Triple Crown + Travers

[OTM Al]

Picked this up at a charity auction last year. Thought I'd share being the race in question. The other two weren't very good in comparison to be kind. Think one may have had 4 wins and the other only 1 going in, but may be off on this

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Picked this up at a charity auction last year. Thought I'd share being the race in question. The other two weren't very good in comparison to be kind. Think one may have had 4 wins and the other only 1 going in, but may be off on this

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by OTM Al

Picked this up at a charity auction last year. Thought I'd share being the race in question. The other two weren't very good in comparison to be kind. Think one may have had 4 wins and the other only 1 going in, but may be off on this

Yeah -- the Travers prep for Whirlaway in the Saranac was a tougher race.

He gave War Relic 13lbs (130 VS 117lbs) and just got up to beat him by a nose going a mile.

Interesting info on War Relic at this link: http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.p...mall_font=1&l=

Owner: Glen Riddle Farms
Breeder: Samuel D. Riddle
State Bred: KY
Winnings: 20 Starts: 9 - 4 - 2, $89,495

Won Massachusetts Handicap, Narragansett Special, Narragansett Governor's Handicap, Kenner Stakes

According to the National Sporting Library's Thoroughbred Heritage website, War Relic was the most successful sire of any of Man o' War's sons. It was said that he had a nasty temper, though, that you should never turn your back on him, and that he had even killed a groom.

War Relic's remains along with those of War Admiral and Man o' War were eventually moved to a place of honor at the Kentucky Horse Park.

[Indian Charlie]

I think through sons of In Reality, War Relic is the only tail male line still going from Man O' War.

[Calzone Lord]

Here was a pretty good 3-year-old who almost pulled the sweep off:



* In 1931, Twenty Grand won the Kentucky Derby by 4 lengths in the final time of 2:01 4/5.

By comparison, the 2010 and 2011 Breeders Cup Classic were both run at Churchill Downs and went in slower times of 2:02 1/5th (Blame VS Zenyatta year) and 2:04.27 (Drosselmeyer year) I'll Have Another's Derby win was 2:01 4/5ths over a souped up track.

* In 1931, Twenty Grand won the Belmont by 10 lengths in the time of 2:29 3/5ths.

The 2011 Belmont was run in 2:30.88 and the 2010 Belmont was run in 2:31.57

His Travers win was only 2:04 3/5th. The last two Travers have been run in 2:03.03 and 2:03.28. However, he did come back two weeks later and beat Hall of Famer Sun Beau by 10 lengths. The week after that he won the Lawrence Realization at 13 furlongs, and a week after that won the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 2 miles.

[Calzone Lord]

The two 3yo races not shown in Twenty Grand's PP's above were the Wood Memorial (he won 1st off the layoff) and the Preakness (he finished 2nd)

Judging by all written accounts -- Twenty Grand was plenty best in the Preakness and should have been a Triple Crown winner.

Here is his Preakness chart:




Here is part of the Daily Racing Form write-up saying he encountered major trouble in two different spots:







Preakness winner Mate earned over $300,000 racing in the 1930's. The equivalent of almost $5 million today. Equipoise "The Chocolate Solider" finished 4th. He returned to win all of his next seven races and bank over $338,000 in earnings.

Twenty Grand was retired to stud but proved to be sterile. He had no offspring and was never quite the same when brought back.