The other stop that trip was Spendthrift Farm. Nashua. Exclusive Native. Seattle Slew. Affirmed. J O Tobin. Slew was very matter of fact. Where Secretariat came out quietly but with a presence of royalty Slew walked out like an ordinary horse who just happened to do remarkable things. The photos have long been lost, unfortunately, but the memories remain of a chance to see legends.
Affirmed
8 February 2009
24 January 2009
id for the Triple Crown and in any other year would have been a likely Triple Crown winner himself. Affirmed and Alydar, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer are among the names that are linked forever.Sham never had a chance at a Horse of the Year title or 3 year old champion due to the overwhelming dominance of Secretariat. Secretariat and Sham in the Belmont Stakes raced head to head on the backside with Sham sticking a head in front and looming as an upset. Secretariat toyed with him pressing him over 10 lengths ahead of the nearest horse before Secretariat pulled off a move that the racing world has not ever seen before or since, leaving the entire field reeling and opening up with every stride, leaving Sham leg weary and trailing the field at the end of the race of his life. Secretariat romped that June day by 25 lengths and shattered the race record by 2 3/5 seconds after a gruelling campaign that shattered the Kentucky Derby record and unofficially set the Preakness record also, although a timer malfunction denied him that officially. Many peole considered Secretariat a failure at stud for not doing the impossible. He did not reproduce himself but it's hardly considered a failure to sire a Horse of the Year and he did that also, siring champion Lady's Secret. "The Iron Lady" was not big in stature but in the 1986 Breeders Cup Distaff she was in a strong field of fillies including Twightlight Ridge, Outstandingly and Fran's Valentine. Lady's Secret opened up on the backside by 5 1/2 length and as they approached the turn it seemed they would catch her but like her sire she was not done. She found another gear and opened it up twice putting distance between her and the rest of the field. At the time that placed her fifth on the all time money earning list and she was considered up with champions Precisionist for the big prize of Horse of the Year.It is impossible to think of past champions without arguably the greatest bargain in Thoroughbred history at $17,500. In the only meeting of Triple Crown winners he triumphed as well as one of the greatest sires in the world. He is t he only undefeated Triple Crown winner. He made the Sure-win popular on appearance. Seattle Slew was unchallenged and eased to his early three year old wins. He was discounted but despite being bumped hard and trapped behind horses at the start he made the other horses in the field forgettable. J.O. Tobin was an English champion but could not stay with Slew in the Preakness. In the Belmont he faced an uphill battle with an off track and an undefeated mount that swept the Crown. J.O.Tobin exacted revenge in California in Slew's last race as a three year old. Health issues interfered with his four year old season. After a head defeat by one of those forgotten horses Slew headed to the Marlboro Cup to take on that year's Triple Crown winner
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