In horse racing, margin of victory is usually measured in lengths, which might seem like an imprecise measure but over time has come to be standardized as the length of a horse from nose to tail, about eight feet. Ten lengths then is 80 feet, just a couple of feet longer than a tennis court. In 2006, 80 feet was the measure of a star, a 2-year-old colt who would make history on the first Saturday in May a few months later.
Tag: Legends
Woody Stephens: Hall of Famer Won Remarkable Five Belmont Stakes in a Row
A list of Woodford Cefis Stephens’ accomplishments could pretty much fill a chapter of an encyclopedia. In a career that started in the 1930s and lasted into the 1990s, the Hall of Fame trainer known as “Woody” was revered as one the sport’s most respected and beloved figures. He won eight Triple Crown races, saddled nine champions and received enough trophies from his stakes wins to stock a three-story museum.
Triple Crown Winner Whirlaway: Calumet’s Mercurial and Brilliant Star
It's never a good thing when your boss calls you a knucklehead. “You can teach him,” quipped legendary trainer Ben A. Jones of Whirlaway in the spring of 1941, “but you can't teach him much. ”
Swale: Claiborne’s Beloved 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes Winner
In some ways, Swale can be considered the Riva Ridge of the 1980s. Both were champions. Each was obscured by a famous stablemate for part of his career. They also registered the first Kentucky Derby win for one of the sport’s most famous farms. Both suffered a loss in the Preakness that kept them from sweeping the Triple Crown.
