Update on Missy

Missy is still doing good. Yesterday, she ran the last barrel really well. She cantered fast around it, leaning into the turn as she did.

Today, I rode her bareback. She follows me around like a dog. All I have to do is walk away and say, "Come, Missy," and away we go!!

There will be more updates soon, so keep watching!!!!!

Count Fleet

Could not find just one race. Found this instead.

Count Fleet, A Great Triple Crown Winner

The brown colt was born March 24, 1940 to the sickly-like mare Quickly. He was by Reigh Count, a sire who had won the Kentucky Derby.

In 1927, John D. Hertz saw a two-year-old colt that, in a race, reached over and bit another contestant. Such fiery determination convinced Hertz to buy him, and he bought the two-year-old, named Reigh Count.

The next year, the Hertzes ended up with their first Kentucky Derby trophy.

After a fairly successful racing career, Reigh Count went into stud. His stud years were glorious, even better than that of his racing career. In fact, for his first five years as a stud, he was among the top 20 leading Thoroughbred sires of America. His bloom seem to go down after that, however--just like most sires.

Hertz had a want to breed Reigh Count, a horse who could run over distance, with a speedy mare, to produce a colt with the qualities of both. He bought such a mare for $2,500, ignoring all of the breeder's wisdom, which called for a strong, healthy mare. This mare, called Quickly, was seven years old, sickly looking, and footsore. She was bred to Reigh Count twice, and twice rather ordinary foals were brought into the world. Hertz put them up for sale, but noone bought them because of the mother. They snapped up two others by Reigh Count, however.

Only Hertz's guts and determination were able to breed the rather weird combination again. This time, the determination payed off, for Quickly foaled a colt who was to be a hero in his own sort of way. They called him Count Fleet.

The Fleet became rather disappointing as a yearling, for he began to develop some unruly habits, signs of a bad disposition and difficulty in handling when he became stronger. Hertz put the unruly youngster up for sale, but soon declined in that, for one thing, the colt's stable boy begged him not to, and for another, noone would buy an unraced colt foaled by the unpromising mare Quickly. So Hertz sent the problem off to New York to be trained by Don Cameron.

On June 1, 1942, Count Fleet was entered in his first race. The race spelled trouble. At the start, with Johnny London in the irons, the colt swerved, bumped into Vacuum Cleaner, and lost. He did the same thing in another race only two weeks later.

Johnny Longdon was coming to the barn one afternoon and saw another trainer looking over the colt. He hopped on his bicycle and quickly sped to the nearest telephone booth. He called Hertz and asked him why this was happening. Hertz said the colt was up for sale because he was too dangerous to handle. Longdon replied that he wasn't afraid, and Hertz resented, saying that he would keep the unruly colt.

The next race the colt entered was a five-and-a-half-furlong sprint. He won it. He won his next race, also. The race after that he lost, but soon he rebounded again in the Wakefield Stakes to win.

In the colt's next race, Occupation ran, a horse who seemed to be one that could beat Count Fleet. He was the favorite until Count Fleet ran an amazing workout that showed he was a speedster. He was then made the favorite.

Surprisingly, Count Fleet came in third--Occupation first, and Askmenow, a filly, second. Johnny Longdon said that the colt got behind the filly and he couldn't drag him off. It showed the brown colt's like for the fairer sex. The colt had also clipped his quarter (part of the hoof) at the start.

The loss was the last time Count Fleet would ever lose. He went on to win more races, finishing out the year with 10 wins out of 15 starts.

Count Fleet was retired to Stoner Creek Farm for the winter after first capturing Best Two-Year-Old Honors. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the classics, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.

Count Fleet's three-year-old year was nothing but success. He won his first start as a three-year-old, then his second, the Wood Memorial. In this extraordinary race, the colt was trailing blood to the winner's circle from a three inch gash on his hind leg. He had a habit of knicking himself while running, especially at the start. The gash was treated with sulfa drugs, and the hero was shipped off to Churchill Downs.

The cut meant many sleepless nights for Cameron. Should he or should he not race the colt? The answer was yes, and the wound was packed with sulfa drugs and axle grease before the race. Count Fleet was the favorite at 1-2 odds. Only sixty thousand people were at the track, due to World War II and the lack of transportation.

Count Fleet won by three lengths over Blue Swords.

