There have been twelve thoroughbreds since 1978 that attempted to complete the three race sweep of racing's Triple Crown. I'll take a look at the last ten horses who couldn't win the final leg. The reason I'm just looking at this group is that I began watching racing in 1986 and didn't follow the sport as closely before that. As stated in last week's column, the 1979 effort of Spectacular Bid while not very good in the Belmont Stakes, he did become one of the best thoroughbreds to race the last 40 years when he finished his career out. Also, since I'll Have Another did not race in the 2012 edition of this race, he never had a chance of winning the Triple Crown in my opinion.
In 1987, two horses battled throughout the three Triple Crown races. Alysheba who entered the Kentucky Derby that year with just a maiden victory ( he was disqualified from first in the Bluegrass Stakes, his final prep race) won the Derby with a rough trip and Bet Twice was the runner-up. They ran one/two in the Preakness and three week's later, Bet Twice left Alysheba in the dust. Alysheba could not race on the medication, Lasix in New York because it was not allowed at that time period. Alysheba went on to a great racing career, but a lack of a certain medication derailed him from eternity with his Belmont Stakes try.
Two years later, another epic battle between two great horses played out and once again, things didn't work out as planned for the first two legged winner. It was east versus west with Sunday Silence and Easy Goer in 1989. Sunday Silence got the best of his rival on a muddy track the First Saturday in May and two week's later out dueled his nemesis in a photo finish at Old Hilltop. But, at the friendly confines of Belmont Park, the horse some dubbed "the new Big Red" showed why he was "New York's ~ Easy Goer" with an overwhelming victory in the Test of Champions".
Now, eight years have past and Bob Baffert had his first runner going for the Triple Crown; Silver Charm. He began a rivalry with a fellow California runner; Free House in the first two legs of the Triple Charm. Much like this year, the 1997 Triple Crown series was most formful. A "new shooter" though would upset the apple cart in the final leg in the Belmont. While everyone's attention was on Silver Charm and Free House, it was the runner with a troubled trip in the Preakness who got the money in the end. Touch Gold ran down Silver Charm late and upset his Triple Charm bid. After that, the often foot problem runner never lived up to his expectations and in the end, Silver Charm did become the more successful horse of the two.
One year later, in the most exciting renewal of the Belmont Stakes to date, Real Quiet and Victory Gallop brought back the rivalry of 1987 and 1989 dueling foes. Real Quiet upset his stable mate; Indian Charlie in the Derby and came back two week's later to defeat his runner-up opponent; Victory Gallop in the Preakness. Going into the Belmont Stakes, the chance of a Triple Crown winner wasn't as big publicly as the three previous tries with Alysheba, Sunday Silence and Silver Charm. It seemed that Real Quiet was the forgotten horse trying to accomplish this feat. But, there were no disappointments on June 6th, 1998 when Real Quiet looked like a winner at the eighth pole, only to lose the head bob to Victory Gallop who finished behind him twice. It was the most exciting end of a Triple Crown race since Affirmed beat Alydar in the 1978 classic. But to the dismay of thoroughbred horse racing fans, the Triple Crown would go unclaimed for the 21st year.
These four attempts from 1987 to 1998 were the real testament to the Triple Crown series. Although there would be six more attempts right up until last year, the Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Silver Charm and Real Quiet races were what made the thrill of this series so great. Next week, I'll look at the next six attempts. We'll see longshot contenders who made it big, fan favorites and one horse who fooled EVERYBODY but your's truly!
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