SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 33,973
- Like
- 65,531
I know it's been a while since the Belmont but I'm determined to finish my series on hroses that won two out of the three Triple Crown races. This is the final segment, on horses that won the Derby, lost the Preakness and then won the Belmont. There are eleven of them so I'll split it into two parts, the seocnd of which I'll post tomorrow.
ZEV
Zev was a New Jersey horse owned by Harry . Sinclair, (who became famous that year- 1923- for his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal. Sinclair named the horse after a friend of his, Colonel James Zeverly. He was trained by Sam Hildreth and ridden by the most famous jockey of the time, Earl Sande.
Zev probably belongs in the “2nd and 3rd” series. The Preakness was actually held before the Kentucky Derby and Zev didn’t win it. In fact, he didn’t come close, finishing 12th. I was unable to find out an explanation for this except Wikipedia said “He had his problems.” Zev had been the “Champion Colt” of 1922 with 5 wins. He didn’t have very many problems after that. Three days later he won the Rainbow Handicap and four days after that he showed up at the Kentucky Derby, a 19-1 shot off his poor showing in the Preakness. He won by a length and half and then the Belmont, leading both wire to wire.
He was then matched with Epsom Derby winner Paprus and beat him by 5 lengths, the first time a Kentucky Derby winner had beaten an Epsom derby winner. Zev, known as “The Brown Express”, had 43 races in his long and accomplished career, winning 23, finishing second 8 times and third 5 times, (23-8-5). Bloodhorse ranked him the 56 best US race horse of the 20th century.
U-Tube has nothing on Zev but I found this at the British Pathe site. Here is a 22 minute (silent) documentary on the Zev-Papyrus match race, full of interesting detail, such as Papyrus being led up the gangplank of the liner Aquitania to a carefully padded stall for the trip over the pond. The fact that the British felt the need to do a 22 minute document on the match illustrates what a big deal this was in 1923:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/papyrus-v-zev/query/zev+papyrus
TWENTY GRAND
Twenty Grand was a New Jersey horse owned by Helen Hay Whitney, who had married into the famous Whitney family, very prominent in both business, (since colonial times), and horse racing. Twenty grand was trained by James Rowe and ridden by Charlie Kurtsinger. He was one of a group of horses called the “Big Four”, (the others were Jamestown, Mate and Equipoise), in 1931. He was the best of them. The “Horse of the Year” award began in 1936 but was retroactively awarded to 1887 and Twenty grand “won it” for 1931. He won the Derby, finished a close second to Mate in the Preakness and then won the Belmont. In 23 races, he was 14-4-3.
U-Tube has nothing on Twenty Grand but here’s a good article:
http://colinsghost.org/2010/04/twenty-grand-and-the-kentucky-derby-1931.html
And here’s a home movie of the 1931 Derby:
http://vimeo.com/1023555
JOHNSTOWN
Johnstown, a son of Jamestown, was another product of William Woodward Sr’s Belair Stables in Maryland and of trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons. He was ridden by James Stout. Having won 7 of 12 races as a two year old, he was a heavy favorite for the 1939 Kentucky Derby. He had to come from behind but won by 8 lengths. On a muddy track at the Preakness, he finished 5th. He’d never raced in the mud before and never would again. Fellow Hall-of-Famer Challedon won that race after fishing second in the Derby but there was no rubber match in the Belmont because Challedon “was not eligible”, (I’ve been unable to determine why). Challedon went on to win “Horse of the Year” after winning 8 races that year. He wound up with a 20-7-6 record in 44 races to Johnstown’s 14-0-3 in 21 races.
U-Tube has nothing on either horse but this site has some good pictures:
http://community.tvg.com/t5/History-and-Photos/1939-BELMONT-AND-KY-DERBY-WINNER-JOHNSTOWN-son-and-grandson-of/td-p/175150
SHUT OUT
Shut Out was a son of Equipoise. Like Twenty Grand, she was owned by Helen Hay Whitney. John Gaver was the trainer and Wayne Wright was the jockey until the Belmont when Eddie Arcaro took over. Shut Out won the 1942 Kentucky Derby, faded to 5th in the preaches but won the Belmont under Arcaro. But Alsab. Two other horses who were foaled in 1939, Devil Diver and Alsab, ultimately outshown Shut Out, Alsab winning the Preakness and Horse of the Year for 1942 and Devil Diver the award the next two years after that. Alsab also beat 1941 Triple Crown winner Whirlaway in a match race in 1942.
