There was excitement and uncertainty entering the inaugural Breeders’ Cup in 1984, but the initial championship had exceeded the hype even before it came to an unforgettable conclusion when three tenacious racehorses rumbled toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic finish line unwilling to give an inch.
Tag: Legends
Ramon Dominguez: World-Class Jockey and World-Class Person
Five months after a spill on Jan. 18, 2013, Ramon Dominguez sat in a doctor’s office and received news no jockey ever wants to hear. His career was over. The doctor explained the severity of a traumatic brain injury Dominguez had suffered. He outlined the risks that would be associated with another such injury, risks so great that they made it unthinkable for the jockey to enter the starting gate ever again.
King Leatherbury: Maryland Legend
King Leatherbury knows how he wants his training career to be defined. He knows how he would like to be remembered. “If I wanted something on my tombstone,” he said, “it would just be, ‘He won races.’ ”
Davona Dale: A Dominant Calumet Star
The great work by trainer John Veitch in revitalizing the fortunes of Calumet Farm is most commonly associated with the legendary Triple Crown runner Alydar. Yet for all the fame generated by Alydar’s trio of runner-up finishes to Affirmed in the 1978 Triple Crown, Veitch enjoyed more success with three homebred Calumet fillies that he turned into champions. Foremost among that group was a filly who gave Veitch a sweep of a series for 3-year-olds – times two.
