Whirlaway Bested All Comers
Triple Crown Champ Lost to Alsab in 1942, the 3rd Tripler Match Loss
Triple Crown Spotlight Series: Whirlaway
TC Champions: Rankings
In 1942, the uncomparable Whirlaway beat the steady Alsab, as well as Bolingbroke and The Rhymer in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Alsab was 1941's best two-year-old, while Whirlaway was the cream of the three-year-old crop, fifth winner of the Triple Crown, which encapsules the three most challenging thoroughbred races.
Speculation often leads to ideal thoroughbred race match ups. Who is the best is the pivotal and irresistible question that leads to one on one challenges.
Speculation was put to the race track at the Narragansett course in Rhode Island. Three-year-old sensation Alsab, 1942's Preakness Stakes champion, took on the match up with the four-year-old Whirlaway, 1941's Triple Crown winner.
Speculation wasn't exactly put to rest. Equal noses prevented that.
Prevailing Challengers
Alsab led the 1-3/16 mile chase by as much as two lengths in the stretch, but Whirlaway gave mighty chase. In the end, only noses separated the two at the wire. Alsab was the victor.
Whirlaway, therefore, became the third Triple Crown winner to lose as a four-year-old in a match race. Sir Barton had lost to Man o' War in 1920, and War Admiral had failed to keep up with the popular Seabiscuit in 1938.
Whirlaway, an unpredictable, hard to manage colt, came into his own as a two-year-old. He won more races, seven, than the previous four Triple Crown victors had in their juvenile seasons. Off the board just three times from 16 starts in 1940, Whirlaway nevertheless continued to be erratic.
Whirlaway First Half Million Dollar Baby
The first to win a half million dollars in purses, Whirlaway at four eclipsed Seabiscuit's all time leading money winnings. His final career earnings were $561,161 from 60 starts for Calumet Farm.
The Calumet stable also had thoroughbred racing's first millionaire in Citation.
At five, Whirlaway raced twice, showing once and placing fifth in his final effort, the Equipoise Mile. The Equipoise was his first unplaced run since his two-year-old campaign.
Four Major Awards in Two Seasons
As few others have done, Whirlaway captured four major awards in two seasons. Although his seven juvenile wins went unrewarded in 1940, he took home two awards in each of his three- and four-year-old seasons. In 1941 and in 1942, he was Horse of the Year, as well as 1941's Three-Year-Old Champion Male and 1942's Handicap Male Champion.
Never Calumet Farm's first stallion at stud, Whirlaway's best breeding years went to the French. Whirlaway died at the tender age of fifteen in Normandy.
