The Suburban and the Great Geldings

The Suburban and the Great Geldings

Joseph Di Rienzi
June 26, 2017

The Suburban Handicap is a venerable race for horses three years and older. It was inaugurated in 1884 and on July 8, 2017 will have its 131^st renewal at Belmont Park. Contested at 1¼ mile (except in 1975 and 1976), the Suburban, run usually around Independence Day, was for much of the 20^th century the handicap race, testing champions and major runners by requiring them to carry added weight over their opponents to make the races more competitive. The cavalcade of winners lists some of the legends of American thoroughbred racing such as Equipoise, Assault, Tom Fool, Nashua, Bold Ruler, Buckpasser, Dr. Fager and Easy Goer. In this piece, I would like to focus on two extraordinary geldings, Kelso and Forego, who, in total, ran in the Suburban nine times. They did not win the Suburban regularly (only three wins among them), but each time they carried excessive weight and did their breed proud.

Kelso and Forego raced in different decades with the former in the 1960’s and the latter in the 1970’s. They were both late developers in that their full potential was not realized until the latter part of their three year-old season. Both Kelso and Forego were owned by women who were not afraid to run their horses underweight penalties displaying the true sporting nature that seems so lacking in the contemporary fear of losing stature and monetary value.

Kelso, a son of the brilliantly fast Your Host, was a 1957 foal owned and bred by Mrs. Richard C. du Pont (at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky) and raced in the name of Bohemia Stable. Gelded before he ever became a racehorse, Kelso was not an impressive physical specimen. He was long and thin with dark bay or brown coat. In the field or the walking ring, he did not give the appearance of anything special. When he was in competition, this impression changed dramatically. He had the perfect racing style as a stalker who could sustain a drive for as long as they ran races in America.

                                                               
                                                                            

Kelso
(www.spiletta.com)

As a two year-old, Kelso won once in three starts with two placings without competing in stakes races. In his sophomore year, Kelso was turned over to veteran Carl Hanford to train. He did not make his first start till June 22, 1960, but he quickly showed his brilliance winning several stakes and capping the year with an American track record performance in the 2 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. Incredibly, he won this race in five consecutive years.  For his efforts, Kelso was voted both 1960 Three Year-old Champion and Horse of the Year.

Kelso’s first attempt at the Suburban Handicap was in 1961. The reigning Horse of the Year had waited till May to begin his four year-old season with an allowance win at Belmont Park. This led to his first major race, the Metropolitan Handicap, where he was asked to carry 130 lb. In a thrilling finish, Kelso ran down All Hands for a neck victory while conceding 13 lb. in the 1 mile contest. Racing at Belmont Park in the Whitney Stakes again carrying 130 lb., he finished a head behind Our Hope (who carried 111 lb.), but he was repeatedly bumped on the rail and was subsequently awarded the victory. In his first Suburban Handicap carrying 133 lb., Kelso dominated the race winning by 5 lengths over Nickel Boy (112 lb.). In the Brooklyn Handicap, the finale of the New York Handicap Triple Series at Aqueduct Racetrack, Kelso burdened with 136 lb. ran down Divine Comedy (118 lb.) with Yorky (122) third. Winning the Met, the Suburban, and the Brooklyn in the same year was considered quite a feat as up to this point it had been accomplished by only two other horses, Whisk Broom II (1913) and Tom Fool (1953).  At year’s end Kelso was named Champion Older Male Horse and Horse of the Year (again).

Kelso returned as a five year-old in 1962, but he had a more difficult time asserting his leadership of the division. He made his first start in the Metropolitan Mile under 133 lb. and was not ready finishing a poor sixth to Carry Back, the previous year’s three year-old champion and Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, who set a new track record in the Met while getting 10 lb. from Kelso.

Kelso regrouped with a win in an allowance race and met Carry Back again in the Suburban Handicap with the former carrying 132 lb. and the latter 126 lb. But there would be a new adversary for both trained by soon to be legendary Allen Jerkens in Hobeau Farm’s Beau Purple. He came into the Suburban with the reputation of a speedy but erratic racehorse. What no one but Allen Jerkens seemed to know was that if left alone on the lead, Beau Purple’s courage would increase and his pedigree would carry him as far as racehorses needed to travel. Weighted at 115 lb. in the Suburban, Beau Purple set a moderate pace and met the challenge of Kelso winning by 2½ lengths in new track record time at Aqueduct with Carry Back finishing last. In all Kelso and Beau Purple would split 3 and 3 in head to head competition. However, Kelso’s fall campaign would net him additional Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male awards.

