The Centennials of the American Classics

The Centennials of the American Classics

Joseph Di Rienzi

The Triple Crown races (the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes) are venerable landmarks in the annual United States thoroughbred calendar. In a year where they need to be postponed or possibly canceled, I thought it might be soothing to look at each’s 100^th edition observing how they were celebrated and chronicling the various horses and human personalities involved in the respective race’s drama.

The Kentucky Derby has been run continuously at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY since 1875, and the centennial renewal on May 6, 1974 broke the previous attendance record and still holds the mark for the largest field (23 horses). The reported crowd of 168,628 shattered the record of 134,476 set the previous year when Secretariat launched his quest for the Triple Crown. The surge in popularity was attributed partly to the interest in thoroughbred racing generated by Secretariat, and the rest was due to the hoopla attached to this 100^th edition of the Run for the Roses. 

Unlike 1973, the 100^th renewal had no budding superstars. In truth, there were several in the field whose credentials did not seem to warrant entry into the Kentucky Derby, and in the future qualifications would be instituted to restrict the number of starters. (The maximum number settled on was 20.) There was an international flavor to this year’s Derby with Lexico and Set n’Go, although bred in the U. S., having done most of their racing in Venezuela, and Sir Tristram who was Irish bred but French raced.

The Woody Stephens trained entry of Judger and Cannonade was sent off the post-time favorite. The former, owned by Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm, had a light but promising two-year-old campaign. The bay son of Damascus came to the fore as a prime Kentucky Derby prospect when he roared from extremely far back in the field to defeat Cannonade by ¾ of a length in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Cannonade was a regally bred bay son of Bold Bidder from the mare Queen Sucree, herself a daughter of the undefeated international star Ribot bred by his owner the industrialist John M. Olin. Heavily raced as a juvenile, Cannonade showed his hardiness with three stakes victories at the tail end of 1973. After the Florida Derby, the Judger-Cannonade entry both ran in the Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah Park but were soundly defeated with the former finishing third, and the latter was a non-factor in placing seventh.

Brought to Kentucky by Stephens, the stablemates regained their reputations with impressive victories in their respective final Derby preps. In the 9 furlong Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse, Judger, running his best race, rallied spectacularly around the far turn to win going away by 4 lengths. (In the beaten field was Bushongo who had won the Flamingo). A week before the Derby at Churchill Downs in the 7 furlong Stepping Stone Purse, Cannonade, under new jockey Angel Cordero Jr., showed an electrifying turn of foot to surge from thirteen place to win going away by 2 lengths.

Of the two, Judger was considered the better, but it was questionable whether his tactics of closing from far back would work if he had to pass 22 horses to win. Also, he drew way on the outside in post position 22. Cannonade, on the other hand, had post 2, and there was concern he would lack room when he would launch his rally. Second choice was afforded to California raced Agitate, and third betting favorite was the entry of Rube the Great and his stablemate Accipiter. Remarkably, despite the bulky field, the race was run without serious incident. Triple Crown and Hudson County set the early pace with Destroyer and Sir Tristram in third and fourth place, respectively. Cannonade was back in twelfth saving ground along the rail, and Judger was mired in twenty second place. Cordero, riding Cannonade very aggressively, steered him to the outside down the backstretch and made a bold move to gain command around the far turn. As the field turned into the homestretch, Cannonade was leading by as much as 4 lengths over Destroyer and Hudson County. It was similar to Cannonade’s move in the Florida Derby, but this time he was not caught, although Hudson County, actually made up ground in deep stretch to beaten only 2¼ lengths. Agitate closed some to be third another 3¼ lengths back. Unnoticed by many was the closing punch of Darby Dan Farm’s Little Current who at one point was twenty third and then was fanned extremely wide at the top of the stretch. He finished fifth, beaten a little less than a total of 6 lengths. Judger, who did rally mildly, finished eighth in a disappointing performance. The final time was slow, but the track was not at its fastest.

