, but lost the Belmont by 1 1/2 lengths. Dancer’s Image did run in the Preakness and finished 3rd, but was disqualified for bumping and placed 8th.


Majestic Prince won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness for retired champion jockey turned trainer Johnny Longden. (from a postcard)
In 1969, Majestic Prince, a chestnut colt by Raise a Native out of Gay Hostess, bred in Kentucky by Leslie Combs II, already had Triple Crown connections when he made his run. His trainer, John Longden, was Triple Crown winner Count Fleet’s jockey in 1943. Majestic Prince was unbeaten that year, including a win in the Santa Anita Derby, when he went off as a favorite in all 3 races. Arts and Letters proved a worthy opponent finishing second by a neck in the Derby and a head in the Preakness. Arts and Letters got his revenge for those defeats by winning the Belmont by 5 1/2 lengths over Majestic Prince. Majestic Prince would finish his racing career with 10 starts, 9 wins and 1 third.

In 1971, an unlikely contender from Venezuela made his attempt at the Triple Crown. Canonero II, a bay colt *Pretendre out of Dixieland II, trained by Juan Arias and bred in Kentucky by E.B. Benjamin, won the Derby by 3 3/4 lengths and the Preakness by 1 1/2 lengths as the co-favorite. Despite going off as the favorite in the Belmont, an injury prevented Canonero II from finishing any better than 3rd.

In 1973, 25 years had passed and 7 horses had won the first two legs of the Triple Crown only to come up short when a big red machine known as Secretariat rewrote the history books. Seattle Slew followed Secretariat in 1977 by becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown undefeated. In 1978, Affirmed and Alydar hooked up to make history by becoming the first horses to finish 1-2 in all three races. In the Affirmed-Alydar series a third horse, Believe It, finished third in both the Derby and Preakness, however his trainer decided he had seen enough of Affirmed and Alydar and did not run the Belmont.

In 1979, on the heels of Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, a gray colt by Bold Bidder out of Spectacular, trained by G.G. (Bud) Delp and bred in Kentucky by Mrs. William Jason and Mrs. William Gilmore, exploded into the Triple Crown series. Bid went off as a favorite in all 3 races and won the Derby by 2 3/4 lengths, the Preakness by 5 1/2 lengths, but then lost the Belmont finishing 3rd. Legend has it that the poor finish in the Belmont was attributed to an injury sustained the night before the race. Trainer Bud Delp claimed a safety pin became lodged in one of his hooves and caused the horse to run a dull race. The story is probably true because Bid finished his career with 30 starts, 26 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third.

In 1981, Pleasant Colony, a dark brown colt by His Majesty out of Sun Colony, trained by John Campo and bred in Virginia by T.M. Evans, made his attempt. Coming off a win in the Wood Memorial, Pleasant Colony had only won one other race and that coming as a 2-year-old on a disqualification. Pleasant Colony won the Derby by 3/4 lengths and the Preakness by 1 length before running 3rd in the Belmont.

The 1978 Triple Crown runner-up Alydar sought redemption through his offspring Alysheba in the 1987 Triple crown series. Alysheba, a bay colt by Alydar out of Bel Sheba, trained by Jack Van Berg and bred in Kentucky by Preston Madden, had only two wins. His sole win as a 3 year old came off a disqualification, yet he won the Derby by 3/4 lengths and the Preakness by 1/2 lengths. Distance was a problem in the Belmont as he finished a distant 4th.

The year 1989 resembled 1969. Sunday Silence, a dark brown colt by Halo out of Wishing Well, trained by Charles Whittingham and bred in Kentucky by Oak Cliff, won the big west coast prep races. Sunday Silence won the Derby by 2 1/2 lengths and then the Preakness by a nose both over Easy Goer. Easy Goer was a son of Alydar and won the big east coast prep races. In this east coast versus west coast battle, Easy Goer would prevent Sunday Silence from winning the Triple Crown by beating him in the Belmont by 8 lengths. Sunday Silence would finish his career with 14 starts, 9 wins and 5 places.