Now six years-old, the three-time Horse of the Year began 1963 in Florida with victories in the Seminole and Gulfstream Park Handicaps and a second (to old rival) Beau Purple in the Widener Handicap. On the way to his home base in New York, Kelso stopped off at Bowie Racetrack to run in the 8½ furlong John B. Campbell where he carried (131 lb.) and beat four year-old Crimson Satan (124) by ¾ of a length. Kelso skipped the Metropolitan Handicap but won the Nassau County Stakes easily under 132 lb. He then won his second Suburban (133 lb.) by 1¼ lengths over Saidam (111 lb.). Finishing the year in fine style, the brown gelding garnished his fourth Horse of the Year and third Champion Older Male awards.

In the first half of 1964, Kelso seemed to be showing his age (seven). Slowed by an injury in Florida over the winter, his connections thought he should have a California beginning to his campaign. He started in the Los Angeles Handicap and finished eighth to another transplanted New Yorker, Greentree Stable’s Cyrano, the previous year’s winner of the Met Mile. His next effort was not much better as he finished sixth behind longshot Mustard Plaster in the Californian Stakes. In both these races, he was conceding significant weight to his opponents, but his losses can be more attributed to the hard surface at Hollywood Park.

Returning to the friendly (for Kelso) confines of New York, he won an allowance race at Aqueduct under 136 lb. as a prep for the Suburban Handicap.  Kelso carrying 131 lb. in the Suburban and facing Rex C. Ellsworth’s Olden Times (128 lb.) and Cain Hoy Stable’s Iron Peg (116 lb.). The latter was a returnee from an unsuccessful career in England who had won his first three U. S. starts all by open lengths. The Suburban was a scorcher as Iron Peg, having stalked Olden Times, took over in deep stretch and withstood Kelso’s charge to win by a diminishing head. Despite losing, it was clear from his performance that Kelso was still the horse others would have to overcome to assume the leadership of the older horse division. In the end, Kelso would defend his Champion Older Male title and win the Horse of the Year Award for the fifth time.

Kelso did race in 1965, but due to a late June start he did not run in that year’s running of the Suburban Handicap. He would be stopped by injuries before he could mount his traditional fall surge, and after a single start as a nine year-old in 1966 at Hialeah Racetrack, he was sent home to Mrs. du Pont's Woodstock Farm in Chesapeake City, Maryland.

Forego was born in 1970 in the same crop as Meadow Stable’s immortal Secretariat and foaled at Claiborne Farm (just as Kelso). He was bred and owned by Mrs. Martha Farish Gerry and raced under the colors of Lazy F. Ranch. For the first part of his career he was trained by Sherrill W. Ward and then after his retirement, Frank Whiteley Jr. took over as Forego’s conditioner. Unraced as a two year-old and gelded because of his size, temperament and ankle problems that would persist through his entire career, Forego was a dark bay son of Argentinian champion Forli (Arg) out of the mare Lady Golconda by Hasty Road.

                                                                       

Forego
(www.spilletta.com)

                                                             

                                                                                                                                 
  Beginning with a fourth in a maiden race at Hialeah, he reeled off two wins in 6 furlong races. Playing catch up with his sophomore contemporaries in 1973, he placed in stakes leading up to the Kentucky Derby and was given a legitimate chance due to his obvious speed and class. The best Forego could finish was fourth as Secretariat set the track record for the Derby that still stands. For most of the rest of Forego’s sophomore year, he was known as the best race horse in the U. S. not to win a stake race. That dubious honor changed in late fall when he was victorious in the both the Discovery and Roamer Handicaps showing an ability to win despite carrying additional weight.

In 1974 Forego started his four year-old campaign in Florida and quickly established himself as the leading older horse on the East Coast winning the Donn, Gulfstream Park and Widener Handicaps with Darby Dan Farm’s doughty True Knight finishing second each time. A study in physical contrasts between the gigantic Forego and the diminutive True Knight, they, nonetheless, were great competitors.