 Cannonade winning the 1974 Kentucky Derby
(gettyimages)

In the winner’s circle there was regality with Princess Margaret of England and, at that time her husband, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon, presenting the trophy to John Olin’s stepdaughter, Mrs. Eugene Williams. Olin, who watched the race on television from his office in St. Louis, MO, had made sizable investments in the racing business and saw in Cannonade the fruition of his efforts. Woody Stephens, a Kentucky native, finally won the Kentucky Derby (he would win it again in 1984 with Swale), and Angel Cordero solidified his position as one of the country’s top riders with this victory. 

Cannonade went on to contest the other Triple Crown races, but he could do no better than third place in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. In the remaining classics, Little Current, not having to contend with such large fields, drew away to win each by 7 lengths, establishing himself as the champion three-year-old male horse of his generation.

The Preakness Stakes now Maryland State mandated at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore has a more muddled history than its Kentucky counterpart. The inaugural running was in 1873, two years before the first Kentucky Derby. However, it was not run from 1891-1893. To further complicate the story, the Preakness was contested in New York in 1890 and from 1894-1908 and twice (in 1917 and 1922) contested on the same day as the Derby. Its appellation derives from a horse of the same name who won a stakes race at Pimlico’s grand opening in 1870.

The centennial renewal of the Preakness Stakes was on May 19, 1975. On a rainless afternoon, the attendance of 75,216 was a record at the time. The ten entrants attracted the first six finishers in the Derby: Foolish Pleasure, Avatar, Diabolo, Master Derby, Media and Prince Thou Art, respectively. Foolish Pleasure, the Kentucky Derby victor and previous year’s juvenile champion was the solid but not overwhelming favorite. Avatar, who was compromised in the Derby by being bumped in deep stretch by Diabolo, was the second choice and Singh, who did not contest the Derby, the third betting favorite. There was a lightly raced undefeated colt from California, Native Guest, who also drew some attention.  Master Derby, a prominent two-year-old of 1974 and major stakes winner earlier in the year, was sent off at 23-1 odds, based on his disappointing fourth place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

On a fast but dull racetrack, Native Guest set the pace tracked by Media. Unlike the Derby, Master Derby was much more forwardly positioned by jockey Darrel McHargue, just behind the two leaders. Singh was in fourth with Diabolo stalking in fifth. Avatar, who went wide on the clubhouse turn, was sixth, and Foolish Pleasure was saving ground in seventh place. Heading for the far turn, the field suddenly bunched up with Master Derby, Singh and Avatar all challenging the leading pair. As a result, Singh was forced to check briefly and lost his position. Master Derby, running between rivals, took the lead as the field headed in the stretch with Avatar in second place. Foolish Pleasure launched his rally at the same time that Singh re-engaged himself in the race. Diabolo, also with some run, was fanned very wide around the stretch turn, and even Prince Thou Art commenced a rally up the rail. Master Derby spurted clear to a 3 length lead and, though tiring in the stretch and bearing out, he held a 1 length margin at the wire. Foolish Pleasure, altering course in the stretch as Master Derby drifted to the outside, fought doggedly to the end, finishing second with Diabolo, also closing well, a length behind Foolish Pleasure in third. Prince Thou Art was fourth, 1½ lengths back with Avatar fifth and Singh sixth. The first six finishers were within 5¼ lengths of each other and all ran credibly, although the final time was on the slow side over the deep racecourse. A foul claim by Jacinto Vasquez riding Foolish Pleasure against McHargue for interference was disallowed by the Pimlico stewards.

Master Derby after the 1975 Preakness Stakes
The Thoroughbred Record)

Sadly, Robert E. Lehmann, breeder of Master Derby (and owner of 1970 Kentucky Derby winner, Dust Commander (the sire of Master Derby)), had passed away in 1974. His wife, Mrs. Verna Lehmann, who was now running Golden Chance Farm’s racing and breeding operation, accepted the Woodlawn Vase trophy along with other family members. Trainer, W. E. “Smiley” Adams and jockey McHargue mutually celebrated their first classic victories.

