Quote:
|
Originally Posted by ArlJim78
early speed was golden that day.  |
I laughed.
The crazy thing about this horse is that they tried to rate him over and over at the start of his career, and he would just fight the rider and pull, and have no great punch left at the end of his races. So, during his 4-year-old season, they just let him run off to big leads in all his races, and he simply wouldn't stop.
He won six consecutive major stake races in a row as a 4-year-old, and was a heavy favorite in the '98 Emperor's Cup. He had a 15 length lead on the far turn of the race, and suffered a fatal breakdown right there.
I certainly wouldn't compare his popularity to the kind a Barbaro or a Ruffian had---but he was VERY popular, and it is considered one of the darkest days in the sports history over there.