(This is the second of a three part series.)
The
1970s began, in no small part, with the residual torrent of cultural, societal, and political unrest that
had swept through the preceding tumultuous 1960s, its tide spilling over into
the new decade. At its focal point was the ongoing American involvement in the
Vietnam War, a conflict it wouldn’t win, and one which provided little
indication of a forthcoming armistice. An energy crisis, marked by price
controls and gas rationing, further painted a landscape of frustration. And a political scandal, eventually brought to full light by the
Watergate hearings, and resignation of a U.S. President, exacerbated a
national anxiety, adding the dimension of distrust toward government.
As
the social, political, and economic climate flutuated, people of all
backgrounds and views could come together for a respite within the arena of sports, including Thoroughbred
horse racing. Although not a remedy for the country’s woes, athletes, both two
and four-legged, extended to their loyal
public some semblance of normalcy and reassurance, amid the whirlwind of uncertainty.
As the new decade began, little did anyone know that the Sport of Kings was
about to experience a whirlwind of its own, producing an incredible number of equine
superstars, who swept its followers through breathtaking experiences—and also one
heartbreaking one—with incredible achievement and vastly superior prowess.
Within
the next ten years, as the country’s discordance quieted, the tye-dye, psychedelic
motif of the '60s, put in its historical context, and replaced by the ‘70s themes of
discotheques and polyester, Thoroughbred racing would have three Triple Crown
winners, a near winner, a three-time Horse of the Year and last true weight
carrier, and arguably not only the greatest racehorse of all time, but also the
greatest filly.
It
could be suggested that the 1970s remains horse racing’s last “Golden Age.” As
the dawn of that era began, the Meadow Stable’s bay colt, Riva Ridge, would be
one of its earliest and brightest stars.
PART
TWO: THE FAME AND THE GLORY
Growing
pains
French Canadian Roger Laurin was the original trainer
of Riva Ridge, until taking the enviable job of handling the stable of the
prominent Phipps family. Upon Roger’s recommendation, his father, Lucien Laurin,
became the new conditioner for the Meadow. Chuck Baltazar was the colt’s first
rider. On June 9, 1971 the two-year-old Riva Ridge made his inaugural start in
a 5 ½ furlong Maiden Special Weight at Belmont Park, under 122 pounds. The
track was listed fast and Riva Ridge faced nine others, breaking from post
seven. In an inauspicious debut, he was eliminated from any contention by a
rough trip, and finished seventh, sixteen lengths behind the winning Search for
Gold, a full brother of the future legendary stallion Mr. Prospector. Laurin reeled Riva Ridge back two weeks later
in another MSW, at the same weight and distance, and the youngster decisively
beat seven rivals by 5 ½ lengths over fast surface conditions, finishing in
1:05. The runner-up was a bay son of Graustark, out of the Princequillo (GB)
mare Key Bridge, named Key to the Mint.
On July 9, Riva moved across town to Aqueduct for
another 5 ½ furlong test, a $10,000 allowance, among a field of eight, and won
by four lengths, in a time of 1:04 1/5. His next outing would be the 5 ½
furlong Great American Stakes on July 21, a contest his sire, First Landing, had
won fourteen years earlier. But the son was
the eighth arrival at the wire, ahead of only two juveniles, while in receipt
of three to seven pounds from the top three.
Stepping
fast up the ladder
On August 2 the Saratoga meeting got under way, and
Riva entered post six, for the six furlong Flash Stakes, with a purse of
$34,950. It would be his first of six consecutive victories, all stakes events,
carrying over into the following year. Now under new rider, Ron Turcotte,
another French Canadian, Riva’s winning margin was two and a half lengths
against eight opponents, on a surface labeled good. His time for the dash was a
solid 1:09 4/5. Returning to Belmont Park on September 18, for the 6 ½ furlong
Futurity, he tracked the early leaders before assuming command, and held off
Chevron Flight by more than two lengths to capture the race over sloppy going.
After splits of :22, :45 1/5, and 1:09 4/5, Riva Ridge stopped the timer in
1:16 3/5. He made his next start in the 100th edition of the Champagne
Stakes, on October 9. His first outing at a mile, the Champagne remained one of
the premiere races for a two-year-old who aspired to a championship.
