The 1969 Triple Crown Series
Joseph Di Rienzi
In my next three blogs, I will examine Triple Crown series
of races that are commemorating significant anniversaries in 2019. In each
series, there was a horse who won the first two classics (the Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes) only to lose the finale – the Belmont Stakes. In two of
these stories, we will see how a stout rival, who had finished second in both
previous classics, finally was able to prevail against the Triple Crown
aspirant. In the third case, a rapidly improving horse, who did not compete in
either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness, was able to vanquish the heavy
favorite whose defeat was attributed to, among other reasons, a proverbial
needle in a haystack.
Fifty years ago in 1969, the previous year’s two year-old champion,
Top Knight, was in Florida preparing for the classics. However, the U. S.
racing industry’s national focus was on a newly turned three year-old who had
only run twice as a juvenile without ever competing in stakes races. Majestic
Prince as a yearling had catapulted into the racing
consciousness when he was sold at the Keeneland Select Yearling Sales for what
was then a world record $250,000 for a one year-old horse. He was bred by
Leslie Combs II’s Spendthrift Farm and sold to Canadian industrialist Frank
McMahon. A strapping chestnut son of Raise a Native out of the mare Gay Hostess, she by Royal
Charger, Majestic Prince descended from a strong female family. Trained by retired Hall of
Fame jockey John Longden who rode 1943 Triple Crown winner Count Fleet
and ridden by four time leading jockey William Hartack, everything about Majestic
Prince said this horse was special.
Majestic Prince made his career debut on November 28, 1968 at
Bay Meadows Racetrack in Northern California when he won a maiden race by 2¾
lengths as the 1-2 favorite. He followed that on Boxing Day, the opening day at
Santa Anita Park, by winning an allowance race by a nose on a very sloppy
racetrack. Shortly after, he took the Loz Feliz Stakes at 6½ furlongs by 4 easy
lengths. Majestic Prince’s reputation was growing when he won the 7 furlong San
Vicente Stakes in early February by 5 lengths eased up over a muddy surface.
With Majestic Prince’s victory in the 1 mile San Jacinto Stakes by 4 lengths, he basically ran out of
opposition on the West Coast.
In Florida, there was considerably more competition among
the three year-olds. Top Knight made his debut in the second division of the 7
furlong Bahamas Stakes at Hialeah Park and rallied strongly to take the lead in
deep stretch, but he bore out doing so. He was subsequently disqualified from
first and placed third.
In January, Rokeby Stables’ Arts and Letters, making
his three year-old debut, finished third in a 7 furlong allowance race at
Hialeah. Trained by Elliot Burch, the dark hued chestnut son
of Ribot out of the Battlefield mare All Beautiful improved gradually with each
start as a two year-old. He broke his maiden at Belmont Park in his fourth
outing and then winning impressively at 1 mile prior to running a close fourth
in the Pimlico-Laurel Futurity. Although Arts and Letters was beaten 6 lengths in
that allowance race, it was apparently just the prep he needed to make him fit
because he then proceeded to produce an upset in the Everglades Stakes at 9
furlongs. Getting 10 lb. from Top Knight, Arts and Letters came from off the
pace to defeat the champion by 3 lengths. At equal weights in the Flamingo
Stakes, Top Knight, sat just off the pace, surged to the front in the stretch
and ran down Arts and Letters who had assumed the lead around the turn to win
by 2 lengths in almost track record time.
The Santa Anita and the Florida Derbies were both run on
March 29. The results seemed to show there were two dominant three year-olds
and harkened back to the West Coast – East Coast rivalries of Swaps vs. Nashua,
Candy Spots vs. Never Bend and Hill Rise vs. Northern Dancer. In the Florida Derby, Top
Knight was facing Arts and Letters, who after the Flamingo, had finished second
beaten 2 lengths by Al Hattab in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. The Florida
Derby was all Top Knight, who after pressing a leisurely pace, drew out with a
flourish to defeat, once again, Arts and Letters, this time by 5 lengths. Al
Hattab was 2½ lengths back in third. In California, Majestic Prince had the easiest kind of win (by 8 lengths) in
the Santa Anita Derby.
