Remembering ... Bet Twice

For me the story of Bet Twice begins in the early 80’s at Delaware Park. A favorite destination for our family during my childhood, going to Delaware was like a unique vacation day. There was something special about that three-hour drive to the rural racetrack location. Good memories abound. We saw plenty of good horses there over the years, and one that particularly stands out was a beautiful colt by the champion Nijinsky, named Sportin’ Life. Horses for courses was a tag that fit him perfectly. Not quite grade 1 material when he raced elsewhere, there was something about Delaware Park that brought out all of Sportin’ Life’s immense talent. Simply put, I would not have bet anyone racing in those days to beat him at Delaware. Flash forward a handful of years, and the young sire reproduced the talent that I was so familiar with. Foaled in Kentucky, Bet Twice was a strapping son Sportin' Life out of the multiple stakes producing mare Golden Dust. He was bred by William S. Farish III and E. J. Hudson and was born on what is now Kentucky’s Lane's End Farm. His main owner, Robert Levy, was well known in New Jersey as the owner of Atlantic City Race Course, so it was no surprise to see Bet Twice begin his career under the tutelage of New Jersey mainstay Jimmy Croll. What was a surprise, was to see an untested juvenile come from the clouds to power by his opponents in the Monmouth Park stretch. Not the norm at the speed favoring Jersey shore oval, especially for the babies. Bet Twice was far from a normal Thoroughbred though. I was lucky enough to see two of his first three races in person at Monmouth Park, and today his remarkable stretch running ability in those two-year-old sprints still stick vividly in my mind. After an impressive win in the prestigious Sapling Stakes, Bet Twice would take his show on the road to win major juvenile races in the Laurel Futurity and the Arlington-Washington Futurity. Sent off as a favorite in a marvelous Champagne field that fall at Belmont Park, I saw Bet Twice for a third time in person. He could not get up that day, finishing a competitive third in the stacked field. It would be the last time I would see him until he returned to Belmont almost seven months later. Bet Twice’s performances after winning his first five races was a bit spotty. Early in his three year-old season Bet Twice looked like a champ in winning the Fountain of Youth for fun, but then returned to run an uninspired fifth in the Florida Derby at odds-on. There was an excuse, but still Bet Twice was somewhat ignored at 10-1 on Kentucky Derby Day. It was not known yet, but a great rivalry was about to unfold in that Kentucky Derby. Alysheba and Bet Twice had met already when they shipped across country to run third and fourth respectively in the previous Fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Kentucky Derby would be their second meeting, and this time they would be the stars of the show. Bet Twice gained command as the field straightened out, but Alysheba closed in fast. Now a part of Derby lore, Bet Twice came out into Alysheba’s path sending the son of Alydar perilously to his knees. In an instant, Alysheba got up from his knees and soared to superstardom, leaving Bet Twice a valiant, but vanquished second place finisher. The Preakness two weeks later would be more of the same, only without the drama. Once again, Alysheba would collar Bet Twice in the stretch, and run by him rival before the wire. Two down, but the Belmont would offer another chance for Bet Twice to turn the tables. After narrow losses in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, Bet Twice was now ready for his greatest race. In the 1987 Belmont Stakes, ridden by regular jockey, Craig Perret, Bet Twice absolutely decimated the top notch field. He made a quick and decisive past Gone West outside the half mile pole, and “poof!” Just like that the race was over. His win by 14 lengths was one of the most impressive in Belmont history. Watching in the stands that day, I could not help feel bad for the likeable Alysheba team who had been denied the Triple Crown, but also I felt a sense of pride for the Monmouth horse who I had watched in the very beginning. Alysheba’s quest was not the only thing denied that day, the win by Bet Twice and trainer Jimmy Croll ended the incredible five-year Belmont Stakes streak fashioned by Woody Stephens. With the victory in the Belmont and runner-up performances in the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, Bet Twice also snatched the first ever $1,000,000 Chrysler Triple Crown Bonus from Alysheba who finished fourth by virtue of losing a three-way photo with Cryptoclearance and Gulch. Bet Twice would return from Belmont glory, to run another phenomenal race in his next start. It was a three horse showdown between the two stars of the Triple Crown and the new hotshot, Lost Code, who had been winning the “other” derbies around the nation as if they were going out of style. The race set up perfectly for a three horse battle. Here is how I described what I call the greatest race ever run at Monmouth Park in an earlier column… As they turned for home Bet Twice cornered like an Italian sports car and was breathing down the neck of the speedy Lost Code. Alysheba and Chris McCarron had swung out and lost considerable momentum to the other two who were accelerating by the fence. Lost Code with Gene St. Leon aboard was giving Bet Twice everything he had and they would ding-dong it down the entire Monmouth stretch. Alysheba was now finding new gears on the outside. The crowd was deafening. As they approached the wire Bet Twice edged ahead of the gallant Lost Code and Alysheba’s desperate attempt to catch up would fall just short. Craig Perret pumped his fist and whip in exultation as Bet Twice defeated Alysheba by a neck and it was another neck back to Lost Code. The Monmouth horse had won. Bet Twice’s trainer Jimmy Croll and rider Craig Perret were Monmouth through and through and they had done it. What a race. Bet Twice had defended his home turf and in defeat Alysheba and Lost Code proved that they were stars no matter the situation. In his Belmont and Haskell wins, Bet Twice had his two finest hours in consecutive races. These wins would cement his place in history and in my memories. After them, Bet Twice would have his moments, but never again be able to produce this kind of greatness. As a four year-old, Bet Twice biggest claim to fame was a win in the Pinlico Special. In that race he beat a quality field that included old rivals Lost Code, Cryptoclearance, and of course, Alysheba. It would not be the last meeting for the great foes, but it would mark the last time that Bet Twice would find himself in the winner’s circle. There would be no wins after this grade 1 score in May for Bet Twice, but nor a lack of trying. He continued to run in all the big races and gave his Monmouth Park fans one more chance to appreciate him, with another spirited battle with Alysheba in the Iselin Handicap. On that day Alysheba would wear down Bet Twice late, much as he had in the Derby and the Preakness. All in all the two would face off a total of nine times with the two-time champion Alysheba getting the best of his dogged rival five times. Meaning that Bet Twice defeated the great Alysheba four times. He really was a special horse. He finished his career with ten wins in twenty six starts and that consistently against the best competition the late 80’s had to offer. Bet Twice earned over 3.3 million dollars in his three-year career. Coincidentally, I had the pleasure of seeing Bet Twice in person a whopping nine times. Who knew that Alysheba and I had so much in common? After retirement, Bet Twice stood at stud for several years at Muirfield Farm in Maryland, before being pensioned at the age of 12. He passed away three years later at the far too young age of 15 at Muirfield. His young death was a blow to me, as I always felt a strong connection to this horse, in large part because of my fondness of his sire, and his strong New Jersey connections, but more than anything I respected his as a runner. He was a bit of a throwback; he danced every dance and was always a threat to win. A true warrior, I remember you Bet Twice.

