When was the last year this happened?
 

Not a single winner of this year's Triple Crown races ran as a 3yo in California, New York, Kentucky, or Florida prior to May 1?

Do you just mean at 3? MTB ran in the BC in Cali at 2. Rachel ran in KY at 2.
At 3, it was Oaklawn and Sunland for the boys. Did Rachel run at FG this spring or just Oaklawn?

Maybe now the damn Arky Derby will get some respect.

Just at 3. Rachel won the FG Oaks.

Both, she also won the Fantasy and Martha Washington in romps.

To answer the question, probably never. But I guess you knew that.:tro:

I know it hasn't happened since I started following racing in 1984. If I remove Kentucky from the question, then the last time it happened was 2002: War Emblem raced at FG and Sportsmans, and Sarava raced in Kentucky in their 3yo season prior to May 1.

unfortunately, highly unlikely:mad:

Arkansas Derby used to be a G1, so was the Fantasy, but at some point Charles Cella had a row with the Grading committee when they downgraded most of his best races (1980s? 90s? The memory goes when you're older) over the purse amounts, I believe. Don't think The Committee has looked kindly on his track's races since then. Their so-called objective standards turn a nothing race like the Just the Game into a G1, but overlook the importance of races like the Arkansas Derby. (The original grading committee didn't make that kind of mistake.) One of the reasons the grading system is totally broken, IMHO.

Yet the G1s and G2s are liberally scattered in these locales, while the 'boonies" are lucky to get a G2. Traditional centers like South Florida, So Cal, Maryland and NY have been mismanaged or has stagnated. Kentucky is being devalued by purse competition from the cheapies and an antediluvian legislature.

State governments, who rake in taxes from racing without having to invest in it or contribute to its health, have to take some of the blame. The California legislature's knee-jerk reaction to the problem of break-downs is but one example of legislators meddling in things they don't understand.

You mean the nothing race that had two eventual BC winners in the trifecta last year? Yeah, a real shame they made that race a G1.

I could never understand why the FG Oaks and Explosive Bid/Muniz Hcp (especially when it was worth $700) were never assigned Grade 1 status. If you throw out 2006 because of the meet lost to Katrina, four of the last five KY Oaks winners ran in the FG Oaks. I know the GSC uses a formula to assign grades, but that has to count for something. 12 horses ran in the 2007 and 2008 FG Oaks, and that included six Grade 1 winners Mistical Plan, Octave, Dawn After Dawn, Appealing Zophie, Proud Spell, and Indian Blessing, and one Grade 2 winner, Dawn After Dawn.

any horse ever run 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd, like MTB?

Checking. So far, the closest I've come up with is:

Curlin ran 3rd, 1st, and 2nd
Ferdinand was 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

good research, thanks

Ferdinand and Mine that Bird are the only ones.

wasnt Ferdinand the one who ended up being slaughtered after he went to Japan to stand at stud?

Yes. :( Was just watching some of his races the other day after a mention on Steve's show.

I'm prepared for another year of rip-off with the Arkansas Derby once again getting the shaft. Obviously there are greater travesties in the world, but that's just one thing that's guaranteed to get on my nerves annually.

Most good horses (should) run in lesser prep races to get ready for the bigger races ahead. Like running in the San Felipe before you run in the Santa Anita Derby. Just because a couple of good horses use it for prepping in one particular year doesn't make the race a major event. Is it really on a par with the Beverley D. or the Diana?

It's not the case with the fillies and mares though. When there is a G1 on the schedule they are going there to win. A colt prepping in a G2 or G3 for a G1 down the road is very different than fillies and mares going in a G1 on the turf.

Go look through the fields for the Just a Game year in and year out and re-assess that statement. The Just a Game has been a very strong race for quite some time.

I can't believe with all of the ridiculous races on the west coast that are Grade Is that someone would even fathom targeting a race like the Just a Game as having an unnecessarily high grade.

NT