The time was a slow of 2:04, and people began to question the horse's greatness. Was he just lucky to win, or was he really a hero?

Count Fleet answered all doubts in an eight length win over Blue Swords in the Preakness Stakes. Only three horses had opposed him, Blue Swords, Vincentive, and New Moon. The time was a full second over the track record: 1:56 2/5.

On May 22, Count Fleet easily won the Withers Stakes by six lengths over Slide Rule. It convinced all owners to keep their horses out of the Belmont Stakes, and only two dared to try: Fairy Manhurst who only won a maiden race, and Deseranto, a not-so-good son of Man O' War. Therefore, the race was nothing for the Fleet, who won by an incredible 25 lengths. He beat the War Admiral's record by 2/5 second, with time of 2:28 1/5, just a little shy of Bolingbroke's record of 2:27 3/5. He became the new Triple Crown Winner, and a new hero. He also became the first horse to win all five of the spring classics: the Wood Memorial, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Withers Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Due to an injury from striking himself on his left fore, he was retired for the rest of the season.

Early in 1944, it was announced that the Fleet would race again, but that flicker of hope was soon diminished when the injury refused treatment. The Fleet was retired for good to be bred to mares. He was very successful as a stallion, with a son that was even better than himself, Kelso, and others: Lamb Chop, Lucky Debonair, Quill, Tompion, Prince John, Fleet Nasrullah, and Furl Sail. One of his sons, Count Turf, won the Kentucky Derby, completing the first time that a grandsire-sire-son had won: Reigh Count (1928), Count Fleet (1943), and Count Turf (1951).

The good 'ole hero died on December 3, 1973, at age 33. It was the dull night, near Christmas time......

"For Sale" Item

I found that it may be a few months until I can get the "for sale" item out. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Update on Missy

Missy is doing great.

On July 17, she kicked two boards from her stall and jumped out. She ran away. Mr. Pequinoght called at 6:00 and told us.

Dad and Mr. Pequinoght looked for Missy all morning. Finally, they called and said that they had found her in a neighbor's pasture, that she was safe, and that there was no way she could get out, because they had closed both gates. They couldn't catch her, however, and thought that I might be able to get her.

Later in the evening, dad took me over and I walked up to Missy. At first, she trotted away, but she soon let me catch her. We walked her about a mile to the barn where I brushed her, gave her water, and cleaned her stall while dad walked back to get the truck. She had two cuts, which I put ointment on and which are healed up now, a chipped hoof, which Mrs. Pequinoght said is no big deal, and a tick, which I pulled off. The boards were already back on the stall.

Two days later, Missy developed areas in which her she swelled up. She was also very listless. We found that it was an allergic reaction to the new oil-based flyspray. I gave her a bath, and now she is as good as new. Yesterday, I rode her in her pasture because the arena was too muddy.

Note: I will soon have something up for sale in the "For Sale" box; I am not telling what. It may take me a month to get it finished, or it may only take me one or two weeks, I have no idea. So keep watching!!!

Sir Barton, The First Triple Crown Winner

Sir Barton was born in 1916 to the 17-year-old mare, Lady Sterling. He had great breeding, but was plagued with soft, shelly hoofs which he inherited from his sire, Star Shoot. Because of these unlucky feet, Sir Barton hurted whenever he walked, and shoeing was always hard to do.

In 1918, the chestnut colt raced. His first start was not one of the dignity that he had in his lineage. He finished fifth.

In his next few starts, he finished out of the money. He was then sold to Commander John Kennith Levison Ross. Ross believed that through his trainer, H. G. Bedwell, the colt could be brought back to a winning colt.

With the proper care and handling, Sir Barton began showing incredible speed in training. He was entered in some races, and although he got in the money, he still did not get his taste of victory. Those few races ended his two-year-old season.

In 1919, Sir Barton's stablemate Billy Kelly was entered in the Kentucky Derby. Sir Barton was sent along at the last moment to act as a sort of companion for Billy Kelly. Soon it was decided that Sir Barton should also be entered into the Kentucky Derby. Because he had beaten Billy Kelly before, Sir Barton would act as the "rabbit." He was given instructions to set a very fast pace right at the start of the race, and Billy Kelly would be held back. By the time the horses got to the homestretch, the field as well as Sir Barton would be tired out, and Billy Kelly could make his move and win.

