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Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS
You obviously don't know about 1933 Kentucky Derby winner Brokers Tip.
His lifetime record was 14-1-2-1 ... and he is the only horse in history who's only career win came in the Derby.
He won the race in controvesial fashion...his jockey and the rider of the 2nd place finisher were fighting each other through the lane.
It's a story almost as remarkably absurd as Sir Barton....
A horse who entered the Kentucky Derby as a maiden, off of a 8 month layoff, and only running to serve the purpose as a pace setting rabbit for his stablemate. He runs off and wins by 5. Takes the Preakness next out, followed by the Withers, and than the Belmont.
From hopeless maiden rabbit at post time on May 10th - to the first horse to sweep the later to be named Triple Crown on June 11th.
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All of which points out how the status of the Kentucky Derby has changed since those days. When Sir Barton ran, the leading American classic was the Belmont S, the Kentucky Derby was a prep race like the Florida Derby or the Blue Grass (neither of which were around then). Also, Sir Barton had finished second in the biggest 2yo stakes race, The Futurity, where maidens got a tremendous weight break so that trainers often made sure their runners were still maidens. Sounds like the trainer was using the Derby to leg-up Sir Barton for later races by having him set the pace, not because he doubted the horse's ability.