In 40 starts, Shut Out was 16-6-4. Alsab was 25-11-6 in 51 races and Devil Diver, (22-12-3 in 47 races.
I was unable to find ay clips of Shut Out’s races but this site has and article on Alsab that discusses his races with Shut Out:
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/alsab.html
MIDDLEGROUND
Middleground, (one word) as a King Ranch horse, (as was Assault, the 1946 TC winner was), trained by Max Hirsch and ridden by Bill Boland. He won the 1950 Kentucky derby, finished second in the Preakness after a rough run and then won the Belmont. He was named Horse of the year in 1951 and retired with a 6-6-2 record in 15 races. Hill Prince, who had won the Preakness, finished second in the Derby and seventh in the Belmont, after which he was found to have a bleeding problem. After a rest he came back and won several races, including a couple over Middleground, and won the 1950 Horse of the year.
Here is an article about Hill Prince which discusses his battles with Middleground:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#48004970
NEEDLES
Needles was named “Needles” because he had several early health problems and kept having to have injections. I guess they worked. He’s in the Hall of Fame. He was a Florida horse owned by D&H Stable, (Jack Dudley and Bobbie Heath), trained by Hugh Fontaine and ridden by David Erb. He won 6 of 10 starts as a 2 year old in 1955. In the 1956 Kentucky Derby he came back from 24 lengths behind to win. A similar comeback came up short in the Preakness and he finished second by 2 lengths to Fabius, whom he had beaten in the Derby. Needles then won the rubber match at the Belmont. He was injured and sent to stud midway through his 4 year old season with a record of 11-3-3 in 21 races.
U-Tube doesn’t have the Derby or Belmont but here is the Preakness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4ULxYTbetY
An article on Needles:
http://www.bonnieheathfarm.com/needles.html
ZEV
Zev was a New Jersey horse owned by Harry . Sinclair, (who became famous that year- 1923- for his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal. Sinclair named the horse after a friend of his, Colonel James Zeverly. He was trained by Sam Hildreth and ridden by the most famous jockey of the time, Earl Sande.
Zev probably belongs in the “2nd and 3rd” series. The Preakness was actually held before the Kentucky Derby and Zev didn’t win it. In fact, he didn’t come close, finishing 12th. I was unable to find out an explanation for this except Wikipedia said “He had his problems.” Zev had been the “Champion Colt” of 1922 with 5 wins. He didn’t have very many problems after that. Three days later he won the Rainbow Handicap and four days after that he showed up at the Kentucky Derby, a 19-1 shot off his poor showing in the Preakness. He won by a length and half and then the Belmont, leading both wire to wire.
He was then matched with Epsom Derby winner Paprus and beat him by 5 lengths, the first time a Kentucky Derby winner had beaten an Epsom derby winner. Zev, known as “The Brown Express”, had 43 races in his long and accomplished career, winning 23, finishing second 8 times and third 5 times, (23-8-5). Bloodhorse ranked him the 56 best US race horse of the 20th century.
U-Tube has nothing on Zev but I found this at the British Pathe site. Here is a 22 minute (silent) documentary on the Zev-Papyrus match race, full of interesting detail, such as Papyrus being led up the gangplank of the liner Aquitania to a carefully padded stall for the trip over the pond. The fact that the British felt the need to do a 22 minute document on the match illustrates what a big deal this was in 1923:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/papyrus-v-zev/query/zev+papyrus
TWENTY GRAND
Twenty Grand was a New Jersey horse owned by Helen Hay Whitney, who had married into the famous Whitney family, very prominent in both business, (since colonial times), and horse racing. Twenty grand was trained by James Rowe and ridden by Charlie Kurtsinger. He was one of a group of horses called the “Big Four”, (the others were Jamestown, Mate and Equipoise), in 1931. He was the best of them. The “Horse of the Year” award began in 1936 but was retroactively awarded to 1887 and Twenty grand “won it” for 1931. He won the Derby, finished a close second to Mate in the Preakness and then won the Belmont. In 23 races, he was 14-4-3.
