2-year-old champions from '71 to '78
'71: Riva Ridge (won Ky Derby following year)
'72: Secretariat (won Ky Derby following year)
'73: Protagonist (did not race at age 3)
'74: Foolish Pleasure (won Ky Derby following year)
'75: Honest Pleasure (2nd by 1 length at 2-to-5 odds in Ky Derby)
'76: Seattle Slew (won Ky Derby following year)
'77: Affirmed (won KY Derby following year)
'78: Spectacular Bid (won Ky Derby following year)
Over this 8-year stretch ... the 2yo champion made 7 starts in the Kentucky Derby with a record of six wins and one second place finish.
The two non-2yo champions who won the Derby -- were Cannonade and Bold Forbes. Cannonade was a multiple Graded Stakes winner at age 2. Bold Forbes was a champion 2yo in Puerto Rico -- he also won the Saratoga Special at age 2 and Len Ragozin called him one of the fastest 2yo's ever in his book 'The Odds Must Be Crazy'
Those days are probably gone forever. Anyone who tried to make sense of the abortion that was the 3yo crop leading into the Derby through the prep season this year was basically made to look like a monkey.
|