Under 122 pounds, Riva was in the outside stall in a
field of seven. When the gate opened, he took the lead and never looked back,
posting a seven length win at the finish. His time on the fast surface was 1:36
2/5 and his share of the $195,150 purse was a tidy $117,000, boosting his total
to $236,196.
Riva Ridge, now well on his way to year-end honors,
was asked to make two more starts for the season, both at 1 1/16 miles. The
first was the Laurel-Pimlico Futurity on October 30. Facing just four horses,
Riva broke from the three-hole, settled in third, before moving ahead, up by
daylight after about six furlongs, and widening his lead to eleven emphatic
lengths as he sped home in 1:43 2/5. He put in a similar performance two weeks
later at Garden State Park, in the Garden State Stakes, defeating seven rivals
by two and a half lengths with Freetex next, followed by Key to the Mint.
Breaking fourth, Riva advanced to the lead after about three-quarters, hitting
the wire in 1:43 3/5.His juvenile year now over, Riva Ridge had recorded nine starts for seven wins, with five of these in stakes, and his earnings of $503,263 were surpassed only by Buckpasser’s two-year-old campaign of 1965.
Eclipse
In 1971, Thoroughbred racing in America implemented
a new system to award its best equine and human participants. The Eclipse
Awards, named after the great eighteenth century racer and stallion Eclipse,
became a collaboration of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, National Turf
Writers Association, and Daily Racing
Form. Eventually the TRA was replaced with the current National
Thoroughbred Racing Association. The first Eclipse Horse of the Year was the
five-year-old bay Ack Ack, who remains the only racer to ever receive this
honor after a campaign entirely in California. Ack Ack was also named Eclipse
champion older male and sprinter. The first Eclipse two-year-old female and
male champions were Numbered Account and Riva Ridge respectively.
Could Riva bring his championship form into a
three-year-old campaign with Triple Crown implications?
Delivering
the Goods
As Riva Ridge began 1972 as juvenile champion and
head of the sophomore class, it was now to be seen whether he could take the
genes of First Landing to a higher level. To everyone’s surprise, his journey
would consist of just three prep races culminating with a starting berth at
Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May; but that was only the beginning. Riva
certainly had the physical tools and demeanor of a horse who could contest, and
conceivably win, all three American classics, at the demanding distances of
ground. The Meadow was now being managed by the charming, Ivy League educated
Penny Chenery Tweedy in lieu of her ill father Christopher Chenery. Penny loved
Riva and in just a few short months, the colt would let her know if he could
deliver the goods.
Favorite
Riva was the winter book favorite for the Kentucky
Derby. His drills had gone incredibly well, leading up to his first start of
the year, the $25,000 Hibiscus Stakes at Hialeah Park on March 22. Covering
seven furlongs, Riva Ridge was in post six among a field of eight runners. His
staunchest foe appeared to be New Prospect, who would get a seven pound
allowance from the champion. New Prospect had won three straight races,
including a win over the Arnold Winick trained Hold Your Peace in Hialeah’s
Bahamas on March 3, when he covered the seven furlongs in track record time of
1:21 2/5. Hold Your Peace was a tough little bay colt who had won the six
furlong Arlington-Washington Futurity during the previous season. The same day
that New Prospect won the Bahamas, two nicely regarded stablemates of Riva
Ridge, Upper Case, also owned by the Meadow Stable, and Roy Anderson’s Spanish
Riddle, were one-two finishers in the 1 1/8 mile Florida Derby at Gulfstream
Park. Eight days later, on March 11, Upper Case and Spanish Riddle were
trounced by Hold Your Peace, who made a ten length getaway in Hialeah’s
Flamingo Stakes.
Mike Manganello would be aboard New Prospect for the
Hibiscus. Two years earlier, Manganello had ridden Kentucky Derby winner Dust
Commander.
