No Triple

Florida-bred Affirmed is still the last (1978) Triple Crown champion. Super Saver just didn't have a win in him yesterday, finishing 8th. I'd love to see a re-play of the stretch run, as I remember seeing SS suddenly veer to the outside and slow - now I can't remember if it was to avoid clipping heels with someone in front of him or for some other reason - but there was a definite lessening of momentum. Lookin at Lucky had a super ride from new jockey Martin Garcia, and was positively the best in yesterday's field. First Dude was a surprise to me, leading for most of the race, and hanging in there, fighting for second from Jackson Bend. It was a very good race.
I got a note from my cousin Sarah, asking me why I hadn't mentioned the great Dan Patch during the past three days, when I've been talking about "Super Horses" - that will be remedied today. All harness horses, or Standardbreds, registered in the US are traced back to four foundation stallions, each of them the son of Hambletonian 10 (as he is listed in the stud book), but he is popularly known as Rysdyk's Hambletonian. He was born in Sugar Loaf, Orange County, New York in May of 1849, and died in 1876, having sired a recorded 1336 foals. People made fun of William Rysdyk's colt - his withers were lower than his croup (a point on the hindquarters) - but he was the fastest trotter of his time. ... Dan Patch was a pacer, a dark bay or brown stallion, born in 1896. He was undefeated in all of his races, and was acknowledged the fastest pacer in the world, having established a record of pacing a mile in 1 minute and 55 seconds in 1906. That record was not broken until 1960, when Adios Butler paced the mile one-quarter of a second faster. Dan Patch was so fast and so well known, that it was difficult for him to find other pacers to race; he usually ended up just racing the clock. He passed away in 1916 at the age of 20. ... Greyhound is my favorite trotter; he was a grey gelding, and he was known as the world record holder of the fastest trotting mile from 1938, when he set the record (aged 6) of 1 minute 55 and 1/4 seconds. That record stood until 1969, 4 years after his death. The Grey Ghost was a great favorite with visitors, and his stable door was always open to the public from his retirement until his death.
Today is beautiful. It's sunny, the sky is blue, and we're expecting a high of 70 (with 75 tomorrow). Indi and Steve have given me a great many laughs in the past few days, and they are totally adorable. Yesterday, Indi brought me her stuffed black cat and begged me to wrestle with it and her. Steve is just a little love bug. I can see why Aussies are known as "wiggle butts" and I have found out how much they respond to their Mom's term of "little monsters" - they adore it and come scrambling for love and treats. Such sweeties!