Most of the principals in the Preakness returned in three weeks to contest the Belmont Stakes, and in a thrilling finish, Avatar out lasted Foolish Pleasure by a neck with Master Derby 3½ lengths further back in third place.

The 100^th renewal of the Belmont Stakes in 1968 was scheduled to coincide with the re-opening of a renovated Belmont Park. Closed in 1963, a new grandstand was built and racing was resumed at Belmont Park on May 20, 1968. The Belmont Stakes was first run in 1867 at Jerome Park in The Bronx, NY. and named after August Belmont who secured the finances for the facility. It was moved to Belmont Park on Long Island, NY at the track’s grand opening in 1905. Not contested from 1911-1912 due to anti-gambling legislation in New York State, the race has been run continuously since 1913.

On Belmont Stakes Day on June 1, 1968, there was the possibility of a Triple Crown winner, but with a significant asterisk attached. In the year’s Kentucky Derby, Dancer’s Image had crossed the finish line first, but was disqualified three days later for testing positive for a prohibited medication. As a result, second finishing Forward Pass owned by Calumet Farm was declared the official winner. However, Peter Fuller, Dancer’s Image’s owner, lodged an appeal that would take four years to resolve in Forward Pass’ favor. In the Preakness, Forward Pass was a decisive winner with Dancer’s Image finishing third but disqualified back to fourth for interference.

With 54,654 in attendance, the Belmont Stakes attracted nine entries with Forward Pass the 1-1 race favorite. (Dancer’s Image was not entered as he had been retired due to an injury.) The entry of Call Me Prince and Draft Card were the strong second choice, but the third choice was a horse that had still been a maiden on Kentucky Derby Day. Bred and owned by the famed Greentree Stable of John Hay Whitney and his sister Joan Payson, Stage Door Johnny was a burly chestnut son of Prince John that was attracting considerable attention. A very attractive horse with a big blaze running down his face, Stage Door Johnny was bred for stamina, his grandsire being Princequillo and his dam, Peroxide Blond, a daughter of Irish Derby winner Ballymoss. Longtime Greentree trainer John Gaver showed patience with running him only twice as a two year-old finishing a closing second both times. Stage Door Johnny had made his initial start in 1968 on April 17 at Aqueduct Racetrack and finished third in a maiden race. By Preakness Day, the big chestnut had won his first race by 6 lengths. He followed that with a very impressive victory under jockey Heliodoro Gustines in the 9 furlong Peter Pan Purse at Belmont Park defeating other Belmont Stakes hopefuls in a good final time.

As a horse race, the 100^th running of the Belmont Stakes was truly a classic. Forward Pass took the lead early and set sensible fractions. Stage Door Johnny gradually made progress from the back of the pack to reach contention at the top of the stretch. In a stirring duel, Stage Door Johnny gradually pulled away from Forward Pass to win by 1¼ lengths in very fast time. So dominant were the first two finishers that the third place horse, Call Me Prince was 12 lengths back in third. Stage Door Johnny became the fourth winner of the Belmont to carry the salmon pink and black colors of Greentree Stable. It was trainer John Gaver’s third victory and jockey Gustines’ first in the classic. Most people who watched the Belmont, admired Forward Pass’s tenacity and durability, but were convinced they saw a champion in the making in Stage Door Johnny.

Stage Door Johnny with owners John Hay Whitney and Joan Payson
(NYRA-Mike Sirco/BloodHorse)

Sure enough, with victories in his next two starts, the Saranac and Dwyer Handicaps, before an injury forced his retirement, Stage Door Johnny was voted at year’s end the champion three-year-old male horse. 

So as we lurch through 2020 under the threat of COVID-19, let us remember that human activities including the sport of thoroughbred racing have endured over the tumult and chaos of the last 150 years. If history is a guide, we all can take heart that future generations will have the opportunity to celebrate the bi-centennials of these Triple Crown races.