Remembering ... Arts and Letters

It is funny sometimes how the judgment of history can be discordant with the conventional thinking of the time. Often this is a good thing, as with a greater knowledge comes a greater understanding of the past. The judgment of history sometimes, however; can be fickle and unfair. This is certainly true in the realm of thoroughbred horse racing. Some horses are remembered as superstars and some are not. One of the purposes of my series of ‘Remembering’ columns is to shine an ever deserving light on these somewhat forgotten horses. I mention this now because in 1969 there was a deserving three-year-old champion and Horse -of-the-Year and his name was Arts and Letters. History has chosen to glorify his rival from California Majestic Prince, another deserving star that year, but today I want you all to know the horse that Arts and Letters was and how in 1969 he proved to be a champion. People remember the Triple Crown and in 1969 they remember the undefeated Majestic Prince winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. They remember all the stories after the Belmont that talked about legendary jockey, turned trainer, Johnny Longden not wanting to run Majestic Prince in the Belmont due to his balky ankles and his overall soundness. They may even remember that Majestic Prince was a bigger and more beautiful horse than the non-classic looking Arts and Letters. What they might not remember was that the improving son of the great Ribot, who had won that year’s Blue Grass by 15 lengths, was unlucky not to have won either the Derby or the Preakness. Owned by the great horseman Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Stable and trained by Elliott Burch, Arts and Letters ran a great series of races in that year’s Triple Crown. In the Kentucky Derby, the favored Majestic Prince made a winning move on the outside keeping Arts and Letters pinned to the rail. At the 3/16 pole, Arts and Letters looked like a dead duck as the Californian surged to the lead, but that was where the surge ended as the brave little Rokeby owned runner kept fighting from the rail. It was head and head to the wire with Majestic Prince prevailing from his advantageous outside position. The Preakness also proved heartbreaking to the Arts and Letters supporters. Checked sharply early in the race by none other than his great rival, Arts and Letters would lose touch with Majestic Prince early and despite a terrific wide rally would fall just short. Braulio Baeza would claim foul against Majestic Prince’s rider Bill Hartack to no avail. Before the Belmont there was speculation that Majestic Prince was not fit enough to run. Longden, the trainer, was on record saying he did not think his horse should run. The owner’s wishes won out though as he demanded that his charge attempt to become the first undefeated Triple Crown champion and the stage was thus set for Arts and Letters and Majestic Prince to get it on one more time. The Belmont proved to be little contest though, as Arts and Letters rolled to an easy win with Majestic Prince rallying for second. It was a key turning point in their rivalry, but also it was the end of their rivalry. Before the Belmont, Arts and Letters found time for a key prep race. After his narrow defeats in the Derby and the Preakness, Burch had decided to get a victory for his little colt and chose the toughest mile in the country to do just that. In the Metropolitan Mile, Arts and Letters, in receipt of a hefty weight allowance from his older rivals, made mincemeat of the field including a horse, Nodouble, who would win the eclipse as the top older horse that year. The Met started a run of races that is somewhat hard to imagine in this day and age of spacing races out. After the retired Majestic Prince recorded his final victory in the Preakness, Arts and Letters would win in succession the Met Mile, the Belmont, the Jim Dandy, the Travers, the Woodward, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. In each of these prestigious races, Arts and Letters left know doubt as to who was best that day as he won by daylight culminating with his 14 length gallop in the Jockey Club. It was mid-Summer at Saratoga, where Arts and Letters established himself as the new leader of the division. Returning from a short break after the Belmont, he thoroughly dominated his outclassed rivals in both the Jim Dandy and Travers and tied the track record in his Travers’ win. The Fall proved to be a coronation for Arts and Letters as he steamrolled through the top older horses including the champion Nodouble, who would run a well beaten second to Arts and Letter three times. "He's certainly better than Sword Dancer," remarked his Hall-of-Fame trainer, Elliott Burch who had guided Sword Dancer to a Horse-of-the-Year title ten years earlier. This statement was made before his tour-de-force in the two mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. When you look back at the records of Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters you may also be quick in judgment and assume that the Californian was the better horse, but if we flashback 40 years, there was no question as to which horse deserved to be the Horse-of-the-Year. Was Majestic Prince at his best for his final race in the Belmont Stakes? Probably not, but please do not forget the smallish son of Ribot and champion horse of 1969, for Arts and Letters was a true superstar.