Riva and Freetex would each shoulder top weight of
122 pounds. Freetex had been a credible runner-up to Riva Ridge in the Garden
State Stakes in November. When the field was away, New Prospect took the lead,
running the quarter in :22. Riva sat back in fourth before making his bid in
the far turn, and collaring the pacemaker in the stretch. The Meadow colt,
running easy, continued down the lane, winning by more than two lengths, in a
time of 1:22 4/5, before continuing with a strong gallop past the wire. New
Prospect was next, followed by Second Bar. The purse of $33,800 netted Riva
$22,000, as he recorded his sixth successive victory. Riva's next start was the track’s 1 1/8 mile Everglades on April 1, with a purse of $66,800, when he would face Hold Your Peace, who had finished third behind Riva in Belmont’s Futurity the previous September. However, Hold Your Peace was currently fitter than Riva and had already raced at 1 1/8 miles, in his decisive Flamingo win, a distance Riva had yet to contest.
Bump
in the Road
One of the horses Riva Ridge soundly defeated in the
Hibiscus was a colt named Head of the River, whose dam, First Feather, was
sired by First Landing. Head of the River was a Rokeby Stable Virginia-bred
chestnut, trained by Elliott Burch, and a stablemate of Key to the Mint.
Among a group of six three-year-olds, Riva, the 3-5
choice, was assigned 122 pounds, ten more than the 19-1 longshot Head of the
River. He would break from the rail, over a sloppy surface, and from the start
had nothing but problems. Laying in third, he got trapped in a pocket, tried to
clear in the far turn, and hit the rail. Head of the River had only one horse
beaten until entering the stretch, but was able to grasp the lead about a half
furlong out with Hold Your Peace in pursuit. At the wire, Head of the River had
three-quarters of a length on Hold Your Peace with New Prospect four lengths
farther back. Riva Ridge was a disappointing fourth, more than five lengths
behind the winner, whose time was 1:49 4/5.
Back
on the Beam
Riva Ridge’s next objective was Keeneland’s 1 1/8
mile Blue Grass Stakes on Thursday, April 27. The Blue Grass had produced
several Derby winners, namely Tomy Lee in 1959, Chateaugay in 1963, Northern
Dancer (CAN.) in 1964, Lucky Debonair in 1965, Forward Pass in 1968(elevated
from second to first in KY Derby upon a DQ of Dancer’s Image), and Dust
Commander in 1970. Riva would face ten rivals, break from the outside post, and
negotiate a fast track. When they were sent away, he settled into a striking
position, while Sir Woodley and Mr. Charge vied for the lead. After a mile,
Riva began rolling, advanced going into the far turn, and went ahead a half
furlong out, while keeping Sensitive Music contained in the stretch. He easily bounded
away to win by four lengths, in a pedestrian 1:49 3/5, and took $32,305 to the
bank. Two days later, Hold Your Peace won Churchill Downs’ seven furlong Stepping Stone Purse. The race had seen two horses win the Run for the Roses, Venetian Way in 1960 and Majestic Prince in 1969. Sword Dancer, in 1959, also used the Stepping Stone as his last stop and finished second in the Derby. Now it was Hold Your Peace’s turn to try.
Sweet
Sixteen
As expected, Riva Ridge was the favorite for the 98th
edition of America’s most famous race, followed by Hold Your Peace and No Le
Hace. Among sixteen starters, Riva appeared in a good spot, in post nine. From
the inside out were Freetex, Sensitive Music, Hold Your Peace, Introductivo,
Dr. Neale, Our Trade Winds, Big Brown Bear, Kentuckian, Riva Ridge, Pacallo,
Hassi’s Image, Majestic Needle, Napoise, Head of the River, Big Spruce, and No
Le Hace.
In the absence of genuine speed horses, either Riva
Ridge or Hold Your Peace could take the lead. Riva typically liked being close,
but not necessarily on top of things, the lone exception being last year’s
Champagne. Hold Your Peace was a similar runner to Riva, going gate to wire
only in his Flamingo romp. The weather forecast called for possible showers.
