Barry Irwin, now the head of Team Valor International, was entering his teenage years in Southern California when Swaps burst onto the scene in 1955. “He just really excited me and caught my imagination,” Irwin recalled. Irwin was hardly alone. Swaps’ popularity became so enormous that Union 76 gas stations began distributing posters of him. “I kept pushing my father to get gas there so I could get more pictures,” Irwin said.
Tag: Legends
Picking Winners: How Andy Beyer Revolutionized Betting on Horse Racing
If there was a Mount Rushmore for horse racing handicappers, it’s an odds-on proposition that the first face on it would belong to Andy Beyer. Some people may have won more money wagering on the races than Beyer, but no other person has enjoyed as profound and prolonged of an impact on the art of handicapping as the 79-year-old graduate of Harvard University.
Gun Runner: Qualities a Horse Needs for a Long, Successful Racing Career
Some racehorses peak at an early age, flashing brilliance right from the start. Others require more time to reach their best form, maturing slowly over the course of several years.
Triple Crown Turning Point: A Claimer, a Crafty Admiral, and a Colt Named Affirmed
With a superstar young jockey, dueling rivals, and electrifying finishes, the 1978 Triple Crown stands out amongst the other 12 on the strength of the sheer thrills and chills that Affirmed and Alydar brought each time they met on the racetrack.
