Another interesting thing about Whirlaway... here is his career record when he's more than 6.5 lengths back while running at a distance of over a mile.
1st time: 1st by 8 lengths in the Kentucky Derby
2nd time: 1st by 5.5 lengths in the Preakness
3rd time: 1st by 3.75 lengths in the Travers
4th time: 1st by head in the Clark Handiap
5th time: 1st by 0.75 in the Dixie Handicap
6th time: 2nd by 2 in the Suburban
7th time: 1st by 1.75 lengths in the Brooklyn
8th time: 2nd by 2.5 lengths in the Butler (winner got 29lbs weight break)
9th time: 1st by 2.25 lengths in the Mass Cap
10th time: 1st by 2 in the Nar Special Handicap
11th time: 2nd by 1.5 in the Manhatten Handicap (winner got 17lbs break)
12th time: 1st by half length in the Washington Park Handicap
13th time: 1st by 1.5 lengths in the Louisiana Handicap
So, the 13 times that Whirlaway was able to fall more than 6.5 lengths back going long - he was still able to compile a 13-10-3-0 record ... and virtually all of those races either important 3yo races like the Ky Derby, Preakness, and Travers - or important handicap races against older males.
I'm convinced that you could take a speedy precocious horse like Hard Spun or Smarty Jones that we mock now ... and if they fell in the right year long ago - we'd be talking about them the same as people talk about Man O' War and Count Fleet.
However, a horse like Whirlaway came around at a time before pedigrees started to become so speed heavy and 2yo in training sales became big.
Whirlaway was quick and early developing enough to win races like the Saratoga Special at 6fs and the Hopeful at 6.5fs. Had enough early speed to actually set paces in the Blue Grass and Derby Trial ... but his best game was when you took him way back.
To me, Whirlaway would be a majestic fit in the modern game. A lot of those great speed horses of old made their reputation by taking advantage of their oppositions complete lack of speed.
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