February Important in Horse Racing
Thoroughbred Superstars Can Bloom Early on Triple Crown Trail
Feb 28, 2007 BarbaraAnne Helberg
Citation, Calumet Farm's superb 1948 American Triple Crown thoroughbred champ, surged through four races in February of his three-year-old season, prior to the three-race Triple Crown challenge. Held in Kentucky and Maryland two weeks apart in May, then ending in June in New York, the Triple Crown series is considered too tough a schedule by many of today's thoroughbred trainers.
Four races in one month for a thoroughbred has been an unheard of schedule for decades. In the early part of the 20th Century, it wasn't uncommon. Today, trainers and connections struggle to get a thoroughbred in training in and healthily out of three races in six weeks to compete in the American Triple Crown championship.
February 28, 1948 - Citation: On February 28, 1948, Citation added to his trek to the Triple by winning Florida's Flamingo Stakes, his fourth score of the month. He glided home six lengths in front, and three-fifths of a second off the track record. He created a genuine buzz in the racing world.
His other races in February included the Everglades Handicap on the 18th with only two rivals. On the 11th of the month, be beat another Calumet Farm runner named Faultless, who had won the 1947 Preakness Stakes. Citation initiated his February win streak on Groundhog Day, besting stablemate Armed, 1947's Horse of the Year.
Citation appeared to be unstoppable. His regular jockey, the ageless Eddie Arcaro, who guided runners through two more decades, called Citation the best he ever rode. Arcaro is the only jockey to ever ride two Triple Crown champions. In 1941, he piloted Whirlaway to the title.
February 27, 1988 - Risen Star: Risen Star, Secretariat's best son, turned away the challenge of 11 other starters on February 27, 1988, in the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes. He later won the Louisiana Derby in the fast time of 1:43-1/5 for the 1-1/16 miles. His official time was four-fifths of a second over the track record.
At Kentucky, Risen Star was third, losing out to the brilliant filly Winning Colors. In the Preakness and in the Belmont, Risen Star made his daddy proud, winning both contests.
February 26, 1955 - Nashua: The battles of Nashua and Swaps in 1955 are historic. On February 26, Nashua won at Hialeah race track in Florida in the annual Flamingo Stakes in rather plodding time. His jockey, the prolific Arcaro, and his trainer, Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, couldn't find much to boast about. They called Nashua a lazy afternoon runner, who invariably sizzled in previous morning workouts.
Nashua fizzled against the California-bred Swaps in their Kentucky Derby duel. Swaps returned to the west coast with his roses. Nashua went on to romp in the Preakness, and again in the Belmont.
Just 20 thoroughbreds in history have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown before bowing in the Belmont. Another 23 have won two of the three races, taking the Derby and the Belmont, or the Preakness and the Belmont since the three-race event was named the Triple Crown in 1919 when Sir Barton was the first thoroughbred so crowned.
February 25, 1956 - Needles: On February 25, 1956, the Florida-bred Needles was assigned low weight for the running of the Flamingo Stakes. It was customary to give in-state horses a five pound advantage. However, Needles won so easily that reporters observed that he didn't need the weight break. Carrying 117 pounds, Needles breezed past his 14 challengers weighted at 122 pounds, including his particular rival, Fabius, who finished third.
In the Triple Crown events, all three-year-olds compete toting the same weight, 126 pounds. Calumet's Fabius again challenged Needles on Kentucky Derby day. Needles won. In the Preakness, however, Fabius finally got his fifteen minutes of winning fame. A third flip-flop occurred in the Belmont, when Needles captured the rubber match.
February 24, 1963 - Northern Dancer: Canada's best two-year-old of 1963, the handsome Northern Dancer, came to Hialeah as a three-year-old. On February 24, 1964, Northern Dancer faced Chieftan and Trader in a special weight race. It was an open match of seven furlongs with no betting and no purse.
Trainer Horatio Luro had acquired a new jockey to handle Northern Dancer. Bill Shoemaker saddled the Canadian and brought him home in 1:50-4/5 for the 1-1/8 miles. Shoemaker never used his whip, which is what Luro had ordered after firing a previous jockey who used his whip on Northern Dancer against Luro's instructions.