While the 1990’s were quiet for the most, they would end with a flourish. In 1997, Silver Charm, a gray or roan colt by Silver Buck out of Bonnie’s Poker, trained by Bob Baffert, bred in Florida by Mary Lou Wooton, and owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis, made a run for the Crown. Winning the Derby and Preakness by a head, Silver Charm was leading down the homestretch in the Belmont only to be caught by Touch Gold and finished 2nd by 3/4 of a length.
Real Quiet in the paddock at Belmont before his narrow defeat by Victory Gallop.

Trainer Bob Baffert would return the next year with Real Quiet, a bay colt by Quiet American out of Really Blue, bred in Kentucky by Little Hill Farm. This horse had connections with Believe It who finished 3rd in the Derby and Preakness behind Affirmed and Alydar. While winless as a 3-year-old, the 1998 series was reminiscent of 1969 and 1989. Real Quiet won the Derby by 1/2 length and the Preakness by 2 1/4 lengths over Victory Gallop. Like Arts and Letters in 1969 and Easy Goer in 1989, Victory Gallop would catch Real Quiet at the wire in the Belmont. This defeat came on a photo finish and would be the closest defeat any horse would suffer in the quest for the Triple Crown.

In 1999, Bob and Beverly Lewis would return with Charismatic, a chestnut colt by Summer Squall out of Bali Babe. This colt was bred in Kentucky by Parrish Hill Farm and was trained by D Wayne Lukas. As a long shot, Charismatic won the Derby by a neck and the Preakness by 1 1/2 lengths before suffering an injury in the stretch run and finishing 3rd in the Belmont.

In 2002 came War Emblem, a dark brown colt by Our Emblem out of Sweetest Lady, trained by Bob Baffert and bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. & Sons in Kentucky. War Emblem won the Derby by 4 lengths going wire to wire and followed up by winning the Preakness by 3/4 lengths. In the Belmont, War Emblem stumbled coming out of the gate and failed to get the lead, could not run off the pace, and finished 8th. This was the worst showing of any horse in the Belmont that had a chance to win the Crown.
Funny Cide.

In 2003, for the first time in the history of the Triple Crown, the challenger was a New York bred gelding with bloodline connections to Seattle Slew. Funny Cide was a chestnut gelding by Distorted Humor out of Belle’s Good Cide, trained by Barclay Tagg, bred by Win Star Farm, and owned by a group of friends with a small stable. Funny Cide finished behind Peace Rules in the Louisiana Derby and second to Empire Maker in Wood Memorial, but returned to battle trainer Bobby Frankel’s top two favorites in the Derby and won by 1 3/4 lengths. In the Preakness, he gave a dominating performance winning by 9 lengths defeating Peace Rules again. In the Belmont, Bobby Frankel had a well-rested Empire Maker waiting to play the spoiler. The Tuesday before the Belmont saw Funny Cide turn in a lightning-quick final tune-up -- five furlongs in 57 4/5 seconds. This blistering work out and a sloppy track sealed Funny Cide’s fate. Empire Maker won and Funny Cide finished a well-beaten third.

Smarty Jones, formerly named “Get Along, ” a chestnut colt, by Elusive Quality, out of I'll Get Along, owned and bred by Someday Farm, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliot will take an unbeaten record into the Belmont. Only Seattle Slew completed the Triple Crown undefeated. It also appears that Smarty Jones will have to be even better that Slew. Slew won the Belmont over a field of 8 horses. That was the largest Belmont field a Triple Crown winner has ever had to defeat.

native dancer

Alfred G. Vanderbilt was once asked if he had a formula for breeding a top racehorse. His reply was "Just breed any sire to a Discovery mare." The comment was not meant to be taken seriously, but it was based on the fact that his stallion Discovery was one of the most successful broodmare sires in history, with his two most notable daughters being Miss Disco, the dam of 1957 Horse of the Year Bold Ruler, and Geisha, who produced Vanderbilt's brilliantly fast and temperamental champion Native Dancer, a son of 1945 Preakness Stakes winner Polynesian.


