Good stuff. As often happens, you got me doing some more reading. One thing I'd forgotten was that the JCGC was run at 2 miles during Kelso's era. I'd been thinking it was 1.5 miles then.
Whenever someone says horseracing needs another Triple Crown winner, I always think 'another Kelso would be better'. A TC-winning long-careered gelding would be best of all.
Kelso raced 63 times, winning 39. That's 9 more races and one fewer wins than our last 3 HOY winners put together.
And from Wikipedia:
"Still holds the World Record time for two miles on dirt of 3:19.1 set in the 1964 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Set a new American record for 1½ miles on the turf of 2:23.4 in the 1964 Washington, D.C. International, set just 11 days after his Jockey Club Gold Cup victory."
What?! No 6 weeks spacing between races?!
--Dunbar
__________________
Curlin and Hard Spun finish 1,2 in the 2007 BC Classic, demonstrating how competing in all three Triple Crown races ruins a horse for the rest of the year...see avatar
photo from REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
|