By: Elizabeth Rancani

The year was 1979, and one confident trainer boasted that only an act of God could beat his horse. He also said that his young colt was the best horse to ever look through a bridle. He would be the third consecutive Triple Crown winner, for certain. Does the confidence of Bud Delp remind you of anyone?

Spectacular Bid was spectacular from the first moment he stepped out onto the track. As a two year old he ran nine times, winning seven and finishing out of the money only once. His wins included the Grade I Champagne, Young America and Laurel Futurity. When he won, he usually won big, winning the Laurel by 8 1/2 lengths and the Heritage by six. Spectacular Bid was a star, and rightfully so.

At three he started his season with an impressive win in the Hutcheson on February 7th. He then followed that up with an 8 1/2 length romp in the Fountain of Youth and then took the Florida Derby by almost five lengths. He won the Flamingo Stakes by twelve commanding lengths and in his final Derby prep won the Blue Grass by seven. However good the Bid was at two, he was far more superior at three. He ran fourteen time before the Triple Crown even began, winning six Grade Is.

He took command at the Derby and won by almost three lengths. It seemed a foregone conclusion that he would join Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Secretariat. In the Preakness he faced just four rivals and won by 5 1/2 lengths. The Belmont awaited its third Triple Crown winner in as many years. It was not to be. The Bid was a tired horse and finished behind Peter Pan winner Coastal. The Triple Crown that he so richly deserved was not to be. If the Belmont could get to a horse as special as Bid, it can certainly get to a horse like Big Brown.

Spectacular Bid ran four more times as a three year old, losing only once to the older Affirmed. As a four year old he was even better, winning all eight of his starts until no one would even test him in his final career start in the Grade I Woodward.

If Big Brown wins the Triple Crown many hope it helps the sport overcome some recent negative press. It might, but long time fans may find it hard to swallow that a horse that has only won one Grade I before the Triple Crown is suddenly crowned the next best thing since Secretariat. Will he really be the second coming? Or is it that he just got lucky to be born in a year of mediocre also rans? Perhaps breeder Jim Squires said it best when he said,”I certainly don’t have anything against Kentucky-bred Big Brown, who is lovely and fast. But if a Triple Crown winner with a history of bad feet, slow opponents and from a barn with a history of drug positives can solve this problem, this is an industry not worth saving.” The problem being the whole state of thoroughbred racing.

Surely if he had to face Spectacular Bid he would not have waltzed off with anything. It is a tragedy that the Bid doesn’t have the Triple Crown next to his name in the Hall of Fame. At this point in his career, he deserved it a heck of a lot more than Big Brown.