Jim Dandy

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Probably the most famous upset in American horse racing history was the 1930 Travers.

I posted this picture a few years ago in the perfect trip picture thread:



Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox was 9-for-10 at age 3 - his only defeat coming in the Travers Stakes... when Jim Dandy won the race by 8 lengths.

The winner Jim Dandy was 1-for-20 as a 3-year-old - his lone win coming over the mighty Gallant Fox and the mighty Whichone in the Travers. Jim Dandy was just 7-for-143 in his pitiful career ... with a mind boggling 63 last place finishes. He was listed at 100/1 in the four horse field .. but stories claim several bookmakers offered him at 500/1 and up to 1,000/1.

Whichone - who was 10-for-13 lifetime and had won the Whitney and Saranac earlier in the meet - finished 3rd beaten 14 lengths.

The big defeat tarnished Gallent Fox so much that he was only rated #28 on BloodHorse's top 100 horses of the past century list.

He and Whichone went 1:13.60 to the pace call and the final time was 2:08.00 - using modern day Saratoga pars that would translate to a raw pace figure of 80 and a raw final time figure of 59. In other words it was a +21. So, if the track was 35 points slower than par .. you're talking a 115 pace and a 94 final over a very dull track.

They hooked up in a duel before the first turn - and Whichone floated Gallant Fox out extremely wide through the first turn.

Obviously you see tens and tens of races just like this every single week...but this one is pretty famous and had a few similar things in terms of same race track, same distance, important stakes race, very small field, two standout horses, an early speed duel between them with the inside most one floating the other extremely wide through the 1st turn, a dull racetrack that's yielding times slower than par, and a big longshot runaway winner.

I just wish they'd rename the Alabama Stakes after Persistently.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

I found partial video of the race on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRIrN...eature=related

After watching about 32 cheap races tonight..that clip is a great way to end it.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

I found partial video of the race on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRIrN...eature=related

After watching about 32 cheap races tonight..that clip is a great way to end it.

I wonder if they knew back in 1930 that the cameras they were using for video back then would still be in use in 2010?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

That camera work was solid.

[slotdirt]

Good stuff as always.

[Linny]

The track was a sea of slop and I don't think they used as much sand as they do now. That track was re-surfaced only a few years prior, using soil dug out of the infield to create the infield lake. Running on that mud would be like running in the thick mud you find in your garden or yard after a terrific downpour.
The lake, which has it's aesthetic qualities was intended as a water source in case of fire.
I think Jim Dandy had won in the slop at Saratoga the year before.