The 1979 Triple Crown Series

The 1979 Triple Crown Series

Joseph Di Rienzi

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the 1979 Triple Crown series that was dominated by one of the great horses of the latter part of the 20^th century. Spectacular Bid’s career did not originate at one of the major racing centers. He was trained by a colorful and boisterous trainer and ridden through the classics by a teenage jockey. Spectacular Bid was first noticed on the national racing scene in September 1978 as a two year-old when he won the World’s Playground Stakes at Atlantic City Race Course spectacularly (excuse the pun) by 15 lengths in near track record time for the 7 furlong race.

Trained by the gregarious Grover Greer “Bud” Delp whose home base was Maryland, Spectacular Bid was a medium sized steel gray son of Bold Bidder. Purchased as a yearling by Harry C. Meyerhoff for $37,000, his career began with a maiden victory and then an allowance win, both at Pimlico Race Course in July. Venturing into stakes competition, Spectacular Bid finished a distant fourth in a division of the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park. (The other division was won by William Haggin Perry’s Coastal, who would be a sophomore presence in 1979.) Traveling up I-95 to Delaware Park, Spectacular Bid prepped for the World’s Playground Stakes by running second in the 6 furlong Dover Stakes.

Facing the East Coast’s best two year-olds in the 1 mile Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park in October, Spectacular Bid, ridden by New York based Jorge Velasquez, was a close second choice to Hopeful Stakes winner General Assembly (a son of Secretariat). Gaining the early lead, Spectacular Bid set strong fractions and dominated the race to win by 2¾ lengths over General Assembly. The excellent running time gave testimony to the performance and signaled that this son of Bold Bidder was mounting a strong challenge for leadership in the juvenile division.

Spectacular Bid appeared next at the Meadowlands Racetrack for their newly created Young America Stakes at 8½ furlongs. Extricating himself from close quarters at the start, Spectacular Bid dug down in deep stretch to repel his Dover Stakes conqueror Strike Your Colors by a neck. Next on the colt’s fall agenda was the Laurel Futurity where he again faced General Assembly in a race that would decide the two year-old championship. Upset with Velasquez’s ride and post-race remarks in the Young America, Bud Delp reinstated Spectacular Bid’s former rider, 18 year-old Ronnie Franklin. In the Laurel Futurity, all Franklin had to do was sit still on “Bid” as he grabbed the lead early and powered to an 8½ length victory over General Assembly in track record time. Putting a period on a championship season, Spectacular Bid traveled to Keystone Race Course and won the 8½ furlong Heritage Stakes easily by 6 lengths while rating off the early pace.

At the start of 1979, the axis of power for the classics appeared to revolve around an East-West polarity. Spectacular Bid was unquestionably the best in the East. However, on the opposite coast there was a tall, large framed son of Gummo, bred in California by owner Ben J. Ridder, named Flying Paster. As a juvenile, after breaking his maiden at first asking, Flying Paster finished second in 3 straight stakes races. Although Flying Paster’s breeding was inclined toward speed, the bay colt’s physical conformation suggested he would only get better with maturity and racing at longer distances. Indeed, he finished 1978 with a flourish, winning 6 straight stakes races in California. In fact, Flying Paster was so impressive, West Coast observers opined that he should have been voted the Two Year-old Champion, instead of Spectacular Bid.

Spectacular Bid and Flying Paster each offered their respective admirers a distinct contrast in terms of connections, confirmation, and running style. Spectacular Bid, now owned by Harry (father) and Tom (son) Meyerhoff of Baltimore, MD and trained by brash Bud Delp, was a gray, efficiently moving colt who had great acceleration and verve. Flying Paster, owned by longtime California breeder Ben J. Ridder and trained by soft spoken, former Canadian Gordon Campbell, was a long bodied bay who used his lengthy strides to wear down his opposition. Even the respective jockeys were disparate. Bid’s rider was Ronnie Franklin, a now 19-year-old, riding primarily in the Maryland-Delaware circuit. “Paster” had the services of 41 year-old veteran Donald Pierce whose best previous chance of winning the Derby was denied when he was replaced by Bill Shoemaker aboard second finishing Hill Rise in 1964. Since the two principals prepared for their Derby engagement on opposite coasts, it was clear they would not face each other until the first Saturday in May.

These two colts happened to make their initial starts of the year on the same day (February 7) in 7 furlong races and both came away with impressive wins in nearly identical time. Spectacular Bid ran against three foes in the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park and defeated Lot o’Gold by 3¾ lengths. (Lot o’Gold, will be a frequent, although dim, shadow to Spectacular Bid.)  Flying Paster faced only four rivals in winning the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita by 6 lengths.