Native Dancer was foaled on March 27, 1950, at Dan W. Scott's Scott Farm outside of Lexington. He was raised in Maryland, at Vanderbilt's Sagamore Farm, and the big gray began training for his racing career in California during the winter and early spring of 1952. His impressive performance in workouts attracted attention long before he made his first start. Trainer Bill Winfrey told reporters:

"The gray is the fastest horse I've ever trained. He shows good times in workouts, but that's not what's impressive. It's the fact that the big gray does it without any effort. He actually seems to be holding himself back."
That spring, Native Dancer broke his maiden in his first start, romping to a four and a half length victory at Jamaica on April 19, 1952. The 7 to 5 favorite in his maiden race, Native Dancer had gone off at what would prove to be the longest odds of his career.

The next time out, only four days later, Native Dancer took the Youthful Stakes by six lengths. He was then sidelined while he recovered from bucked shins.

At Saratoga, Native Dancer won the Flash Stakes by two and a quarter lengths, the Saratoga Special by three and a half lengths in the slop, the Grand Union Hotel Stakes by the same margin under 126 pounds, and the Hopeful Stakes by two lengths.

After romping in the Anticipation Purse, the big gray was finally offered a challenge in the Futurity at Belmont Park. Blocked early, the Dancer came back in a powerful stretch drive, catching Tahitian King to win by two and a half lengths in the world record time of 1:14 2/5 for the six and a half furlongs.

Native Dancer finished the season with a win in the East View Stakes, bringing his earnings to $230,495 that season, a record for a juvenile. He was undefeated with a total of nine wins, seven of them in major stakes races. Native Dancer got more attention than any two-year-old since Count Fleet, and became the first two-year-old to be honored as racing's Horse of the Year. He was top weight at 130 pounds in the Experimental Free Handicap, the highest assignment since 1942.

The following season, the Gray Ghost, as his fans called him, was the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, winning the Gotham Mile and the Wood Memorial in New York. He went off at the shortest odds in Derby history, and when he was nosed out by longshot Dark Star, racing fans were stunned. He had been bumped badly in the start, and then again in the stretch, but it was his rider, Eric Guerin, who was blamed for the unexpected loss. The jockey was criticized for several decisions he made in response to traffic problems during the race, and it was said that "Eric took Native Dancer everywhere on the track except the ladies' room."

Native Dancer quickly redeemed himself with a four length victory in the Withers Stakes. The following week he took the Preakness, beating Jamie K. by a neck. Next came a narrow win in the Belmont Stakes, with Jamie K. again a neck back. Native Dancer's time for the mile and a half was 2:28 3/5. Only Citation and Count Fleet had gone faster. Following the classics, Native Dancer won the Dwyer Stakes by a length and three quarters, giving twelve pounds to runner-up Guardian II.

The T.V. Guide ranked him second to Ed Sullivan as the biggest attraction on television. When Eddie Arcaro said that Native Dancer wasn't a "...great horse like Citation..." his angry fans booed Arcaro at the racetrack and wrote letters in defense of their big gray hero. Then, when Eric Guerin was suspended, A.G. Vanderbilt hired Eddie Arcaro to ride Native Dancer in the American Derby at Washington Park. Fans of the Gray Ghost were outraged, writing dozens of letters to Vanderbilt demanding that someone besides the "Non-Believer" be commissioned to ride him in the Derby. The day before the race, Arcaro commented that if he were to get beat, he'd be "...the biggest bum alive." He was ordered not to go to the whip until the stretch, and preferably not at all, since the temperamental horse was better left to do things his own way.

In the American Derby, Native Dancer proved his sense of humor, refusing run until the middle of the homestretch, trailing the leaders by six lengths and scaring Eddie Arcaro to death before he took off to win by two lengths.

Said Eddie Arcaro:

"He's everything they've said about him. Sheer power is the only way to describe him."
Before the Travers Stakes, a group of fans got past the guards and pulled hairs from his mane and tail as souvenirs. It was the first time a horse was almost trampled to death by humans, but Native Dancer recovered from the incident, easily winning the Travers by five and a half lengths.

The Arlington Classic, a nine length triumph, turned out to be the last race in Native Dancer's three-year-old career, for in winning the race, he developed a sole bruise and was laid off for the rest of the year. Tom Fool was voted the 1953 Horse of the Year after becoming the second winner of the Handicap Triple Crown, the first being Whisk Broom II in 1913, and The Gray Ghost had to settle for the title of Champion Three Year Old Colt.

