$1 million Chrysler Triple Crown Challenge bonus
 

This was big back in the day when I first started following horse racing.

I think the scoring went 15-10-5-3-1 or something like that.

The horse with the most points that finishes all 3 races wins the million dollar bonus.

I wish they still had it this year...the scoreless Optimizer would be going for the glory.

I think it was 5-3-1 at first. I remember Alysheba won the first two races with Bet Twice second then Bet Twice won the Belmont and the bonus when Alysheba ran out of the money. I don't know if I have it right but I think it was then changed to 10-5-3 to guarantee a dual winner at least a split provided he ran in all three.

I think they scrapped it after the breakdown of either Prairie Bayou in the Belmont or Union City in the Preakness.

I'd look it up -- but I actually have a lot of betting to do for a change.

Didn't VISA also sponsor the Triple Crown, too, with a $5 million bonus if you won the Triple Crown?

Yes.

A check they never got to write.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_...le_Crown_Bonus The bonus under Chrysler stopped in 1995 and switched to Visa. Quite the understatement to say that the payout of the bonus was incredibly depressing in 1993. Good news, your horse won the Chrysler Triple Crown Challenge, and here's a giant check. Bad news, you just had to euthanize him.

The last 5 horses to get the Visa bonus were dual Classic winners. All but Afleet Alex were going for the Triple Crown. The first non-bonus year was Barbaro. One horse, Sweetnorthernsaint, ran in all 3 races with 1 second in the Preakness. Probably good that they didn't award it that year.

They could have done it for another 25 years and still have not had to write that check. Someone over there screwed up royally!

They actually stopped the $1 million dollar bonus when Visa took over. The $5 million was still there for a horse that won the TC, but not the consolation bonus.

I thought it was a neat while it lasted and I wish they'd bring something like it back.

Wow, I was way off. I thought the $5 million bonus stopped much earlier than Barbaro. Smarty was eligible for $5 million? Thought the only bonus he was eligible for (and he won) was the Cella bonus.