Back in New York, Forego won the 7 furlong Carter Handicap defeating ace sprinter Mr. Prospector and then in the Met Mile, Forego at 134 lb. was unable to hold off 60-1 outsider, Arbees Boy (112 lb.) who caught Forego and pulled away to a 2 length victory. In 1974, the Suburban Handicap was run later in the summer, and Forego, in between the Met and the Suburban, had finished second in the Nassau County Handicap and won the Brooklyn Handicap (defeating True Knight again). In his first try at the Suburban, Forego carried 131 lb. to True Knight’s 127 lb. True Knight rallied from some 20 lengths off the pace to swoop by Forego and Plunk (114 lb.). At the finish, True Knight was 1½ lengths in front of Plunk who bested Forego by a head. This was the first time in five races that True Knight had finished in front of Forego. However, by year’s end, Forego has established himself as the best horse in the U. S. and won Eclipse Awards as Champion Older Male Horse, Sprinter and Horse of the Year.

Forego followed the same path in 1975 as in the previous year on the way for a second try at the Suburban. Starting with a successful beginning in Florida, albeit with a reoccurrence of his ankle injury which forced him to miss a race, he won the Carter Handicap (under 134 lb.) and finished third in the Metropolitan Handicap under a crushing 136 lb. to Gold and Myrrh (122 lb.) and Stop the Music (124 lb.). Carrying 132 lb., Forego won the 1¼ mile Brooklyn Handicap running down Monetary Principle (109 lb.) to win by 1½ lengths breaking the Belmont Park track record.

The Suburban Handicap was stretched out to 1½ miles, to make the finale of the New York Handicap Triple more interesting, and Forego was assigned a hefty 134 lb. Demonstrating the courage and will that defines the best in the breed, Forego fought off old nemesis Arbees Boy (118 lb.) to win by a head. At the end of the year, Forego won again Eclipse Awards for Older Male Horse and Horse of the Year.

In 1976, Forego, the two time defending Horse of the Year, was now trained by Frank Whiteley, Jr. after the long time conditioner for Lazy F. Ranch, Sherrill Ward, had to step down due to ill health. Recovering from ankle problems, Forego wintered at Whiteley’s training base in Aiken, South Carolina and then was sent to New York to start his six year-old season in the late spring. Forego returned to the races in the latter part of May with a comfortable win in an allowance race at Belmont Park that served as a springboard to the Metropolitan Handicap. In a race that eluded him the previous two years, Forego was assigned 130 lb. in the six horse field and faced last year’s Preakness winner, Master Derby (126 lb.) and Lord Rebeau (119 lb.). Coming from next to last in the one mile race, Forego struck the lead in deep stretch over Master Derby, and in a tight finish, the massive gelding prevailed by a head.

Forego, as he had done previously, tuned up for the Suburban by running next in the Nassau County Handicap which he won easily, carrying 132 lb. The Suburban Handicap was run next in the New York Handicap Triple Series, this time at 9½ furlongs at Aqueduct. The 1976 renewal had a four horse field: Forego (134 lb.), 1975 Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure (125 lb.), Lord Rebeau (115 lb.) and longshot Gorgo (115 lb.). With a moderate pace that worked against Forego’s closing thrust, a thrilling finish found three horses noses apart with Foolish Pleasure, first, Forego, second and Lord Rebeau third.

With a slight adjustment in the weights, the three faced each other again in the 1¼ mile Brooklyn Handicap which attracted eight entries. This time the pace was faster, and Forego (134 lb.) could launch his bid from off the pace more effectively. He collared Lord Rebeau (114 lb.) at the top of the stretch and drew away to a 2 length win. Foolish Pleasure (126 lb.), rallied mildly to finish third, 4½ lengths back. Highlighted by a dramatic win in the Marlboro Cup Handicap carrying 137 lb. with now regular rider William Shoemaker, Forego won, for the third time, Eclipse Awards for best Older Male and Horse of the Year.  

Forego, now seven, wintered well and returned to the races in 1977, just like he did the previous year with a deceptively easy ½ length win in an allowance race. In the Met Mile, Forego at 133 lb. faced twelve rivals. Running his customary race from well back, Forego swept by all to win going away by 2 lengths over Co Host (111 lb.) with Full Out (115 lb.), third 2 lengths back. In the last four renewals of the Met, Forego had won twice and finished second twice.  