Northern Dancer won his Derby and Preakness tests, but in the long Belmont he couldn't catch Quadrangle. He closed third.
February 23, 1963 - Chateaugay: Swaps sent a son to the 1963 Kentucky Derby. Chateaugay (pronounced SHAT-ah-gay), named after a northern New York lumber town, was in Hialeah on February 23, 1963, and scored impressively in the seven-furlong event.
Although Chateaugay was coming to mind more often by Derby day, three other horses lended suspense to the run for the roses. Never Bend, the 1962 two-year-old champion was present, as well as two unbeatens, Candy Spots and No Robbery. Chateaugay closed well in the stretch to catch Never Bend, finishing in exactly the same time as his sire, 2:01-4/5 over the 1-1/4 miles. Candy Spots prevailed in the Preakness. Chateaugay won the Belmont.
February 22, 1966 - Kauai King: Another son of a famous sire went to Churchill Downs in 1966. Native Dancer lost to Dark Star in the 1953 Derby, then won the Preakness and the Belmont. Native Dancer's talented son, Kauai King, starred at Hialeah on February 22, 1966. He went six furlongs against 11 rivals and scored in attention-grabbing fashion.
Kauai King, not a Triple Crown contender at the start of the three-year-old season, won the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and placed in the Hutcheson Stakes to further state his case as he prepped for the Kentucky Derby. Injured superstars Buckpasser and Graustark couldn't run at Churchill Downs, so the stage was set for Kauai King to emerge.
After wins in the Derby and in the Preakness, Kauai King met his match in Amberoid at Belmont Park. Fading off the pace, Kauai King finished fourth. He did, however, make his point for those who start the season with unheralded status.
February 18, 1995 - Thunder Gulch: Trainer D.Wayne Lukas, winner of thirteen individual Triple Crown races, shipped Thunder Gulch from California to Florida's Gulfstream Park in 1995. On February 18, the colt impressed in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, overcoming a wide final turn to win by a neck in a twelve-horse dash.
That year, Lukas had a second colt, Timber Country, who was also Triple Crown race worthy. After Thunder Gulch ran away from the Derby crowd, Timber Country did the same in the Preakness. Thunder Gulch finished third at Pimlico, but bounced back to sweep the Belmont.
That was the only year Lukas won all three Triple Crown races. Oddly enough, the victories were divided between two different horses, so Lukas was denied a Triple Crown championship.
February 15, 1958 - Tim Tam: On February 15, 1958, Tim Tam, from winning Calumet Farm, took the spotlight at Hialeah. In the Everglades Stakes, Bill Hartack piloted Tim Tam to a rout of the rest of the field of 10.
In Tim Tam, Calumet found its seventh homebred Kentucky Derby champion as the colt came up big again at Churchill Downs the first Saturday in May. Tim Tam also ran through the competition at Pimlico. Misfortune arose in the Belmont Stakes. Tim Tam suffered an injury and pulled up second to Cavan. The colt was unable to race again and was forced into retirement.
February 14, 1976: Bold Forbes raced on Valentine's Day in 1976. He ran third in the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita race course. In his Derby prep races, Bold Forbes displayed plenty of speed, flirting with track records. He whisked the Derby field, but finished third in the Preakness. In the Belmont, he again triumphed.
February 12, 1974: LeRoy Jolley started his 1974 two-year-old charge, unbeaten champion Foolish Pleasure, in a 1975 allowance race on February 12. The race was shrouded in secrecy, a decision handed down inexplicably by the Pari-Mutuel Division of the Board of Business Regulation. Foolish Pleasure, heavily favored, came out well by 4-1/4 lengths, beating Ambassador's Image and Circle Home, the only other runners. Foolish Pleasure raced to the roses in Kentucky, ran second in the Preakness to Master Derby, and second in the Belmont to Avatar.
Even though February is early in the racing season for Triple Crown hopefuls, it can be a forecast period for things to come. Many February runners have shown the potential to become true Valentines on the first Saturday in May.
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