Triple Crown Trivia rules in March
Thoroughbreds Fighting for Kentucky Derby Fame Leave their Marks
Many May and June three-year-olds top, or flop in March when their run for the roses and the Triple Crown starts to heat up. Expectations and trivia points abound.
Hansel - In the Florida Derby (gr. l) of 1991, Hansel finished third to his rival, Fly So Free. Strike the Gold got in the mix by handing Fly So Free his first loss of the year in the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. ll). All three colts met in the Kentucky Derby (gr. l), where Strike the Gold won. Fly So Free was fifth, and Hansel, 10th. Hansel, however, struck gold twice thereafter, winning the Preakness Stakes (gr. l) by seven lengths, and the long Belmont Stakes (gr. l) by a smidgeon over Strike the Gold.
Temperance Hill - Oaklawn Park's Rebel Handicap featured a huge effort by Temperance Hill in 1980. The colt overcame a 17-length jet lag to get up on the leaders and win going away by 2-1/4 lengths. Temperance Hill was not nominated for the Kentucky Derby, and his connections did not enter him in the Preakness Stakes. So, he found recognition by beating favorites, filly Genuine Risk, the Derby winner, and Codex, the Preakness champ, in the Belmont Stakes.
Canonero ll - Bred in Kentucky, purchased by Venezuelan interests, Canonero ll became a two-year-old winner in 1970 on foreign ground. Back in the United States, he raced twice, showing once, and running off the board in the second try. Shipped back to Venezuela, the colt began to show his stuff the next season, racing eight times, including at the Kentucky Derby distance of 10 furlongs. His owners brought him to America again in 1971, and Canonero ll let loose. He won the Derby, and flew through the Preakness in record time (before Secretariat's 1973 all time title was established).
Elocutionist - After a neck loss in March of 1976 in the Rebel Handicap, Elocutionist went to Kentucky to try the Derby. He finished behind two greats, Bold Forbes and Honest Pleasure. In a second try in the Preakness, however, Elocutionist electrified the crowd with a fly-by of Bold Forbes at the eighth pole. He won by 3-1/2 lengths. It was his last race.
Holy Bull - Holy Bull bloomed into a star in the 1994 Florida Derby, winning by over five lengths. He went to the Blue Grass Stakes in Kentucky and breathed easy again. His trainer, Jimmy Croll, had said a flipped palate had hindered the colt in the February 11 Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. ll). A nose band and a different bit seemed to straighten things out for Holy Bull. However, he ran poorly in the Kentucky Derby, lagging in 12th position. He was kept out of the Preakness and Belmont, but went to stud to become a consistent sire of winners.
Sword Dancer - 1959's Sword Dancer finished fifth in the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. It was his three-year-old debut. His next three races were wins, and his connections were excited about entering him in the Kentucky Derby. Their thoughts were not unfounded. Sword Dancer fought the good fight in the Derby, losing by a mere nose at the wire to Tomy Lee. He also ran second in the Preakness. Then he entered the Metropolitan Handicap, and the Belmont Stakes, in close proximity as far as timeframe is concerned. He won both.
Monarchos - In his third win of his three-year-old season (2001), Monarchos made a March move still talked about. It came in the Florida Derby at the far turn. Monarchos shot to the top of the charts when he stung like a bee and pounded through the rest of the field for a 4-1/2 length win. He didn't disappoint at Kentucky either, winning as the favorite, a unique accomplishment, again by over four lengths.
Seattle Slew - To his intimates, he was Baby Huey. Seattle Slew, the little dark bay champion, started his three-year-old campaign with a March 9 allowance race at Hialeah in Florida. The two-year-old Male Champion of 1976 flew to a speedy, nine-length victory at 1:20 3/5 for seven furlongs. Baby Huey flew and flew in 1977. Unbeaten, he entered the Triple Crown races. He left them behind, unbeaten, the nation's tenth ever Triple Crown champion, and its only undefeated champion.
Silky Sullivan - He had a name to remember, Silky Sullivan. In 1958, he raced a memorable Santa Anita Derby, running hard after the wire, with jockey Willy Shoemaker reining for a whoa! Silky won the race going away by 3-1/2 lengths, after trailing the field by as much as 26 lengths in the 1-1/8 miles. A fan favorite, and a Kentucky Derby favorite, Silky couldn't find the kick he'd become famous for in the Triple Crown races.
Spectacular Bid - In March, 1979, before any safety pins lay in his path, Spectacular Bid was called "the greatest horse ever to look through a bridle." The gray's trainer, Bud Delp, offered that remark before the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Blocked out several times during the race, the Bid found running room as jockey Ronnie Franklin guided him between, back, and out to get the win by 4-1/2 lengths. By Triple Crown racing time, the Bid looked unstoppable. He won the Derby and the Preakness as advertised, but Delp claimed he stepped on a safety pin before the Belmont Stakes and ran the race lame. The Bid finished third.
Buckpasser - All bets were off at the Flamingo Stakes in 1966. Track officials canceled win, place, and show bets and called the Flamingo an exhibition race with the entries of popular Buckpasser and Stupendous. Fans called the race the Chicken Flamingo. Buckpasser won by a nose with Willy Shoemaker riding. It was Buckpasser's 11th win in 14 starts.
Sunday Silence - An allowance race March 2, 1989 was the three-year-old debut of Sunday Silence. The handsome dark colt took the 6-1/2 furlongs easily, winning by 4-1/2 lengths. Sunday kept on winning on Saturdays, taking the San Felipe Handicap (gr. ll), the Santa Anita Derby (gr. l) by a blow out 11-1/2 lengths, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Easy Goer silenced Sunday in the Belmont, preventing the colt from becoming the 12th Triple Crown champion.
Snow Chief - California's best three-year-old came to Florida in 1986 to run in the March 1 Florida Derby. He beat his chief west coast rival, Badger Land, who had followed him from California, in the Florida Derby's 1-1/8 miles by 1-3/4 lengths. Back in California, Snow Chief took a victory over Ferdinand in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. l). The two colts rematched in the Kentucky Derby, with Ferdinand winning out. In the Preakness, Snow Chief triumphed again.
