Cheaper By the Dozen
Maybe so, but over 89 years of the Triple Crown there have only been 11 champions. First Sir Barton in 1919, before it was even called the Triple Crown. Then a gap of nearly a dozen years to the beginnin' of a string of Triple Crown winners, all within less than two decades: Gallant Fox in 1930 and his son Omaha in 1935; War Admiral in 1937; Whirlaway in 1941; Count Fleet two years later in 1943, only three years before Assault in 1946; and the mighty Citation just two years afterward in 1948.
When you read the varied histories of these equine superstars, you'll discover many of them won not only three grueling races within two months or less, most of them raced—and won--four times in that short space of time.
It took twenty-five years before there was another champion who could even come close, and we've only had three Triple Crown winners over the last quarter century. The electrifyin' Secretariat in 1973; the undefeated Seattle Slew in 1977; and finally the brilliant Affirmed in 1978.
Why? Has the blood of the greats become too diluted by mediocre parings? Have breeders focused so much on speed they sacrificed durability? Or have trainers just got themselves so spread out among their charges they're not developin' them to their fullest. And the owners…now all they seem interested in is winnin' the Derby, maybe the Preakness or the Belmont or the Breeder's Cup Classic, then rakin' in the stud fees.
They do the same sort of thing in canine show biz world. Ya' get a Championship, maybe do a few shows as a Special with a Group Placement or three for credibility and badda bing, badda boom, you're entertainin' the ladies. ('Course I did the badda bing thing while I was still enterin' shows, but that's 'cause I'm uniquely multidimensional. [Not to mention egotistical.~AHM] Hey, if ya' got it, flaunt it.) Anyway, some owners have so many of these "Champions" they sell 'em off for pets when the new litter of pups is ready for the ring.
Today we'll see "the greatest two minutes in racing," and sometime after 6 p.m. we'll have a new Kentucky Derby champion. Will he—or she—be the one to eventually make it an even dozen Triple Crown winners? I got my choices and AHM has hers but we're not tellin'. Go pick your own.
posted by Harrison at 8:30 AM
When you read the varied histories of these equine superstars, you'll discover many of them won not only three grueling races within two months or less, most of them raced—and won--four times in that short space of time.
It took twenty-five years before there was another champion who could even come close, and we've only had three Triple Crown winners over the last quarter century. The electrifyin' Secretariat in 1973; the undefeated Seattle Slew in 1977; and finally the brilliant Affirmed in 1978.
Why? Has the blood of the greats become too diluted by mediocre parings? Have breeders focused so much on speed they sacrificed durability? Or have trainers just got themselves so spread out among their charges they're not developin' them to their fullest. And the owners…now all they seem interested in is winnin' the Derby, maybe the Preakness or the Belmont or the Breeder's Cup Classic, then rakin' in the stud fees.
They do the same sort of thing in canine show biz world. Ya' get a Championship, maybe do a few shows as a Special with a Group Placement or three for credibility and badda bing, badda boom, you're entertainin' the ladies. ('Course I did the badda bing thing while I was still enterin' shows, but that's 'cause I'm uniquely multidimensional. [Not to mention egotistical.~AHM] Hey, if ya' got it, flaunt it.) Anyway, some owners have so many of these "Champions" they sell 'em off for pets when the new litter of pups is ready for the ring.
Today we'll see "the greatest two minutes in racing," and sometime after 6 p.m. we'll have a new Kentucky Derby champion. Will he—or she—be the one to eventually make it an even dozen Triple Crown winners? I got my choices and AHM has hers but we're not tellin'. Go pick your own.
posted by Harrison at 8:30 AM
Post a Comment