Less than two weeks later, Spectacular Bid appeared in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and after a slow beginning, he took command on the backstretch to run away from the field by 8½ lengths over Lot o’Gold. In another two weeks, came the Florida Derby with Spectacular Bid the overwhelming favorite against seemingly overmatched opponents. The race had more drama than anticipated as Spectacular Bid was twice trapped behind horses during the race, and only when Franklin was able to extricate the his mount at the top of the stretch, did he assert himself to win by 4½ lengths over the now familiar Lot o’Gold. In the aftermath, Delp publicly chastised Franklin for poor judgement, threatened to replace him with Bill Shoemaker, but in the end, he retained him for the duration of the Triple Crown series.

Flying Paster prepped next in the San Felipe Handicap and carrying 127 lb. for the 8½ furlong contest did not deliver his characteristic rally over a Santa Anita racetrack rated good. At the finish, Flying Paster was beaten a head and nose by, respectively Pole Position (119 lb.) and Switch Partners (114 lb.). In the Santa Anita Derby, Flying Paster faced his San Felipe conquerors at equal weights. Any questions about Flying Paster’s classic qualifications were answered when he roared around the final turn and swept to victory by 6½ lengths ahead of Beau’s Eagle.

About a week earlier, Spectacular Bid ran in the Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah Park, and this time, Ronnie Franklin made no mistakes in steering Bid to the outside down the backstretch where he promptly took control and widened his lead on the rest of the field. At the finish, Spectacular Bid was 12 lengths in front of Strike the Main. The colorful Delp, who repeated that Spectacular Bid was “the greatest horse to look through a bridle”, to anyone who would listen, was becoming a media celebrity.

Flying Paster’s final Derby prep was the Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park, and he could not have been more impressive. Tracking the pacesetter, the son of Gummo cruised to the lead around the final turn and roared down the stretch to a 10 length triumph over Switch Partners. The final time, faster than Affirmed’s in the same race in 1978, only served to confirm to Californians that they had a real contender for the Kentucky Derby. Jockey Pierce declared that “Paster” was the best horse he had ever ridden.  

In the Blue Grass Stakes, Spectacular Bid faced Lot o’Gold for the fourth time. In a field of four, Spectacular Bid ambled to the lead early on the backstretch and opened up on the field to beat Lot o’Gold by 7 lengths. The final time was not particularly fast, and Spectacular Bid’s last 1/8 mile was slow, a condition also evident in his easy Flamingo victory. Most observers dismissed these pedestrian times in light of his superiority over inferior rivals.

As Derby Day approached, all the talk was about the impending confrontation between Spectacular Bid and Flying Paster. Despite the contrasts cited earlier, there were some interesting connections. Procne, dam of Flying Paster had defeated Spectacular Bid’s dam, Spectacular, in a minor stakes race. On the other hand, Bold Bidder, the sire of Bid had narrowly beaten Gummo, Paster’s sire in a stakes race. The field of ten three year-olds had also Screen King, Golden Act and General Assembly, as possible upsetters. What I find interesting is that in the wagering, Spectacular Bid emerged the pronounced favorite and the clear consensus pick from the experts. 

The pre-race speculation was that Bid would be sent to the front early as he was in the Blue Grass. However, Ronnie Franklin was more concerned with steering his mount to the outside from his no. 3 post position, with the result that Spectacular Bid settled in seventh position in the run for the clubhouse turn. General Assembly inherited the lead with Flying Paster close by. The early fractions were moderate, and it appeared Flying Paster was in an ideal position to strike. Down the backstretch, Donald Pierce asked his mount for run and Paster went up to challenge, but at the same time, Franklin let Bid loose, and the response was immediate. Spectacular Bid ranged on the outside of Flying Paster as they both went to challenge General Assembly, and it was clear Bid was going the better of the two pre-race standouts. Taking the lead from General Assembly in the upper stretch, Spectacular Bid pulled away readily and recorded a 2¾ length margin at the finish. While no threat to the winner, General Assembly held second, easily by 3 lengths over a rallying Golden Act. Flying Paster finished fifth, 10 lengths behind Spectacular Bid. Paster’s connections were at a loss to explain his poor performance, settling on the adage, “he did not handle the track”. The final time was not fast as Derbies have been run, but no one would contest that Spectacular Bid was the best. In the winner’s circle, Bid’s owners Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Meyerhoff and son Tom were rightfully jubilant, but not as much as trainer Bud Delp whose belief in the greatness of his colt and the competency of his rider, Ronnie Franklin, was now vindicated.