Remembering ... Wajima

I will never forget the afternoon when Wajima and Forego came together in a furious stretch battle during the 1975 Marlboro Cup. They turned the race of the year into their own personal dual. Top horses Ancient Title, Foolish Pleasure, Avatar, Royal Glint, and Step Nicely were left far behind as these two champions had at it. The five-year-old Forego carrying ten more pounds than his younger rival, gave Wajima everything he had, but could not get by. It was striking for me to see the big, beautiful son of Bold Ruler almost dwarfed by the monster that was Forego. As they sprinted home to the wire he simply would not let the giant horse win. Wajima had beaten Forego for the second consecutive race, this time by looking him in the eye and battling to a hard-fought, head victory. It may not have been the result that the majority of the Belmont crowd wanted that day, but I went home happy. Wajima was the highest priced yearling of 1973, and for that matter was the highest priced yearling ever at the time of his sale. Out of the last crop of the great American sire Bold Ruler, and a half brother to Naskra, the strapping bay always exuded the look of quality. So it was some surprise to see Wajima languishing as just a good horse, but far from a great one, in the early Summer of 1975. Everyone had been watching the $600,000 colt and my family was no exception. I was only in the first grade but already was an avid fan of the sport. My Dad was, so I was. Thanks Dad! 1975 was the first year that I remember races quite well. Bits and pieces of races from 1973 and 1974 scatter my memory, but in 1975, I became a full-fledged fan. Everyone loved the ill-fated Ruffian who died that year and Forego had legions of fans especially in New York. For me, the first horse I really loved was Wajima and that love affair was born from a short stretch of time in 1975. It began with a change of strategy by his experienced trainer Steve DiMauro. DiMauro knew that the real Wajima had not revealed himself on the track yet. He won four times and had been 2nd in a few major stakes, but his true talent was still below the surface. DiMauro decided what his colt needed was some confidence, something to bring his mental game on a par with his physical abilities. That prompted a trip to the old Bowie Racecourse and a start in the Marylander Handicap. Wajima toyed with his rivals and set a track record in the process. Mission accomplished…he was now a confident horse. Monmouth Park and the Monmouth Invitational (now called the Haskell) was next on Wajima’s dance card. His new found confidence was on display that day as he overcame an extremely troubled trip to defeat the game Intrepid Hero by a measured neck. The real Wajima had arrived and it was time for him to test the big boys back in New York. Unfortunately, there were no big boys to be found in that year’s Travers and Wajima turned it into a laugher, cruising home best by ten, effortless lengths. On to Belmont and the best of the best. The old Governor Stakes was a showdown. The Champion Forego taking on the best handicap horse in California, Ancient Title and the top 2 three-year-olds in the country Foolish Pleasure, the Derby winner and last year’s 2-year-old champion, and the now red-hot Wajima. This story’s hero was again victorious as he beat Foolish Pleasure by a head with Ancient Title third and Forego, carrying a whopping 134 pounds, a wide and late fourth. Wajima had beaten three future Hall of Fame horses and he would do it again just 12 days later in the Marlboro Cup. In a five race span, Wajima had set a track record at Bowie, overcame a bad trip to win Monmouth’s biggest race, won the Mid-summer Derby by 10 lengths, and did something that I am not sure if any horse has ever done by beating three Hall-of-Famers in two consecutive races. In so doing he clinched the 3-year-old championship despite not having raced in any of the Triple Crown races and propelled both his trainer, DiMauro, and his jockey, Braulio Baeza, to eclipse awards as well. The mighty Forego would gain a measure of revenge by edging away from Wajima in their third and final meeting in the 1 ½ mile Woodward just two weeks after the Marlboro. But once again, Wajima proved his greatness as he battled Forego gamely down the stretch and it was a full 11 lengths farther back to the third horse, Grade 1 winner Group Plan. That record yearling price of 1973 certainly turned out to be a steal. As Wajima’s successful racing career came to an end after his 3-year-old season, he once again broke a world record when he was syndicated as a stallion for $7.2 million. Wajima’s final race record shows 9 wins and 5 seconds from 16 starts, but it was that five race stretch in the Summer/Fall of 1975 that will always be special to me. I remember you … Wajima