Kentuckian, a bay horse by the California-bred,
American grass champion T.V. Lark, had been unraced at age two and for the
current year had competed exclusively in California. He would be ridden by Don
Brumfield, the jockey of 1966 Derby/Preakness winner Kauai King. Head of the River entered the race boasting
his win over Riva in the Everglades. No Le Hace had previously won the
Louisiana Derby, over sloppy conditions, and the Arkansas Derby. Hassi’s Image
was handled by Juan Arias, the trainer of the Venezuelan raced Canonero II,
winner of the first two classics in 1971, the latter in record time. Canonero’s
rider, Gustava Avila, was now aboard Pacallo.
Wired
In attendance was a record 130,564 spectators. When
the starting gate opened, Hold Your Peace wouldn’t take the initiative, so Riva
Ridge did the honors. Going by the stands, the field was bunched with Majestic
Needle in second, and Hold Your Peace farther inside, holding third. Riva was
squarely in command, and entering the backstretch was up by a length. Hold Your
Peace positioned himself to Riva’s outside, as Majestic Needle started to
retreat. Hold Your Peace moved up within a half length of Riva, and the two
opened up several lengths on the others. It appeared to be a two-horse contest but
approaching the far turn, Riva Ridge began to exert his authority, and coming
into the stretch he surged ahead, putting more and more separation between
himself and his rivals. Hold Your Peace, now back near the rail, gamely tried
to stay close but couldn’t match strides with the leader. No Le Hace, breaking about
seventh, had steadily improved his situation, settled in fifth in the
backstretch, moved up another notch going into the far turn, and then caught Hold
Your Peace in the stretch; but he was too far off Riva Ridge, who crossed the
finish easily the best by three and a quarter lengths. No Le Hace finished
three and a half lengths ahead of Hold Your Peace, who had the same margin on the
fourth horse Introductivo.
Riva, dictating the entire pace, travelled the first
quarter in :47 3/5, six furlongs in 1:11 4/5, a mile in 1:36, before completing
his 1 ¼ mile journey in 2:01 4/5. There was a record handle for the ten-race
card of $7,164.717, a betting record for the Derby itself, and for Riva a paycheck
of $140,800, swelling his bank account to $701,210.
Riva Ridge had been the first Derby front running
winner since Kauai King led the parade six years earlier, finishing in 2:02
over fast going. Riva’s track, although fast, was apparently drying out, playing
a bit loose, and Turcotte kept him off the rail. The race was run clean, and
free of any mishaps. Hold Your Peace had laid his heart on the line, and
Winick would now steer him clear of Riva. No Le Hace, originally set to skip
the Preakness Stakes, would show up after all. Riva Ridge had clearly put most of his opposition on notice and many horsemen, awed by his superiority, were reluctant to give him another go. The son of First Landing, who had given his stable, jockey, and trainer, their first Derby winner, was now at the peak of his fame and success. It was time to savor the moment and Riva was being spoken of in the same breath as Citation, racing’s biggest hero since Man o’War.
Riva had won the Derby with more in his tank, came
out of the race in good order, and on Monday would ship to Baltimore, home of
Pimlico’s Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown.
The
Challenge
With plenty still to do, Riva Ridge wouldn’t sit on
his laurels long, his next challenge the 1 3/16 mile Preakness, only two weeks
away on May 20. Laurin, seeking his
first Preakness victory, was also considering the entries of Upper Case and Spanish
Riddle. Riva came into the Preakness as racing’s top celebrity, during one of
the most glamorous springtime events in sports. Since 1919 only eight horses
had swept the Triple Crown, and done so with reasonable regularity, the largest
gap being eleven years between Sir Barton in 1919 and Gallant Fox in 1930. Two
more horses successfully completed the race trio in the 1930s, and four did it
in the 1940s. But after Citation’s crown in 1948, an ever widening chasm had developed
into twenty-four years. Several horses had won two-thirds of the series, the
last just the previous season, when Canonero II, took the Derby and Preakness
but couldn’t stretch himself far enough in the Belmont Stakes, finishing
fourth. Riva Ridge at least looked capable of ending the drought, and become
the ninth runner to join the exclusive club.
People had been stunned that Laurin would run the
horse in only three preps prior to the Derby, but he wanted a fresher horse. In
contrast, Hold Your Peace had made six starts in 1972, finishing either first
or second in all of them. No Le Hace had started five times, winning the first
four, before a second place effort to Key to the Mint in the Derby trial. Both
Hold Your Peace and No Le Hace had raced within a week or less of the Derby. The
plan now for Hold Your Peace was the Hawthorne Derby, the same day as the Preakness.