U-Tube has nothing on Twenty Grand but here’s a good article:
http://colinsghost.org/2010/04/twenty-grand-and-the-kentucky-derby-1931.html
And here’s a home movie of the 1931 Derby:
http://vimeo.com/1023555
JOHNSTOWN
Johnstown, a son of Jamestown, was another product of William Woodward Sr’s Belair Stables in Maryland and of trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons. He was ridden by James Stout. Having won 7 of 12 races as a two year old, he was a heavy favorite for the 1939 Kentucky Derby. He had to come from behind but won by 8 lengths. On a muddy track at the Preakness, he finished 5th. He’d never raced in the mud before and never would again. Fellow Hall-of-Famer Challedon won that race after fishing second in the Derby but there was no rubber match in the Belmont because Challedon “was not eligible”, (I’ve been unable to determine why). Challedon went on to win “Horse of the Year” after winning 8 races that year. He wound up with a 20-7-6 record in 44 races to Johnstown’s 14-0-3 in 21 races.
U-Tube has nothing on either horse but this site has some good pictures:
http://community.tvg.com/t5/History-and-Photos/1939-BELMONT-AND-KY-DERBY-WINNER-JOHNSTOWN-son-and-grandson-of/td-p/175150
SHUT OUT
Shut Out was a son of Equipoise. Like Twenty Grand, she was owned by Helen Hay Whitney. John Gaver was the trainer and Wayne Wright was the jockey until the Belmont when Eddie Arcaro took over. Shut Out won the 1942 Kentucky Derby, faded to 5th in the preaches but won the Belmont under Arcaro. But Alsab. Two other horses who were foaled in 1939, Devil Diver and Alsab, ultimately outshown Shut Out, Alsab winning the Preakness and Horse of the Year for 1942 and Devil Diver the award the next two years after that. Alsab also beat 1941 Triple Crown winner Whirlaway in a match race in 1942.
In 40 starts, Shut Out was 16-6-4. Alsab was 25-11-6 in 51 races and Devil Diver, (22-12-3 in 47 races.
I was unable to find ay clips of Shut Out’s races but this site has and article on Alsab that discusses his races with Shut Out:
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/alsab.html
MIDDLEGROUND
Middleground, (one word) as a King Ranch horse, (as was Assault, the 1946 TC winner was), trained by Max Hirsch and ridden by Bill Boland. He won the 1950 Kentucky derby, finished second in the Preakness after a rough run and then won the Belmont. He was named Horse of the year in 1951 and retired with a 6-6-2 record in 15 races. Hill Prince, who had won the Preakness, finished second in the Derby and seventh in the Belmont, after which he was found to have a bleeding problem. After a rest he came back and won several races, including a couple over Middleground, and won the 1950 Horse of the year.
Here is an article about Hill Prince which discusses his battles with Middleground:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#48004970
NEEDLES
Needles was named “Needles” because he had several early health problems and kept having to have injections. I guess they worked. He’s in the Hall of Fame. He was a Florida horse owned by D&H Stable, (Jack Dudley and Bobbie Heath), trained by Hugh Fontaine and ridden by David Erb. He won 6 of 10 starts as a 2 year old in 1955. In the 1956 Kentucky Derby he came back from 24 lengths behind to win. A similar comeback came up short in the Preakness and he finished second by 2 lengths to Fabius, whom he had beaten in the Derby. Needles then won the rubber match at the Belmont. He was injured and sent to stud midway through his 4 year old season with a record of 11-3-3 in 21 races.
U-Tube doesn’t have the Derby or Belmont but here is the Preakness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4ULxYTbetY
An article on Needles:
http://www.bonnieheathfarm.com/needles.html