After the Met Mile, Forego, following last year’s script, ran next in the Nassau County Handicap at Belmont Park, and under 136 lb. surged from off the pace to defeat Co Host (110 lb.) by a ½ length with Norcliffe (117 lb.), third, a neck behind. As can be seen, the weight differentials were getting absurd. Carrying a career high of 138 lb. in the back to 1¼ mile distance Suburban, he failed by a neck in catching Quiet Little Table (114 lb.) with three year-old Nearly On Time (104 lb.) another neck away. The winner tracked runaway pacesetter Nearly On Time for most of the race. Taking the lead in the final furlong, Quiet Little Table held on as Forego closed while drifting way out towards the outer rail. In the final race in New York’s Handicap Triple, the 1½ mile Brooklyn Handicap, Forego finished an uncharacteristically weak second (beaten 11 lengths), albeit carrying 137 lb., to the stayer Great Contractor (112 lb.). Forego, despite suffering one of the largest losses in his storied career, was cheered. Over the last four years, he competed in twelve of the New York Handicap Triple races, always under top weight while winning six, four times second and twice third. This is a record for the ages. 

Forego was able to win his fourth consecutive Eclipse Award for Older Male with a powerful victory in the Woodward Handicap in the fall, but injuries prevented him from racing further in 1977. (The Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year went to the Triple Crown hero, Tayhill Farm’s Seattle Slew.)

Forego had one last fling at the Suburban as an eight year-old in 1978.  Running on bad legs, he won an allowance race to start the year as a prep for the Suburban. Forego weighted at 132 lb., faced major winner Cox’s Ridge (130 lb.). Also in the field was Upper Nile (113 lb.), a four year-old son of Nijinsky II (Can) owned by Rokeby Stable. Run on a sloppy track, both Forego and Cox’s Ridge were unplaced, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Upper Nile was victorious by 1½ lengths over plucky Nearly On Time (109 lb.) with Great Contractor (114 lb.), 2¼ lengths further back. In the aftermath, Mrs. Martha Gerry, mistress of Lazy F. Ranch, decided that Forego’s racing career had come to an end and he was retired to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. What we are left with is the legacy of the greatest weight carrying champion of modern times.

In all the two great geldings, Kelso and Forego, ran in the Suburban Handicap nine times. Their collective record was three wins, four seconds, one third and one unplacing. They carried weight that varied from 131 – 138 lb., averaging 133 lb.; an amazing feat that almost seems mythical by today’s standards. It is a great testimony to the sportsmanship of their owners, Allaire du Pont and Martha Gerry, the persistence of their trainers, Carl Hanford, Sherrill Ward and Frank Whiteley, and the courage of these mighty steeds – Kelso and Forego.

Woody's Five Belmont Straight

Woody’s Five Belmont Straight

Joseph Di Rienzi

4 May 2017

In the storied history of the Triple Crown series, there are few greater training achievements than what was accomplished by Woodford Cefis Stephens from 1982 to 1986. Woody, as he was known, was a native born Kentuckian who had established by the latter half of the 20^th century one of the more powerful thoroughbred racing stables on the East Coast. He was no stranger to Triple Crown success having won the Preakness Stakes in 1952 with Blue Man and the Kentucky Derby (the 100^th renewal) with Cannonade in 1974. But what would put him in the record books was the singular achievement of having horses trained by him win the Belmont Stakes for five consecutive years. In this piece, I will discuss the horses and events leading up to each Belmont Stakes from 1982 through 1986.

Woody Stephens
                                        (gettyimages)                                          

The first two classics of 1982 were inconclusive in establishing a three year-old leader. The Kentucky Derby was won by a longshot, Arthur Hancock and Leone J. Peters’ Gato Del Sol. He subsequently skipped the Preakness Stakes to await the Belmont. Christiana Stable’s Linkage who would have been favored in the Derby, if he ran, was upset in the Preakness by Nathan Scherr’s Aloma’s Ruler.