No
Easy Going
Under an overcast sky, the 1972 edition of
Maryland’s signature race offered a purse of $189,800. Riva, wearing stickers,
would be confronted with several new horses, in a field of seven. One of them
was Key to the Mint, with Braulio Baeza aboard. Turcotte had already won a
Preakness, back in 1965, aboard Tom Rolfe. Now it was Riva’s time, and coupled
with Upper Case, had favoritism again, at 1-5. Key to the Mint was next,
followed by No Le Hace. Eager Exchange, a chestnut gelding, sired by the great
California-bred Swaps, out of the Nashua mare Melanie’s Girl, was also making
his first classic appearance. Eager Exchange, runner-up in the Gotham Stakes,
was coming into the Preakness off a brisk five furlong work. Another new
shooter was the dark bay/brown colt Bee Bee Bee, a speedball and seven length
winner of Pimlico’s Survivor Stakes. Purchased by William Farish III early in
the year, Bee Bee Bee, was a Maryland-bred, and sired by record holder Better
Bee. Eldon Nelson would be aboard the Del Carroll trained Bee Bee Bee, who was
18-1.
Freetex, a closer, would be in the mix again, as
would Hassi’s Image. Festive Mood, a bay gelding, was also entered, and
previously recorded a distant second place effort behind Riva in the Laurel
Futurity.
Previous rains had made the Pimlico track muddy on
race day. Upper Case had proved an excellent mudder, but for various reasons,
Laurin decided to scratch him and let Riva go it alone. Upper Case would run
the following weekend in either the Metropolitan Handicap or Jersey Derby.The winner of the race’s 97th running would earn $135,300. Bee Bee Bee was expected to take charge of the proceedings, but it was assumed when heading home, he’d be through. When the race started, Riva Ridge did not get off well as Bee Bee Bee went to the front. While Riva took a moment to gather himself and get his feet under him, Bee Bee Bee was moving along, carving out solid fractions of :47 for the half, 1:11 for six furlongs, and a mile in 1:36 2/5. In the backstretch Riva was positioned well, and close to Key to the Mint, but when Ronnie asked the horse to go, he didn’t respond in his usual manner. Into the far turn, Riva and Key to the Mint ran in tandem, and continued at it until a half furlong from home, when Key to the Mint gained the edge. Meanwhile Bee Bee Bee had kept to his task, never giving up his lead, and crossed the wire one and a quarter lengths ahead of the late closing No Le Hace. Key to the Mint was third, a neck in front of Riva. The mostly overlooked Bee Bee Bee posted a final time of 1:55 3/5, over sloppy conditions, the fifth fastest Preakness ever run, and gave both Carroll and Nelson their first Preakness victory.
What happened?
It had also been reported that Laurin was not happy
with Turcotte’s handling of Riva in the backstretch, feeling he was too preoccupied
with Key to the Mint, out of concern he might slip away; however, this critique
of the ride cannot be fully ascertained by the writer. The two colts did duel
coming out of the far turn and kept at each other heading for home, but at that
point they were probably running for minor awards. In an ironic twist, the last horse to win the
race over an off track was Christopher Chenery’s Hill Prince, in 1950, over
slow going.
Upper Case, who may have acquitted himself well in
the Preakness, ran in the Jersey Derby on May 29, and finished seventh.Test of the Champion
During the week leading up to the Belmont Stakes,
Riva Ridge worked nine furlongs in 1:49, and then with his exercise rider
trying to pull him up, strongly galloped out another furlong. In his final
drill three days before the race, Riva and Upper Case both worked five
furlongs. Upper Case, who was also being considered for the Belmont Stakes,
passed on it.