Extraordinary Thoroughbred Crops

I started a poll, there on the left, a few days ago and the more I considered the votes coming in, the more I realized it required a little write-up. These are the ten crops that I have identified as the best in American racing history. To qualify, the horses did not need to be bred in America, but they did need to have made a name for themselves on American racetracks. I highlighted each year by listing the top five runners (not an easy task in many cases) of each year. The year represents the standouts' three-year-old season. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did researching it, and please let me know what you think…which year did I leave out? What horse should I have included in my top fives? 1948 - You do not need to look much farther than the roster at Calumet Farm to realize the excellence of this crop. Citation, Coaltown, and Bewitch were all Calumet runners. Throw in handicap star Noor, and the filly Miss Request, to complete a special crop. 1955 - Swaps and Nashua were true superstars of 1955. Summer Tan, Dedicate, and High Voltage round out this year’s top five. 1957 - Round Table, Bold Ruler, and Gallant Man were all Hall of Fame runners and great sires. Gen. Duke was a star before injury and Clem became a top handicap horse, making this class possibly the greatest of all time. 1967 - Dr. Fager and Damascus were two all-time greats. Include Gamely, Fort Marcy, and In Reality and you have one of the greatest crops in American history. 1969 - An underrated crop…Everyone remembers the Triple Crown match-up between Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters, but do not underestimate the greatness of a couple of fillies Gallant Bloom and Shuvee. Ack Ack gets the five spot by a whisker over Ta Wee. 1973 - Secretariat, Forego, Sham, Dahlia, and Desert Vixen…enough said. 1978 - Affirmed and Alydar will be remembered forever, but speed merchants Sensitive Prince and Dave’s Friend were members of this crop, and oh yeah, a plucky gelding named John Henry. 1987 - Depth was the word for the word this top class crop. Narrowing it to five is not easy; I will go with Alysheba, Personal Ensign, Bet Twice, Miesque, and Java Gold. 1997 - See 1987. Forced to narrow this crop down to five, I went with Silver Charm, Free House, Touch Gold, Awesome Again, and Kona Gold. Captain Bodgit loses the photo one last time. 2007 - Led by sure to be Hall of Fame runners Curlin and Zenyatta, 2007 was the best crop of the young century. Street Sense, Hard Spun, and Rags to Riches cement that standing.

