Before the start ~ your personal, pre BC I memories

[Gate Dancer]

Originally Posted by Bogey

He was a nervous wreck and the ear muffs helped drown out outside noises.

Obviously one of my favorites, growing up in Omaha and living at Aks-Sar-Ben, I was a huge JVB and Gate Dancer fan. Certainly one of the best horses I have ever seen run in person. I still maintain that he had the reputation as somewhat of a 'bully' because he loved to make that move coming into the stretch and pull right up to the nose of anyone in front of him. He definitely wanted to intimidate other horses. I still say Wild Again was tiring and lugging a bit outward when Slew O Gold and Gate Dancer were pressing him in the stretch. Wild Again closed the hole on Slew not Gate Dancer. But I'm sure the stewards wanted no part of any DQ of the winner. GD made it easier for them with his reputation.

As an aside............the earmuff thing is still rare but I have seen a number of horses especially in Japan racing that seem to have the used this. Maybe because of the large crowds they get on track.