1979 Kentucky Derby
(usatoday.com)

With Spectacular Bid’s supremacy now firmly established, there were not many who ventured to challenge him in the Preakness Stakes. His Derby win was authoritative; he had now won 11 straight stakes, and Pimlico was his home base. Only four others were entered: Flying Paster, General Assembly, Golden Act and Screen King. Paster’s connections dismissed his Derby loss and were hoping that the Pimlico racing surface would be conducive in reproducing his Californian form. The betting public had absolute confidence in Spectacular Bid and made him the 1-10 favorite. At the start, Flying Paster bore out slightly into Spectacular Bid whose jockey was once again content to take back to insure a running position in the clear. General Assembly and Flying Paster went for the lead in tandem, setting fast early splits. About halfway down the Pimlico backstretch, both Screen King and Spectacular Bid went up to challenge the top pair, and, once again, Spectacular Bid’s surge was impossible to resist. Flying Paster tried to run with him around the far turn, but he could not keep up. As the field straightened in the stretch, Bid had a clear lead that widened to 5½ lengths at the finish. Golden Act, as reliable as the daily mail, rallied to be second, 4 lengths in front of Screen King. (A fourth place finish in another disappointing effort sent Flying Paster back home to California to rest and regroup.) The final time, helped by the rapid early pace, was near the track record. Just about everyone watching the Preakness was convinced they saw a superhorse and the next Triple Crown winner.

1979 Preakness Stakes
(bloodhorse.com)

There was some unsanctioned fisticuffs in the lead up to the Belmont Stakes. Jockeys Angel  Cordero and Ronnie Franklin had an altercation in the Belmont Park Jockey’s Room on the Wednesday of Belmont Stakes Week. Perhaps, Franklin was feeling the pressure of the Triple Crown and let Cordero, who had a reputation for intimidation, get the better of his nerves. In the eight horse Belmont Stakes field, there were old challengers such as General Assembly, Golden Act, Screen King and King Celebrity, but the “talking horse” was clearly Coastal. Nevertheless, the betting public and just about every “expert” picked Spectacular Bid to continue his dominance. There was the question of Bid’s ability to stay the full 1½ mile Belmont Stakes distance, but his recent races were all decided by the stretch turn.

At the start, longshot Gallant Best was urged to the front, and Spectacular Bid, who also broke well, became the closest pursuer several lengths back. The fractions were on the fast side for a 1½ mile race but not torrid. As the field settled for the long run down the backstretch, Spectacular Bid, surprisingly, went up to challenge Gallant Best and readily took over the lead. The problem was there was still about 7 furlongs to run. General Assembly was the first to mount a challenge to Bid’s lead, which he would fail to sustain. Coastal, who in the early running was a distant fourth, was roused to make his surge around the sweeping final turn. Initially, jockey Ruben Hernandez did not get a response, but after further coaxing, Coastal made up ground along the inside. Spectacular Bid came into the stretch with a clear lead, but he was not striding out as he had down in the past. Hernandez had his mount full of run now, but for a split second he was undecided whether to steer Coastal inside or outside of the fatigued leader. He chose inside, and Coastal passed Spectacular Bid in upper stretch and went on to win by 3¼ lengths. Golden Act, running his customary strong race, finished second a neck ahead of Spectacular Bid. The time for race was average as Belmonts go, but none doubted the quality of the performance.

1979 Belmont Stakes
(wsj.com)

When a Triple Crown bid falls short, the story is not about the victor of the Belmont Stakes but about the horse who did not win the Triple Crown. Franklin’s ride was the first issue to come under scrutiny with the supposition he pushed Spectacular Bid to the lead too soon off fractions that were too fast. (Ronnie Franklin would never ride Bid again.) The second contention was that Spectacular Bid, although brilliant, was not bred to win in the highest company at 1½ miles. (He would finish second later in the year in the similarly distanced Jockey Club Gold Cup, albeit to the year older Affirmed.) The third and most incredible was offered several days later by Bid’s trainer, Bud Delp who claimed that a pin in Spectacular Bid’s stall the night before the Belmont caused a sufficient wound to compromise his horse’s bid for immortality - the proverbial needle in the haystack.

Whatever the reason for Spectacular Bid’s loss, it was a great victory for Coastal and his connections - breeder Claiborne Farm, owner William Haggin Perry, trainer David Whiteley, and jockey Ruben Hernandez. Coastal would have the opportunity to show later in the year that his win was no fluke, and he was a colt of considerable quality. But Spectacular Bid would go on to greater glory, winning 3 of 4 remaining starts in 1978 (with his only loss to Affirmed) and sweeping all before him as four year-old in 9 starts in 1980.