Remembering ... Alysheba

Relentless. That was the thing about Alysheba, he may not have had the raw talent of his sire, Alydar, he was not an overly precocious juvenile, and as good as he became, Alysheba never overwhelmed his competition with romping victories, but he was relentless. In both his many fine performances on the racetrack and over his three year career, Alysheba would keep on coming with the grim determination of a true champion. By the time Alysheba arrived at the 1987 Kentucky Derby, he was an attractive and promising colt, but still eligible for ‘non winners of one other than.’ His career to that point was littered with near misses and he was coming off a recent disqualification from 1st, after a roughly run three horse stretch battle in the Blue Grass. Flash-forward 18 months later and Alysheba was America’s Horse, the all-time leading money winner, and a respected champion. The legend began with his remarkable run in the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby that year featured an excellent field of 17 colts and geldings, many of whom had already compiled a much more impressive resume than Alysheba. Horses of note in the field included Bet Twice, Cryptoclearance, Gulch, Capote, and the betting favorite, Demon’s Begone. Alysheba was respected at 8-1, but not one of the favorites. The running of the race will forever go down in Kentucky Derby lore. As the field straightened out for the long Churchill Downs stretch, Bet Twice had secured the lead, but looked like he would soon be swallowed up by the powerful rush of Alysheba. It would not be that easy though, as Bet Twice started to bear out into his competition. The first time nearly knocked Alysheba down. Alysheba, with Chris McCarron in the irons, went down to his knees, but gracefully regained his balance and set off after the leader again. Two more times, Bet Twice would bear out and impede Alysheba’s progress, but Alysheba was too strong and determined and simply would not be denied. At the wire, he would be ¾ of a length the better of his new rival. It was one of the most eventful stretch runs in Kentucky Derby history and Alysheba was lauded for his amazing performance. After the thrill of Alysheba’s Derby win, it was straight to Baltimore and the Preakness Stakes. This time Alysheba would be the favorite at 2-1. The result was the same as the Derby, as once again Alysheba would wear down the game Bet Twice in the lane. This race was devoid of the theatrics of two weeks before, but it once again revealed the best three-year-old in the nation. The victory, by a ½ length, put Alysheba just 1 ½ miles away from ultimate glory. An impressive looking bay colt, Alysheba was a son of the great sire Alydar, and was out of the stakes placed Lt. Stevens mare Bel Sheba. He was bred by Preston Madden in Lexington, Kentucky, and was sold as a yearling to the Scharbauers of Texas for $500,000 at the 1985 Keeneland July yearling sale. The Scharbauers turned him over to the gruff, hardboot Jack Van Berg and now less than two years later, this young horse would try to exorcize the ghosts of Triple Crown past for his sire Alydar. Alysheba would march to the Belmont with the hopes of America on his broad shoulders. For yours truly, it would be my first opportunity to see him in person. Alysheba was supported by bettors to odds-on, despite the then rule of New York racing to not allow the anti-bleeder medication, Lasix, at their tracks. For whatever reason, some blame the lack of Lasix, some thought he was hampered by the ride and the slow pace, Alysheba was not himself that day and I, like most of the crowd, went home with disappointment. He finished worst in a three horse photo for second, with his rival, Bet Twice winning off by 14 lengths. No Triple Crown winner in 1987. I still remember how visibly upset his veteran trainer Jack Van Berg was, the world could see how much he liked his horse. Alysheba would prove to be much more than the Triple Crown though, and finished his championship season with a stirring run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he just missed by a nose to the best older horse in the land, Ferdinand. As a four year old Alysheba would take his career to the next level. He thrice defeated, the second great rival of his career, Ferdinand, in California to stake an early claim as the best horse in America. He was beaten twice in the row in the middle of the year, but big wins in the Iselin at Monmouth, defeating Bet Twice, and in the Woodward at Belmont, where he set a track record, propelled Alysheba to top of the racing world. I was in attendance for both of those races, and it was clear that Alysheba had an even greater presence than he had as a three-year-old. He knew he was the best, and he had the wherewithal to prove it to all comers. So many of Alysheba’s races were memorable, and that is a primary reason why he became immensely popular. One of those memorable races that particularly stands out for me, might seem like an odd choice to many, but it remains in my mind to this day. It was my second year at college, and it was a treat, when on the weekends I came home, to meet up with my father and catch the evening races at the Meadowlands. The most special of that Fall was, without a doubt, the 1988 Meadowlands Cup. It was supposed to be a mere bridge between his record setting win in the Woodward and his ultimate destiny, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but it turned out to be classic in its own right. The Meadowlands, in those days, was notorious for its ability to hold up speed and the Cup had attracted dangerous speed in the form of Slew City Slew. He was a bit of an inconsistent sort, but when he ran his race, he was almost uncatchable. In the Meadowlands Cup, Slew City Slew ran his race. It took every ounce of Alysheba’s talent and desire to run down the speedster that day and win by a desperate neck. I remember thinking there were not many horses that I had ever seen who would have been able to beat Slew City Slew that night. It was no surprise when three weeks later Alysheba returned, with his regular partner Chris McCarron, for the first time to Churchill Downs since his Kentucky Derby win, and was crowned king of the racing world with his dramatic win under the cover of darkness in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Breeders’ Cup Classic was the perfect ending to a marvelous career. He had become America’s richest horse of all time and Alysheba was America’s Horse. The Hall of Fame runner spent the first part of his breeding career near his birthplace in Kentucky and then was sold and shipped to breed in Saudi Arabia in 2000. In failing health, Alysheba was gifted back to the American people by King Abdullah, who shipped Alysheba in 2008, to live out his final years in his homeland. Thousands of fans visited the oldest surviving Derby winner at his home, the Kentucky Horse Park. Unfortunately, the end came sooner than anyone hoped, and Alysheba was euthanized March 27 of this year, from complications of a degenerative spine condition. He was 25 years old. Alysheba was mourned as one of America’s most popular horses. I remember you Alysheba.

