The big 4:

The scratched Gen Duke:

You really should get a job....:D

The Derby would be Iron Leiges' 3rd race in 19 days! Also had 3 works in that period covering 15 furlongs..amazing..

Interesting stuff. I always knew they ran more in those days, but I never realized they ran that much. Wow.

round table was a monster; i don't think he's ever gotten his just due. he detested the slop, but was great on both dirt and turf-arguably the greatest turfer ever in north america. his record is amazing, with two long win streaks broken by one loss in the middle.
that was a hell of a crop-he and bold ruler were born on the same night i believe, at the same farm.

At Claiborne. An hour apart. Round Table first..

I'd have a whole lot more free time on my hands if I did.

Do you know what happened to Greek Game, the horse that twice beat Round Table by open lengths at Arlington in July of '56? It looks like he was cut out to be extra special, and then his career just fell apart. According to Equibase, after winning 5 of 9 and over $214k as a 2yo, he only won 5 of 46 races from '57 through '59 including 17-0-1-1 for $6k in 1959.

Not sure. Probably just a precious horse who didn't develop. Here is his form later on.

FWIW - the 1955 Kentucky Derby was a much stronger run race than the 1957 Derby. Swaps won the race going 2/5ths faster than the '57 Derby time ... while running over what was unquestionably a slower racetrack that day.




2nd and 3rd place horses Swaps beat up on ...

Certainly the 4th and 5th place finishers .. beaten 12 and 12.5 lengths - were no bums either.

4th place won the Blue Grass last out:



5th place was beaten less than a half length to Swaps in the Santa Anita Derby:



The 6th place finisher won the Champagne as a 2yo - won the Derby Trial last out (which was a real prep in the mid 50's) - and won the Manhatten as a 4yo.