Burch gave Key to the Mint a gallop. The horse
looked great and physically imposing. Key to the Mint was Rokeby’s top runner
at age two, but had injured himself in a gate mishap in mid-March of his
three-year-old campaign. He was put on the shelf until his win in the Derby
Trial. Burch was no stranger to champions and had trained two colts who went on
to be named Horse of the Year. Sword Dancer, in 1959, and Arts and Letters, ten
years later, had used wins in the one mile Metropolitan Handicap as a
springboard to later victories in the Belmont Stakes. Sword Dancer’s Met/Belmont spacing had been
two weeks and Arts and Letters ran back in only a week. Burch also won the race
in 1964 with Quadrangle, after the horse finished second in the Met. Key to the
Mint used a one length win in the mile Withers Stakes on May 31 as his Belmont prep.
Baeza, still aboard Key to the Mint, had already won three Belmonts aboard
Sherluck in 1961, Chateaugay in 1963, and Arts and Letters in 1969. Lucien Laurin had
won the race in 1966 with Amberoid. If Riva
Ridge won on Saturday, it would be the first time for Ron Turcotte.
The race would also include the Johnny Campo trained
Prince Fauquier, and Frank Whiteley’s Cloudy Dawn, the latter who had made
three previous starts, all on the lawn, and annexing two. Cloudy Dawn, a grey
colt, was the son of Grey Dawn (FR.), the only horse to ever defeat the great European
superstar Sea-Bird (FR.). Cloudy Dawn represented Pen-Y-Byrn Stables, owned by
William Woodward Bancroft, the son of the late owner of Damascus, the horse who
in 1967, won the Belmont Stakes and later defeated Buckpasser and Dr. Fager by
ten lengths in the Woodward Stakes. Also conditioned by Whiteley, Damascus,
himself a Horse of the Year, was forever enshrined along with his two rivals,
among racing’s greatest runners.
No Le Hace, not only runner-up in the first two
classics, but also to Key to the Mint in the Derby Trial, was the third choice
in the betting. Angel Cordero would now replace Phil Rubbicco in the irons. Another
entry was Florida-bred and Jersey Derby winner Smiling Jack, a horse who had
physical problems as a juvenile and again during the current year which forced
him out of the Kentucky Derby picture. After Smiling Jack had won the Jersey
Derby by seven lengths, his connections decided to take a shot in the Belmont
Stakes.
Riva Ridge drew the rail. Going out from there were
Zulu Tom, No Le Hace, Freetex, Big Spruce, Key to the Mint, Cloudy Dawn, Prince
Faquier, Ruritania, and Smiling Jack. Conspicuously missing was Bee Bee Bee,
who would opt for the Leonard Richards on June 18.
Prior to the main event, in race five of the Belmont
Stakes undercard, Spanish Riddle made his first start on the grass and won.
Scare
Riva threw a scare into his trainer and owner and
almost missed the race. With the riders up, and the horses parading in the
paddock, Riva whacked himself in the left hind leg. His first few steps were
gimpy, causing Laurin enough alarm to immediately tell a crestfallen Penny
Tweedy that he was scratching the colt. But Riva soon recovered; or perhaps it
would be more accurate to say his resilience enabled him to “shake it off,” and be poised to run. And run
he did.
Two
out of three
The 104th running of the Belmont Stakes
carried a purse of $155,900, with the victor collecting $93,540. The track was fast and with more than 56,600
spectators attending, on a mostly overcast and cold Saturday afternoon, Riva
was installed the 8-5 favorite followed by Key to the Mint. Ruritania, apparently
anxious to get on with it, busted the gate early and had to be reloaded. When
it opened for keeps, Zulu Tom had the jump but Smiling Jack quickly drew even
with him. Approaching the clubhouse turn Riva Ridge easily secured the lead,
with Smiling Jack and Key to the Mint closely following, and the trio created a
three length gap from the others. The order up front remained unchanged, with
Riva ahead by a length through the backstretch, and the three horses built up a
six length margin on the rest of the field. As they exited the back stretch
into the far bend, Key to the Mint attempted to get even with Riva, who was
starting to pull clear. Riva never felt the whip and bounded further and
further away in the stretch, until he hit the finish by seven lengths in a time
of 2:28, the third fastest Belmont ever recorded to that point, after Gallant Man (GB) in 1957, and Stage Door Johnny in 1968. Riva
was always well positioned in the race, close to the rail, and well within himself. He had yet to take the lead in a race and relinquish it.
