In today’s world of Thoroughbred horse racing, the path to winning an Eclipse award as champion 2-year-old is relatively clear. First, you win a maiden race for horses who have never won a race before. Then, you try to win at least one graded stakes race (preferably a Grade 1) and hopefully more; finally, you win either the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile or Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to become the clear-cut champion of your division.
Tag: Legends
A Patient and Versatile Craftsman, Jonathan Sheppard Achieved Staggering Success
There are few certainties in life or in the sport of horse racing. But just as you could count on the changing of the seasons, you could count on Jonathan Sheppard sending out winners by the dozen, year after year, in tests of both pure speed and dexterity over jumps. He retired from training in the U.S. before the 2021 season, but maintains a small stable in Ireland.
Triple Crown Turning Point: Count Fleet on the Market
By 1943, the United States was more than a year into World War II, with Allied forces fighting in both Europe and the Pacific. For many, the racetrack served as a distraction, a place to get away from the heaviness of reality and find personalities to root for in challenging times.
The Claim-to-Fame Journey of Lava Man
The history of horse racing is filled with rags-to-riches stories of jockeys, trainers, and horses that rise from humble beginnings to achieve success at the highest levels of the sport. Few such stories can compare with that of the remarkable gelding Lava Man, who went from claimer to Hall of Famer to dominate California horse racing for much of three unforgettable years.