After the Preakness, both Aloma’s Ruler and Linkage moved on to the Belmont Stakes to face Gato Del Sol. However, there was another horse stirring in the shadows that would create a whirlwind in the next three weeks. Henyrk de Kwiatkowski’s Conquistador Cielo, a racy bay son of Mr. Prospector, bought as a yearling at Saratoga for $150,000, had ended his juvenile year after suffering an injury in finishing a close fourth in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. Trained by Woody Stephens, he finished third in a 7 furlong allowance race at Hialeah in February. Then, he was an impressive winner of a similar race 10 days later by 4 lengths. Delayed by a minor injury, Conquistador Cielo ran in what had previously been called the Preakness Prep a week prior to Pimlico’s signature race and came from just off the pace to win by 3 lengths in the 8½ furlong contest. Withheld from the Preakness, Stephens shipped his colt back to Belmont Park when he ran in a 1 mile allowance race for three years and older and stunned the field with an 11 length win in very fast time.

Stephens, realizing what he had in his barn, entered Conquistador Cielo less than two weeks later in the Metropolitan Handicap facing mostly older horses. The New York racegoers saw his form and despite his lack of seasoning made Conquistador Cielo the post time favorite. Under regular jockey Eddie Maple, the son of Mr. Prospector put on a show, racing with the early pace and easily pulling away for a 7¼ length victory. The time for the mile was a new track record, faster than Bald Eagle, Kelso, Bold Lad, Buckpasser and Forego ever ran in their respective Met Mile victories. The buzz in the winner’s circle was the idea of entering Conquistador Cielo in the Belmont Stakes even though it was only five days away. After some thought, owner de Kwiatkowski, an expansive and enterprising personality, gave the go ahead, and Woody Stephens, taking a page from trainer Elliot Burch’s playbook who with his three Belmont Stakes winners had won the Met Mile twice with the other runner finishing second, recognized a Met Mile – Belmont double was not without precedent.

Eleven horses entered the Belmont, and the race had all the prime contenders in Derby winner Gato Del Sol, Preakness winner Aloma’s Ruler, unlucky Preakness loser Linkage and the unknown factor, Conquistador Cielo. The handsome colt’s Met Mile win was off the charts, but the prevailing question, was he too “speedy” with Mr. Prospector and Bold Ruler (through his dam’s sire) in his bloodlines to handle the 1½ mile distance. A pace duel with Aloma’s Ruler, seemed likely, compromising both their chances. Adding to the drama, Eddie Maple, Conquistador Cielo’s rider was injured in a fall at Belmont the day before and could not ride. Woody Stephens made a phone call late in the day to California to secure the services of Laffit Pincay, Jr. After some travel complications, Pincay managed to get to Belmont Park (via Boston) on the morning of the race to ride a horse he had never seen in the Belmont Stakes.

The public settled on Linkage as the favorite, although there were also questions about his stamina. Conquistador Cielo was the second choice and Gato Del Sol the third favorite. A sloppy racetrack on Belmont Day may have played in “Cielo’s” favor, although he had no previous off track experience. As the field left the starting gate, Aloma’s Ruler tried to gain the lead, but he was outsprinted, first by longshot Anemal to his inside, then by Conquistador Cielo racing very wide around the clubhouse turn. Once the leaders straightened out on the backstretch, Conquistador Cielo secured the lead and set credible fractions. His first challenge came from High Ascent who ranged up on the inside. That was easily repelled and, as Cielo extended his lead around the sweeping far turn, Linkage became his closest pursuer. However, the chase was futile, for just as in the Met Mile, Conquistador Cielo was soaring as the name, “Conqueror of the Sky”, implies. He easily pulled away to an astounding margin, that, if visions of Secretariat’s Belmont win in 1973 had faded from memory, this would have been the most dominant Belmont win in recent history. Some 14 lengths behind the flying “Conquistador” was Gato Del Sol who rallied to be second, 4 lengths ahead of Illuminate who had 3¾ lengths ahead of Linkage.  Aloma’s Ruler, who dropped out of contention early, finished ninth. The time was good, considering the sloppy conditions, and everyone at Belmont was convinced they saw an exceptional performance by a brilliant colt. Owner de Kwiatkowski and trainer Stephens were justly rewarded by their courage in running back so quickly, and jockey Pincay had won his first classic race. (For de Kwiatkowski, this Belmont victory would be the first of two. For Woody Stephens, this was the beginning of one of the most incredible streaks in Triple Crown history.)