With the two top contenders dominating their respective
races on either coast, the potential for one of the smallest Kentucky Derbies
in recent times seemed likely. That prospect became inevitable after the Blue
Grass Stakes when Arts and Letters, shook off his recent
“seconditis” with a resounding win. Facing token opposition, he raced into the
lead after a slow ½ mile and then drew away to a 15 length victory in a time
2/5 seconds off Round Table’s track record. This
performance sent strong signals that this was a different animal than was seen
in Florida over the winter. On opening day at Churchill Downs, Majestic Prince took his form to the Midwest and won the
Stepping Stone Purse by 6 lengths in near track record time for the 7 furlong
race to fortify his Derby favoritism.
The buildup to the 1969 Kentucky Derby was incredible.
President Richard Nixon would be present, making him the first sitting U.S.
President to watch in person the Derby. (President Nixon was actually at the 1968
Derby as a private citizen before his election.) Among the twenty six
Republican governors viewing this year’s Kentucky Derby was also a future
President in Ronald Reagan. (On a personal note, my future wife, Joyce, was
also in attendance, albeit among the infield revelers.)
A late jockey change was made in that Arts and Letters’
rider, Bill Shoemaker, had seriously injured his pelvis and could not ride Arts
and Letters, so trainer Elliot Burch substituted Braulio Baeza. The use of a jockey, even
one as talented as Baeza, who had no familiarity with his mount in the biggest
race of the year may have put Arts and Letters at a disadvantage. In all, there
were only eight entries with the “Big Four”, Majestic Prince, Top Knight, Arts and Letters,
and Claiborne Farm’s Wood Memorial winner Dike. Majestic Prince seemed the
charismatic horse of destiny. Everything about him said he was extraordinary;
the only question was he was untested against top horses, especially at 1¼ miles.
Top Knight was the returning two year-old champion who dominated Florida
racing. However, he had not raced since his Florida Derby triumph, and rumors
surfaced about his soundness. Arts and Letters was the “talking horse”. Since
coming to Kentucky, he seemed to be blossoming, and from his pedigree, there
was no question about his ability to “get” the distance. Dike also had his
supporters who reasoned that any type of speed duel among the other contenders
would set up his potent closing rally.
As a horse race, this Kentucky Derby was terrific, one of
the best run I can recall. Longshot Ocean Roar was sent to a daylight lead down
the stretch the first time with Top Knight, Majestic Prince, and Arts and
Letters grouped together in pursuit and Dike further
back in seventh place. With a ½ mile to go, Top Knight slipped along the inside
to grab the lead, but as he did, both Majestic Prince on the outside and Arts
and Letters on the inside made their moves. Arts and Letters accelerated
quickly to take the lead, followed soon after by Majestic Prince’s challenge
around the final turn. Top Knight faltered and dropped suddenly out of
contention. Dike meanwhile was making progress, and at the top of the stretch, he was within striking distance of the embattled
pair. Majestic Prince rested the lead from his smaller rival, and though he was
unable to draw away, he kept a short lead to the wire winning by a neck. Dike closed
ground slowly and was getting to the leaders, eventually finishing third ½
length behind Arts and Letters. Ten lengths back was Traffic Mark in fourth
with Top Knight fifth, beaten about 13 lengths. The final time was a little
better than average, but the two leaders ran the last ¼ mile in 24 1/5 seconds
which was outstanding. There was great jubilation and satisfaction in the
winner’s circle as this picture horse accomplished what he was purchased for -
win the Kentucky Derby. John Longden made history in that he is the only man to
ride and train a Kentucky Derby winner. Bill Hartack also entered the record books in riding his
fifth Derby winner tying him for most victories with Eddie Arcaro.
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| 1969 Kentucky Derby (bloodhorse.com) |
With this result, thoroughbred racing had an undefeated
Kentucky Derby winner on his way to the Preakness. However, the Derby also identified
a formidable adversary in Arts and Letters who would make Majestic Prince’s Triple Crown quest much
more difficult to accomplish.
The Preakness Stakes, two weeks later, featured a rematch of the Kentucky Derby with
Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters. Dike, was reserved to await
the Belmont Stakes, but Top Knight was entered to erase his subpar Derby
performances. Just as in the Derby, there were eight entries, with only Al
Hattab and Jay Ray, the California Derby winner, given any consideration.
Majestic Prince was the prohibitive favorite with Top Knight, surprisingly, the
second choice.