His winnings boosted his bankroll to $802,250.
Despite his premature break, Ruritania rallied to
get second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Cloudy Dawn, who was another
five lengths in front of Key to the Mint. Big Spruce was next to arrive, followed
by No Le Hace, FreeTex, Smiling Jack, Zulu Tom and Prince Fauquier.
Riva Ridge had reasserted his supremacy as the top
three-year-old, and perhaps the top horse in the country. Year-end honors,
including Horse of the Year, seemed well within his reach. But not so fast…
A
bit much
Three weeks later, Riva was on the West Coast for
his only appearance in front of California race fans. The contest was Hollywood
Park’s 1 ¼ mile Hollywood Derby, run at that time on the dirt during the
summer. The purse was an added $109,900 with the winner’s share $59,900. Part
of an eight horse field, Riva would have to confront two very fast runners in Finalista,
a one mile record setter back in May, and who would come in under 120 pounds;
and the lightning rod Quack, assigned 126. Two weeks following his race against
Riva Ridge, Quack would set a ten furlong stakes record of 1:58.20 in the Hollywood
Gold Cup.
Riva, assigned high impost of 129 pounds, led from
the start but Turcotte had to go to the whip to get the colt to hold off
Bicker, under 114, the winning margin a diminishing neck. Finalista rounded out
the trio another half length back. It was another big win, but a stressful one, under a considerable impost and it took something out of the colt. Riva returned home to New York to resume racing in
early August.
Seven days after Riva’s win in California, Key to
the Mint would begin a rapid ascent toward divisional leadership. And in Riva’s
own barn, a gorgeous chestnut colt was about to make his two-year-old debut.
Any aspirations Riva had for more year-end honors
would soon fly out the window.
To
be continued…
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Vindicator, March 23, 1972.
A.P., “Derby Picture Muddled On Both Coasts; Riva
Ridge Runs Aground At Hialeah,” The Press
Courier, April 2, 1972, p. 21.
A.P., “Riva Ridge Whipped, ‘still best,’” The Gazette, April 3, 1972, p. 18.
A.P., “Riva Ridge Is Horse To Beat,” The Spartanburg Herald, April 3, 1972.
Herb Sparrow (U.P.I.), “Riva Ridge Breezes To Blue
Grass Win,” The Middlesboro Daily News,
April 28, 1972.
Associated Press, “Riva Ridge Best In Blue Grass
Test,” The Blade, April 28, 1972, p.
29.
U.P.I., “Hold Your Peace Romps To Victory In
Stepping Stone,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune,
April 30, 1972, p. 6-C, col. 1.
A.P., “Hold Your Peace wins at Churchill,” Rome News-Tribune, April 30, 1972, p.
3-C, col. 1.
U.P.I., “Riva Ridge Heads 16-Horse Derby Field,” The Pittsburg Press, May 4, 1972.
U.P.I., “Challenger Is Found For Riva Ridge,” Williamson Daily News, May 5, 1972.
A.P., “Riva Ridge Is Favored To Take 98th
Kentucky Derby,” Spartanburg
Herald-Journal, May 6, 1972.
Red Smith, “Riva Ridge and Turcotte: Right Horse,
Right Man;” The New York Times, May
7, 1972, pp. S1, 3.
George Vecsey, “’He Will Always Be a Champion,’ Says
Happy Stablehand; Derby Winner Easy Companion Among Barn People,” The New York Times, May 7, 1972, p. S2.
A.P., “Riva Ridge Winner With Ease In Derby,” Toledo Blade, May 7, 1972.
A.P., “Riva Ridge tops field for star in Kentucky
run,” Rome News-Tribune, May 7, 1972,
Section C.
Joe Nichols, “130,564 See Riva Ridge Win Derby By 3
¼ Lengths,” The New York Times, May
7, 1972, Section 5, pp. 1,3.
Jim Murray (Los
Angeles Times Special), “Riva Ridge Too Classy for Rivals,” Milwaukee Sentinel, May 8, 1972, Page 6,
Part 2.