Conquistador Cielo
(www.horseracingnation.com)

                                                         

 The classic picture in 1983 was just as unfocused as 1982 as the Belmont Stakes approached. The Kentucky Derby winner, David J. Foster’s Sunny’s Halo, who had finished sixth in the Preakness Stakes avoided the Belmont Stakes due to his trainer’s aversion to racing in New York, which at that time prohibited race day medication. However, the Preakness winner, Maryland bred Deputed Testamony [sic] owned by Francis Sears and trained by William Boniface, Jr. was in the fifteen horse field. Favoritism went to Equusequity Stable’s Slew o’ Gold, a tall sculptured son of Seattle Slew out of the mare Alluvial, making him a half-brother to 1979 Belmont Stakes winner Coastal. He had finished a good fourth in the Kentucky Derby and had tuned up for the Belmont with an eye catching victory in the Peter Pan Stakes. Woody Stephen’s entry was Caveat, another Maryland, bred who had made a strong impression with a dramatic close from far back to finish second in the Kentucky Derby. Just like Slew o’ Gold, Caveat had bypassed the Preakness but had won an allowance race impressively against older horses in his Belmont prep.

In an unorthodox renewal of the Belmont, Au Point, went right to the lead and set credible fractions with Slew o’ Gold, in closest pursuit followed by Deputed Testamony. Angel Cordero, unable to restrain his mount, allowed Slew o’ Gold to range up alongside Au Point increasing the tempo of the race. Meanwhile, Laffitt Pincay, who had Caveat initially far back, was making good progress along the inside, so that by the time the field was sweeping around the Belmont final turn, Caveat was just behind the leaders on the inside. At the top of the stretch, Slew o’ Gold moved the lead and Au Point, who had blocked Caveat’s path, abruptly tired, allowing Pincay to drive his mount through the opening. Once free, Caveat surged to the front readily passing Slew o’ Gold to win by 3½ lengths with the latter gamely holding second by 1¾ lengths over Barberstown with Deputed Testamony in sixth. The time was good, but what was remarkable was that the first 10 furlongs were run in under 2 minutes with the fifth quarter in under 24 seconds, which I believe cost Slew o’ Gold the race. (He would show his affinity for the 1½ mile distance in winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice and be voted Champion three year-old in 1983 and Champion Older Horse the following year.)

Caveat’s victory represented continuity in racing as he was owned in a partnership that involved August Belmont IV (descendant of the racetrack’s founder), Robert Kirkham and breeder James Ryan (making Maryland breds victorious in two thirds of this year’s classics). Woody Stephens and Laffit Pincay were celebrating their second straight Belmont having won the previous year with Conquistador Cielo. Unfortunately for racing fans, Caveat came out of the Belmont with an injury that would ultimately force his retirement.      

                                                     

Caveat
(www.horseracingnation.com)

                                                 

In early 1984, Woody Stephens trained the two highest ranked sophomores. Hickory Tree Stable’s Devil’s Bag was the undefeated Two Year-old Champion of 1983 and considered a possible super horse. After a shocking defeat in the Flamingo Stakes, his career was carefully managed to avoid future losses. Sensing he was not at his best, Devil’s Bag was retired by his connections after winning the Derby Trial Stakes, a week before the Kentucky Derby. Woody Stephens’ other main hope was a sleek dark bay or brown son of Seattle Slew from a distinguished Claiborne Farm female family, named Swale. The dam, Tuerta, was sired by Argentinian super horse Forli, so the breeding represented a serious effort by the owners of Claiborne Farm (and their partners) at producing a classic racehorse. His two year-old season was marked by some narrow victories in several major races. Swale came to the forefront of the three year-old division winning the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

After a puzzling loss in the slop in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, Swale rebounded with a strong performance to win the Kentucky Derby by 3¼ lengths. The victory marked a long sought after goal of the Hancock’s of Claiborne Farm, the birthplace of so many outstanding thoroughbreds. Woody Stephens, who had contracted pneumonia during Derby Week, was miraculously present in the winner’s circle along with jockey Laffit Pincay. However, their Derby joy was tempered when Swale ran poorly in the Preakness, finishing seventh to Ken Opstein’s Gate Dancer who had been disqualified from fourth to fifth in the Derby.

