REMEMBERING LITTLE CURRENT ('74 KYD 23 horses!)
Apr 28, 2014 23:34:04 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Apr 28, 2014 23:34:04 GMT -5
From Xpressbet site
By Jon White
REMEMBERING LITTLE CURRENT
Forty years ago, Little Current probably should have been a Triple Crown winner. If not for a brutal trip in the Kentucky Derby, Little Current might well have his name alongside the 11 Triple Crown winners. The centennial edition of the Derby in 1974 had 23 starters, the biggest field in its history. That roughly run 1974 Derby is what led to the field being limited to 20 starters.
The 1974 Derby was a nightmare for both Little Current and Daily Racing Form’s chart crew. Putting together an accurate chart for a 23-horse field in the pre-VCR era was extremely difficult. Thus, Little Current’s troubled journey was not noted in the chart. All it says is “Little Current closed strongly following a sluggish beginning.”
Film of the race showed that Little Current was full of run late after getting stopped cold a number of times in the big field. Cannonade, masterfully ridden by Angel Cordero Jr., won with a ground-saving ride. There were those who could not help but think back to Cannonade and Cordero after Calvin Borel’s similar masterpiece on Street Sense in the 2007 Derby.
Little Current went on to win the Preakness by seven lengths and the Belmont by the same margin. Cannonade finished third in both of those races, making it difficult not to come to the conclusion that he was quite fortunate to have won the Derby.
After the Belmont, Little Current narrowly lost both the Monmouth Invitational Handicap and Travers Stakes to Holding Pattern. Little Current, a son of Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sea-Bird, then ran sixth in the Lawrence Realization Stakes on the grass in the final start of his 16-race career. He was voted an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male of 1974.
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And I think 20's too many!!
By Jon White
REMEMBERING LITTLE CURRENT
Forty years ago, Little Current probably should have been a Triple Crown winner. If not for a brutal trip in the Kentucky Derby, Little Current might well have his name alongside the 11 Triple Crown winners. The centennial edition of the Derby in 1974 had 23 starters, the biggest field in its history. That roughly run 1974 Derby is what led to the field being limited to 20 starters.
The 1974 Derby was a nightmare for both Little Current and Daily Racing Form’s chart crew. Putting together an accurate chart for a 23-horse field in the pre-VCR era was extremely difficult. Thus, Little Current’s troubled journey was not noted in the chart. All it says is “Little Current closed strongly following a sluggish beginning.”
Film of the race showed that Little Current was full of run late after getting stopped cold a number of times in the big field. Cannonade, masterfully ridden by Angel Cordero Jr., won with a ground-saving ride. There were those who could not help but think back to Cannonade and Cordero after Calvin Borel’s similar masterpiece on Street Sense in the 2007 Derby.
Little Current went on to win the Preakness by seven lengths and the Belmont by the same margin. Cannonade finished third in both of those races, making it difficult not to come to the conclusion that he was quite fortunate to have won the Derby.
After the Belmont, Little Current narrowly lost both the Monmouth Invitational Handicap and Travers Stakes to Holding Pattern. Little Current, a son of Epsom Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sea-Bird, then ran sixth in the Lawrence Realization Stakes on the grass in the final start of his 16-race career. He was voted an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male of 1974.
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And I think 20's too many!!