Legends

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Del Mar History: A Thrilling Inaugural Pacific Classic

It might seem hard to believe, but as little as 33 years ago, popular Del Mar racetrack in California lacked a signature race to define its summer stakes schedule.

There were plenty of quality races held each year at the seaside track, but none that could definitively rank as a must-watch, can’t-miss event.

Hall of Fame Racehorse Sword Dancer: Dominant on Dirt

If you’re familiar with Sword Dancer through the stakes named in his honor at Saratoga, then you may not know the real story behind the horse.

The Sword Dancer Stakes, run in late August, is a Grade 1 event that’s an altogether fitting tribute to the great champion of the 1950s.

John Henry: The People’s Champion

In the long and colorful history of Thoroughbred racing there’s a wealth of heartwarming stories, but few can match the exhilarating rags-to-riches saga of John Henry.

Exterminator: The Legend of ‘Old Bones’

“Who is it laughs at years that flow?

Who is it always gets the dough?

Whose only creed is go and go?

Exterminator.”

The above verse, part of a short poem titled “Old Bones,” was affectionately written by Guy McGee and published in the Daily Racing Form on June 22, 1922. Through the years, relatively few racehorses have inspired people to publish poetry in their honor, but then again, few horses have ever sparked the imagination of racing fans quite like Old Bones, the legendary Exterminator.

Mom’s Command: A Modestly Bred Champion

Three-year-old males have the Triple Crown.

Three-year-old fillies have the Triple Tiara.

While the Triple Tiara may lack the notoriety of its counterpart for males and includes only New York races, it has attracted a long list of outstanding runners since its inception in 1959.

Initially, the series that includes the Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks was called the Filly Triple Crown and then the NYRA or New York Filly Triple Crown before NYRA changed it to the Triple Tiara in 1987.

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