The Belmont Stakes was viewed as the deciding race between the two classic winners, Swale and Gate Dancer. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty whether they would reproduce their best form, given the inconsistency of this classic group. By post time, astute New York bettors made Swale the clear favorite based on the win-lose-win rhythm of his campaign, and the handicapping assumption that being the only real speed in the race, Swale could control the pace.

Right on cue, Pincay sent the panther-like Swale to the lead, and, sure enough, they set a leisurely pace for the first 6 furlongs. Just behind Swale was longshot Minstrel Star and Play On with Angel Cordero keeping Gate Dancer closer to the pace than usual. Around the far turn, Play On and Gate Dancer tried to close ground on Swale, but Pincay kept his mount in front as the stamina in the colt’s pedigree was showing its influence. In the stretch, Swale continued to maintain a daylight margin as his strove to the finish winning by 4 comfortable lengths over late closing Pine Circle who was 3 lengths in front of Morning Bob. Gate Dancer, forced out of his best racing style, finished sixth. The time was good with Swale finishing the last ½ mile very strongly. Seth Hancock, President of Claiborne Farm and family received the Belmont trophy in the winner’s circle. For Woody Stephens (who had recovered from his illness) and Laffit Pincay, this was a Belmont “hat trick” as they both celebrated their third victory in a row in this classic. (For the record, Woody Stephens was the first trainer to accomplish this in almost 100 years. However, Mr. Stephens was not done with his Belmont Stakes streak.)

An incredibly sad endnote to the 1984 classic season occurred eight days after the Belmont Stakes when Swale, returning from a routine gallop to his barn, rolled over and was pronounced dead a short time later. Cardiac arrest was suspected, and after a thorough post-mortem examination, it was discovered the colt had a heart abnormality that might have led to his death. Many of the tragedies involving horses are hard to rationalize, but this may be the most inexplicable of all. The adage, “In horse racing the highs are very high and the lows are very low.”, has seldom been truer than in the case of Swale.

Swale
(www.pinterest.com)

                                                   

Woody’s main classic hope in 1985 was Henryk de Kwiatkowski’s Stephan’s Odyssey. In the first crop of the owner’s stallion Danzig, the bay colt, bred for distance, being out of a Gallant Man mare, had a short but successful juvenile season. After breaking his maiden at Belmont in October and finishing fourth in an allowance race, Stephan’s Odyssey was shipped to California, and after winning an prep race, he was victorious in the Hollywood Futurity. In Florida over the winter, he ran competitively with the best on the East Coast and went into the Kentucky Derby with a viable chance. However, he was unable to catch the runaway leader, Hunter Farm’s Spend a Buck, finishing second by 5¼ lengths. Skipping the Preakness Stakes, Stephens prepared Stephan’s Odyssey for a run at the Belmont.

However, Woody had another entry in the Belmont in Brushwood Stable’s Crème Fraiche. The gelded son of Rich Cream, who seemed to be designated as a “B” level horse, had run second consecutively in the Hutcheson, Swale and Everglades Stakes, and the Louisiana Derby. He broke that string in the Derby Trial rallying from off the pace for a ½ length victory on the muddy Churchill Downs surface.  Stephens, after some thought, did not enter this doughty warrior in the Kentucky Derby. Instead, Crème Fraiche, ran in the Jersey Derby where he faced Spend a Buck who had avoided the other Triple Crown races in order to capture a $2 million bonus by winning four New Jersey stakes races. In the 1¼ mile race, Spend a Buck, just had enough to hold off Crème Fraiche by a neck at the finish. 

On Belmont Day, a field of eleven was assembled on a muddy track surface. Last year’s Two Year-old Champion, Chief’s Crown, who had finished third in the Derby and second in the Preakness, was favored. However, the Woody Stephens’ entry of Stephan’s Odyssey and Crème Fraiche was a close second choice. (Besides, getting two legitimate contenders on one betting ticket, horse players were very aware of Stephens’ Belmont Stakes magic.) Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Klein’s Tank’s Prospect, who had narrowly defeated Chief’s Crown in the Preakness, was the third choice.