Joe Nichols, “Racing Triple Crown Has Double Meaning
to Laurin,” The New York Times, May
8, 1972, p. 51.
A.P., “Riva Ridge Makes Believers of All Experts;
Compared To Greats of Racing,” Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, May 8, 1972, p. 24.
Times
Wire Service, “Few Willing To Challenge Riva Ridge
In Preakness,” St. Petersburg Times,
May 8, 1972, pp. 1-C,4-C.
Bob Cooper (A.P.), “Riva Ridge scaring horses away
from Preakness,” Kentucky New Era,
May 8, 1972.
Ira Berkow (NEA), “Riva Ridge Chases Triple Crown,” The Nevada(Mo.) Daily Mail, May 19, 1972,
p. 10.
Washington
Post Special, “Riva Ridge Faces Toughest Challenge,”
Milwaukee Sentinel, May 20, 1972.
Post Wire Services, “Riva Ridge Emerges With Mud in
His Eye,” Palm Beach Post-Times, May
21, 1972, p. E5.
Joe Nichols, “Payoff is $39.40; No Le Hace Runs 2d,
1 ¼ Length Back, in Pimlico Mud Preakness Won By Bee Bee Bee, The New York Times, May 21, 1972, pp.
S1,6.
Steve Cady, “Bee Bee Bee Accolade: ‘He Just Wouldn’t
Stop;’ Losers in Daze, Describe Mud as Key Factor,” The New York Times, May 21, 1972, p.S8.
Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Champions, p. 150.
U.P., “Hill Prince Easily Wins Preakness,” The Pittsburgh Press, May 21, 1950, p.
65, col. 3.
Gordon Beard, “Riva Ridge Trainer Says Jockey Held
Horse Back,” Portsmouth Times, May 22, 1972, p. 17.
U.P.I., “Jockey Blamed for Riva Ridge’s Loss,” Milwaukee Sentinel, May 22, 1972, Page
4, Part 2.
Joe Hirsch, “Bee Bee Bee Wins Preakness. Riva Ridge
Fourth,” Daily Racing Form, May 22,
1972, pp. 1,6.
C.P., “Riva Ridge’s Trainer: It wasn’t a bad ride,” The Windsor Star, May 23, 1972, p. 27.
The Associated Press, “Jersey Derby winner to defy
Belmont Logic,” Miami News, May 30,
1972, p. 2-B, col. 3.
Red Smith (New
York Times News Service), “No Television, No Fans As Riva Ridge Prepares,” Bangor Daily News, June 7, 1972, p. 26.
U.P.I., “Riva Ridge In Final Tune Up For Belmont,” The Pittsburgh Press, June 7, 1972, p.
69.
Phil Dandrea, Sham:
Great Was Second Best, A Brave Bay’s Rivalry with the Legendary Secretariat
(Boston, MA: Acanthus Publishing, 2010), p. 267.
Joe Nichols, “Riva Ridge Captures Belmont Stakes By
7 Lengths;” The New York Times, June
11, 1972, Section 5, p. 1, col. 8, p. 6, col. 5.
“Preakness Finish His Lone Regret,” The New York Times, June 11, 1972, p. 6.
Ray Ayres (U.P.I. Sportswriter), “Riva Ridge Injured
Leg Before Belmont,” Deseret News,
June 12, 1972, p. 6B.
U.P.I., “Riva Almost Missed Race,” Milwaukee Sentinel, June 12, 1972, Page
4, Part 2.
A.P., “Turcotte: Riva Ran Own Race,” Ocala Star-Banner, June 11, 1972,
Section D.
Teddy Cox, “Riva Ridge in Belmont Romp. Front-Running
Choice Seven Before Surprising Ruritania,” Daily
Racing Form, June 12, 1972, pp. 1,6.
A.P., “Laurin: Riva Is Wonder Horse,” The Day (New London, Conn.), June 12,
1972, Page 31.
“Riva Ridge Is Choice,” The Tuscaloosa News, July 1, 1972, p. 5.
U.P.I., “Riva Ridge to rest before New York
Classics,” The Gazette, Montreal,
July 4, 1972, p. 17.
Copyright 2012 by John Califano
Copyright 2012 by John Califano