The Jersey Boys

If you are looking for my critique on another rousing rendition of “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, you can find it a few blogs over at the Totowa High School 45th Reunion Page. But…since I have you here, why don’t you stay a while. I have a story to tell. You see, for me, the real Jersey Boys are three of the finest colts ever to set foot on the Monmouth Park racetrack. It was smack dab in the middle of the season for the finest crop of 3-year-olds the decade would see. Besides the Haskell Three, you had other sharks like Java Gold, Cryptoclearance, Polish Navy, Gulch, Gone West and Demon’s Begone swimming in the 3-year-old pool that year. But this is about the three colts who on the first of August, 1987, would run the greatest race ever run at Monmouth Park. The Jersey Boys were Alysheba, Bet Twice, and Lost Code. Alysheba had become a national hero after being bothered twice, almost falling and still rallying to run down Bet Twice in the Kentucky Derby. He once again would wear down the game Bet Twice to win a hard fought Preakness and America was thinking Triple Crown. Bet Twice would have none of that though, as the Derby and Preakness bridesmaid would run away from a strong Belmont Stakes field to win by 14 lengths. Alysheba lost a three-way photo for 2nd and finished a weary 4th. Lasix, or the lack thereof, was a big story in the Belmont, as New York racing did not allow Lasix at that time. Many surmised that was the reason for Alysheba’s disappointing race. While Alysheba and Bet Twice were dominating the Triple Crown races, something was brewing in Alabama and again Lasix was part of the story. No great horses ever came out of Alabama…until now. Lost Code was a horse-a-fire. With the addition of Lasix, he became a force, traveling from state to state, collecting other Derbies on a regular basis. Lost Code ended his races early with his blazing speed and left the other horses behind to vie for 2nd place. Seven straight stakes victories and they were easy. The stage was set. Alysheba and Bet Twice would renew their Triple Crown rivalry and Lost Code, the hottest horse in America would join the fray. For those in attendance that day, including yours truly, the energy in the air was palpable. They called it the ‘War at the Shore’ and I had never seen so many fans at Monmouth Park. The ballyhooers were ballyhooing, this was big. Statistically speaking there were five horses in the race, but it was all about the three stars. Bettors would make little difference between them and everyone had their own choice as to which would be victorious. The Derby winner, the local star, and the speedball. As the gates sprung open, the crowd roared and Lost Code assumed early command. Bet Twice and Alysheba stayed together and very close though and the race was on. After a solid half mile, the three horses started to show off their immense talents. Lost Code streaked to the 3/8’s pole in 1:09 and change and his lead over Bet Twice on the outside and Alysheba on the inside was now slimmer. They would not let him get away. As they turned for home Bet Twice cornered like an Italian sports car and was breathing down the neck of Lost Code. Alysheba and Chris McCarron had swung out and lost considerable momentum to the other two who were accelerating by the fence. Lost Code with Gene St. Leon aboard was giving Bet Twice everything he had and they would ding-dong it down the entire Monmouth stretch. Alysheba was now finding new gears on the outside. The crowd was deafening. As they approached the wire Bet Twice edged ahead of the gallant Lost Code and Alysheba’s desperate attempt to catch up would fall just short. Craig Peret pumped his fist and whip in exultation as Bet Twice defeated Alysheba by a neck and it was another neck back to Lost Code. The Monmouth horse had won. Bet Twice’s trainer Jimmy Croll and rider Craig Perret were Monmouth through and through and they had done it. What a race. Bet Twice had defended his home turf and in defeat Alysheba, who did not run with Lasix, and Lost Code proved that they were stars no matter the situation Even as I ripped up the biggest win ticket I had ever placed, I knew I had just seen something very special. These were the real Jersey Boys.