The pace was rapid with both Chief’s Crown and Tank’s Prospect taking mid-pack positions with the Stephens’ duo parked in the rear. Around the far turn as the leaders tired, Chief’s Crown launched his dependable bid while Tank’s Prospect lost ground suddenly and was pulled up lame. Meanwhile, Crème Fraiche on the outside and Stephan’s Odyssey on the rail were rallying strongly. At the top of the stretch, the two Stephens’ entrants sandwiched Chief’s Crown between them, and after a brief struggle, they pulled away from the juvenile champion. At the finish, Crème Fraiche bested Stephan’s Odyssey by a ½ length with Chief’s Crown 4½ lengths back in third. A gelding winning the Belmont is never good for the breed, but since Brushwood Farm owner, Elizabeth Moran was a major breeder, buyer and seller of horses, Crème Fraiche’s win was warmly received by the thoroughbred community. For Eddie Maple, who lost the mount on Conquistador Cielo due to injury on the eve of the 1982 Belmont and had been replaced on other occasions by Laffit Pincay, this victory was particularly satisfying. For Woody, well, the beat just kept going on with now four consecutive Belmont victories.    

Crème Fraiche
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Stephens’ Belmont Stakes horse for 1986 followed a similar path as Conquistador Cielo and Crème Fraiche in racing neither in the Kentucky Derby nor the Preakness Stakes. Henyrk de Kwiatkowski’s Danzig Connection was a rangy bay son of Danzig out of a Sir Ivor mare who as a two year-old rose out of allowance competition to win a minor stakes race (on a disqualification) and finish a close second in the Young America Stakes, both at the Meadowlands Racetrack. In the lead up to the Belmont Stakes, Woody Stephens, brought Danzig Connection back just in time. Beaten in his first two races against older allowance horses, the long-legged son of Danzig showed an improved effort in leading all the way to win the Peter Pan Stakes by a measured ¾ of a length.

The Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes had been won by two California based runners who were frequent rivals. At Louisville, Mrs. Howard B. Keck’s Ferdinand trained by the “Bald Eagle” Charles Whittingham and ridden by Bill Shoemaker pulled an upset, while in the Preakness, Carl Grinstead and Ben Rochelle’s Snow Chief trained by Mel Stute, unplaced in the Derby, rebounded to defeat Ferdinand by 4 lengths. Snow Chief’s connections decided to forego the Belmont and shipped their colt back to California. The ten horse Belmont field did feature Ferdinand who was completing his participation in all three classics. The rains came on Belmont Day making the racetrack sloppy, and the public was uncertain of Ferdinand’s ability to handle the off going so they settled on the Derby second, Rampage, as the favorite. Danzig Connection, despite Woody Stephens’ Belmont win streak was fifth choice at 8-1. 

Mogambo, who was unplaced in the Derby, was sent to the lead followed by Danzig Connection. Ferdinand, a resolute one run horse, was positioned close by in third on the rail with John’s Treasure fourth just to his outside. The time for the first ½ mile was fast, but it slowed considerably with each passing ¼ of a mile. At the ½ mile pole, Chris McCarron on Danzig Connection went up to challenge Mogambo with Shoemaker on Ferdinand sensing he had to move earlier than he wanted, did so around the long far turn. In doing so, Shoemaker had to steady his colt a bit as John’s Treasure, also went after the leaders. Mogambo dropped back readily, but at the top of the stretch Danzig Connection, Ferdinand and John’s Treasure were three abreast in what promised to be a rousing duel to the finish. However, McCarron had not asked all from his mount, and, when he did, Danzig Connection spurted clear and finished with a 1¼ length margin of victory. In the battle for second, John’s Treasure edged Ferdinand by a neck.

So Woody Stephens kept his streak going now with five straight Belmonts. (There may have been no Triple Crown winner this year, but there was a triple of sorts in that Stephens was the third separate 70+ year-old trainer (along with Whittingham and Stute) to win a classic in 1986.) Owner Henryk de Kwiatokowski was at the beginning of Stephens’ streak with his Conquistador Cielo in 1982, but Chris McCarron was new to the classic victory party.

Danzig Connection
(www.horseracingnation)

                                             

 As a postscript, Woody Stephens’ Belmont Stakes streaked ended in 1987 when trainee, Hickory Tree Stable’s Gone West finished sixth. However, his “Five Belmont Straight” is a record that is singular in the  history of American thoroughbred classic races.

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