Legends

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charles strub santa anita park california seabiscuit horse racing racetrack

Charles H. Strub: The Man Called ‘Mr. Santa Anita’

Dr. Charles Henry Strub was one of those entrepreneurial businessmen seemingly capable of succeeding in any imaginable enterprise. He started out small as a baseball player of modest ability and as a dentist keen to embrace innovation. By the time of his death, he had kickstarted the career of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune, and transformed Santa Anita Park into one of horse racing’s greatest stages.

Triple Crown winners, War Admiral, Omaha, and American Pharoah, BloodHorse Library, Eclipse Sportswire

SLIDESHOW: U.S. Triple Crown Winners from Sir Barton to Justify

The U.S. Triple Crown in Thoroughbred racing has been swept by only 13 horses in the history of the sport. It takes a special racehorse to win the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes, and the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes in a five-week stretch during the spring of a 3-year-old campaign.

Let's take a look back at the 13 superstars in this slideshow below who were able to etch their names in the history books as Triple Crown winners.

The Fashionably Late-Running Carry Back, a True Cinderella Story

The history of horse racing is filled with rags-to-riches stories of horses and horsemen rising from unknown beginnings to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. But has there ever been a champion as improbable as Carry Back?

His story reads like a fairy tale, a veritable Cinderella story.

All Along, Turf Classic, Aqueduct, Eclipse Award, 1983 Horse of the Year, Coglianese photos, Patrick Biancone, Daniel Wildenstein

A Horse of the Year in 42 Days: All Along’s Magical Run to the Record Books

At the start of autumn in 1983, All Along was not remotely a candidate for any type of year-end award in North American Thoroughbred racing or her native France. She had not won a race all year.

Everything changed in the span of 42 days.

Bricks and Mortar, Breeders' Cup Turf, 2019 Horse of the Year, Santa Anita Park, Eclipse Sportswire, Chad Brown, Klaravich

Bricks and Mortar: From Adversity Emerged a Champion

The Thoroughbred is known for its athletic prowess and tenacious spirit, qualities that the humblest of claimers or the grandest of champions can show when put to the test. When an injury sends a horse to the sidelines, their performance when they return to the racetrack can show fans what that particular competitor is made of.

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