Native Dancer traveled with a cat, named simply "Black Cat", who in the past had only produced black kittens. When she gave birth to her next litter in Native Dancer's stall, every one of them was gray. Telling the story, his groom, Les Murray, concluded simply that "He's a powerful horse."

In 1954, the Gray Ghost was back again, and in his season debut he won the Commando Purse at Belmont. In the Metropolitan Mile, The Grey Ghost carried 130 pounds and rallied from seven lengths back to catch Straight Face, who carried a mere 117, and win by a neck. Jamie K., under 110 pounds, finished third.

Native Dancer was training for the Suburban when he developed a sore right foreleg, and was therefore out of action for three months. Then the great horse was injured on a sloppy track while winning Saratoga's Oneonta Handicap by nine lengths despite a burden of 137 pounds, and was retired.

His only career loss had been his second place finish to Dark Star in the 1953 Kentucky Derby, and when he was voted Horse of the Year, he became the first horse to win the title twice in non-consecutive years, the only other being John Henry in 1981 and 1984.

Many of the people who worked with the gray commented that if he hadn't been handled carefully he could have been dangerous. He was known to pull exercise riders off his back with his teeth, and only cooperated with human beings when it suited his current mood. His stud groom, Joe Hall, patiently waited for Native Dancer to come to him every night when he went to bring the horse in for his evening grain. Once he was ready to come in for the night, he followed the groom quietly into the barn. But had someone walked into the paddock before he was ready, he was very likely to toss them across the field. Yet despite his temper, Native Dancer loved the kittens which lived in his stall, often playing with them for hours, and the humans he tolerated were very fond of him.

Many people considered Native Dancer to be the greatest horse in American racing history, rivaling even the superiority of the legendary Man o' War, later pointing out that even Secretariat didn't match the enormous length of Man o' War's stride, but Native Dancer had equaled the twenty-eight foot span. Said Joe Hall:

"He may have been the greatest horse of all time. He'd have given any horse in history a race and probably have beaten them all -Man o' War, Secretariat, and the rest- just as long as no one actually told him to do it, just as long as they'd let him do it his way."
At stud, Native Dancer founded an entire line. The names of his offspring are almost legendary, including Raise a Native, Kauai King, Dancer's Image, and the English Classic winner Hula Dancer. His daughters included Natalma, the dam of Northern Dancer, and Shenanigans, who produced the champions Ruffian and Icecapade. Native Dancer's son Raise a Native was an outstanding sire himself, siring Exclusive Native (the sire of Affirmed and Genuine Risk), Alydar (a Hall of Fame member, Leading Sire of 1990, and sire of Horses of the Year Alysheba and Criminal Type), Majestic Prince (the 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner), and Mr. Prospector (the sire of the champions Conquistador Cielo, Eillo, Gulch, Seeking the Gold, Tank's Prospect, Fappiano, Afleet, Rhythm, Forty Niner, etc.) Native Dancer's son Native Charger sired the champion Forward Gal as well as 1970 Belmont Stakes winner High Echelon and the good filly Summer Guest.

In November of 1967, Native Dancer refused a carrot for the first time in his life. Instantly, Joe Hall knew something was wrong. Within forty-eight hours, a vet had diagnosed a tumor, and Native Dancer was driven to Pennsylvania that night for surgery. Joe Hall sat beside him until he regained consciousness. The great horse sat up at five that morning, and the post operative shock caused his heart to give out. Heartbroken himself, Joe Hall took the horse back to Sagamore, where he was buried beside Discovery. Native Dancer was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963.

According to legend, his ghost haunts Churchill Downs. Regardless of the truth to that fanciful story, his spirit does linger over the twin spires. Since his son Kauai King won the race in 1966, fifteen other Derby winners have carried his blood, including Dancer's Image (disqualified in 1968), Majestic Prince (1969), Affirmed (1978), Genuine Risk (1980), Ferdinand (1986), Alysheba (1987), Unbridled (1990), Strike the Gold (1991), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996), Real Quiet (1998), Charismatic (1999), and Fusiachi Pegasus (2000).


Native Dancer's Race Record Year Starts Wins Seconds Thirds Earnings
Lifetime 22 21 1 0 $785,240