They put the plan into action. Sir Barton got into the lead right when the horses leapt from behind the barrier (in those days, there was only an elastic webbing which the horses lined up behind. The barrier would be flung up suddenly, and the horses would shoot forward). He kept the lead, even into the homestretch, when Ross and Bedwell thought sure that he would tire. In the end, he lead Billy Kelly across the finish line five lengths in the lead. He became the fist maiden to ever win the Derby.

Ross and Bedwell decided tp enter Sir Barton in the Preakness Stakes four days later (the Preakness Stakes is now two weeks after the Kentucky Derby). The second jewel of the Triple Crown was hard to get in those days because of the fact that horses had to be shipped immediately after running the Derby, and then they had barely any time to train. Many got sick on the train and were not able to race. Not Sir Barton, however. He was entered into the Preakness with the instructions to get out in front and stay there. Sir Barton did so, and like the Derby, was never headed.

Now the excitment over a new-found hero was rising. The Derby had been muddy, and many thought that was why the favorites did not come on to win. But the Preakness had been fast, and still Sir Barton had done as before, leading until the end. He was definetely a great horse, everyone decided.

With high hopes of winning the Triple Crown, Sir Barton was entered into the Belmont Stakes, four weeks later. In the meantime, Sir Barton won the Withers on May 24.

Sir Barton was at odds of a whopping 7-20. During this time of wait for the big race, Sir Barton had become a snob, partly because of his hurting feet. He ignored other horses, hated pets, and despised humans. He gave his trainer fits. He would only extend himself in workouts when he was made to think that he was in a real race. Fresh horses became tired because they had to race Sir Barton in order to satisfy him.

Finally, the Belmont came. Sir Barton ran the race easily, winning in a canter by five lengths with jockey Johnny Loftus aboard (who also rode him in the Derby and Preakness). He had set a new time record of 2:17 2/5 for the 1 3/8 mile race (it is now 1 1/2 miles). As Sir Barton crossed under the finish pole, he became not only the first Triple Crown Winner, but also the first horse to win the Derby, Preakness, Withers, and Belmont. This was not duplicated until 24 years later by Count Fleet.

The next year, Sir Barton had an on-and-off spring. Often he did not run well, and then there were times when he ran real good. The summer went better.

Meanwhile, the mighty Man O' War, sired by Fair Play and out of Mahubah, was winning races and showing the world that he was more than "just a racehorse." He was the champion of all the world. He had beaten all the best horses horses of his time, including Exterminator, except for Sir Barton. He had finished second one time to Upset in the Sanford Memorial, in which he was facing backwards when the race started and his jockey made three big mistakes. All his other races were firsts.

Although the horse was fast, Sir Barton had run a distance that he had run in one second faster and carrying two extra pounds. Now everyone demanded a match race to be held between the two. It was decided, and the track who offered the most purse money was Kennilworth track in Canada, with a $75,000 and a $5,000 gold cup. Ross and the owner of Man O' War, Riddle, accepted just a few hours before another track offered a $100,000 purse.

Sir Barton was taken to the track to train, and so was Man O' War. Ross had trouble deciding who should ride Sir Barton. Johnny Loftus hadn't been able to get his license that year, and Clarence Kummer had already been selected to ride Man O' War. Ross put Earl Sande up, but an hour before the race, he changed his mind. Frank Keogh would ride the champion. When the news was broken to Earl Sande in the jockey's room, he sat down and cried. Ross said he had no grudges against Earl Sande, it was only that, in trying to keep his weight down, Earl Sande had been getting queezy and in recent races had lost.

The two champions lined up. Neither owner needed the money from the purse, but if Man O' War won, he would top the $200,000 mark and be the leading money winner for a little. If Sir Barton won, it would only increase his fame.

The horses started, and what was supposed to be a match race was barely a match race at all. The horses battled for a few brief seconds; then, Man O' War was in the lead, and he stayed in the lead, crossing under the finish line seven lengths ahead of Sir Barton.

Did Man O' War break Sir Barton's heart? It seems that he did, for Sir Barton never won a race again. He was soon retired.

On October 30, 1937, Sir Barton died of colic. He had been sold to many ranches, and his colts that he had sired were not very succesful. His fillies seemed to be the best of the foals he sired.

In the Blood Horse Magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses, Sir Barton is ranked No. 49.

So went the story of the first Triple Crown Winner in history.