The race had controversy right from the beginning with Majestic
Prince bumping Arts and Letters shortly after the break. Then going to the
first turn, Majestic Prince bore out slightly into Al Hattab, squeezing Arts
and Letters, who was racing in between them, sufficient enough that Baeza on
Arts and Letters had to steady and drop his mount several lengths back of the
leaders. Longshots Glad’s Flame and Greengrass Green contested the pace several
lengths ahead of Majestic Prince and Top Knight. Arts and Letters, back in
sixth place, began to make up the lost ground down the
backstretch. As they
approached the far turn, Majestic Prince made his move with Top Knight. Just as
in the Derby, last year’s two year-old champion was unable to sustain his rally
and dropped back before the stretch run. However, Arts and Letters, although
forced the go wide on the final turn, was launching a powerful rally. In the
stretch Majestic Prince had a clear lead, but Arts and Letters was closing
relentlessly on the far outside. He seemed to be getting to the leader, but
Majestic Prince had enough left to hold him off, albeit by a diminishing head.
Jay Ray was 4 lengths back in third with Top Knight another 4 lengths back in
fourth place and Al Hattab fifth. Soon afterward there was a jockey’s claim of
foul by Baeza for interference on the part of Majestic Prince early in the
race, but after a lengthy deliberation, the Pimlico stewards let the result
stand in a very controversial decision.
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| 1969 Preakness Stakes (Winants Brothers photo) |
In the immediate afterward, trainer John Longden announced that Majestic Prince would not contest the Belmont Stakes, thereby
foregoing the opportunity to complete the Triple Crown. Longden indicated that
Majestic Prince (and he) were tired from their joint efforts in the Derby and
Preakness. The racing press and public thought this was heretical. Was Majestic
Prince really just tired of Arts and Letters, especially the prospect of
facing him at the 1½ mile Belmont distance, which seemed to favor the Rokeby
colt? Added was the feeling among some
that Arts and Letters was really best in the Preakness and denied by the
stewards’ failure to disqualify Majestic Prince. In any case, by midweek owner
Frank McMahon made an executive decision that, indeed, Majestic Prince, would
contest the Belmont Stakes and have his date with racing history.
In the intervening three weeks between the Preakness and the
Belmont Stakes, Elliot Burch used the 1 mile Metropolitan Handicap for Arts and Letters, just as he employed it for
his two previous Belmont Stakes winners, Sword Dancer and Quadrangle, as a prep for the Belmont Stakes. In the
Metropolitan field, there was the leading older horse at the time, Nodouble.
The four year-old was assigned 129 lb. to three year-old Arts and Letters’
feathery 111 lb. This differential was too much for the older horse to concede.
Arts and Letters, very sharp, won with authority by 2½ lengths over
Nodouble. So once again, Elliot Burch
had found the perfect prep for his Belmont Stakes candidate.
The Belmont Stakes drew six entries, but only three were
considered to have legitimate chances -Majestic Prince, Arts and Letters and Dike. They each had their supporters, but
the general public was rooting for Majestic Prince to complete the Triple
Crown. The betting public, however, made Arts and Letters the close second
choice. The running of the race was completely unexpected. Dike, who was known
for his closing rallies, went out to set the pace, if you could call it that.
The fractions were glacial, with horses barely getting out of a gallop. Arts
and Letter tracked Dike about 3 lengths back and Majestic Prince, who in his
previous races was always eager to run, was well back in fifth. At the ½ mile
pole, Arts and Letters made his challenge inside Dike and easily pulled away.
Around the turn, Baeza on Arts and Letters was cruising on the lead waiting for
the challenge from Majestic Prince that effectively never came. Running the
last ½ mile in a swift 48 3/5 seconds, Arts and Letters powered to the finish
5½ lengths in front. Majestic Prince passed Dike in the stretch for second by 2
lengths.
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| 1969 Belmont Stakes (bloodhorse.com) |
So a Triple Crown bid was foiled,
and Majestic Prince’s unbeaten streak broken. Was
Majestic Prince as tired as the trainer intimated, or was he unsound as Longden
admitted afterward? Did the race shape undo him, or was Arts and Letters just the superior horse, especially at the
Belmont distance?
These questions were never answered. Majestic Prince was
returned to California where efforts to return him to racing were unsuccessful.
In 1970 his retirement was announced, and he returned to his birthplace at
Spendthrift Farm to stand stud. In the Belmont winner’s circle,
the master of Rokeby Stables, Paul Mellon, celebrated his second
Belmont Stakes victory with Elliot Burch and Braulio Baeza each gaining, respectively their third Belmont
trophies. Arts and Letters raced the rest of the year unbeaten, marching toward the three year-old championship
and Horse of the Year honors.
