2/3 of the crown..

[only11]

Of all the horses that won 2/3 of the triple crown which in your opinion was the best...
I have 2... Spectacular Bid without question was the best horse ever to win 2/3 of the triple crown races..
And Risen Star gets a honorable mention..

[PhantomOnTour]

Point Given

[lamboguy]

i liked funnycide, but i am kinda partial to this guy, but truthfully spectacular bid was truly a very great horse that supposedly had a good excuse in the belmont stakes. but then again funnycide had a real good reason too.

[joanied]

I don't think Funny Cide and Spectacular Bid are in the same league (I love FC)...that said, if FC hadn't run off in his last work before the Belmont, and the track had been dry...I think FC wins the TC.
But for the best horse that won 2/3rds...in more recent times, I'd pick Silver Charm or Point Given...if we go back a ways, it really opens it up...and the Bid is right up there.
Real Quiet maybe would not have been the BEST horse to win 2/3rds, but no other horse ever got that close to NOT winning the TC! Heartbreaking.

[cj's dad]

#1 - the Bid
#2 - Afleet Alex

[tzipi]

How Afleet Alex didn't win the Triple Crown is beyond me! Also Point Given is one of the best to win 2/3.

[lamboguy]

How Afleet Alex didn't win the Triple Crown is beyond me! Also Point Given is one of the best to win 2/3.i forgot about afleet alex, he was awesome.

on the first saturday in may the horse that peaks at the right time is always tough to beat. funnycide was as legitamate a horse as there could be.. he beat a great horse empire maker and they actually made each other better horses by competing against each other. only thing is FRANKEL was pretty sharp. he let funnycide run in a pretty weak preakness while he sat out the race coming from one of the best kentucky derby's of all time and waited for the funny guy to show up in new york. remember there was another great horse in that kentucky derby that year by the name of peace rules. frankel certainly was a pure genious when it came down to horseracing. skipping the preakness that year was the greatest move i have ever seen in the history of horseracing.

[plainolebill]

I know it's been a long time but Native Dancer has to be one of the best. The Derby was the only race he ever lost and he had excuses.

[gheuks]

the bid and sunday silence

[tzipi]

Let's not forget ALYDAR.

[fmolf]

Everybodies choices cannot really be argued with.They were all the best of their particular season and being that it is so difficult to rate the quality of the competition each horse beat I think all horses that won 2 legs should be mentioned even Smarty Jones.

[joanied]

Now that we're listing names...it is amazing how many should have been TC winners...every horse we have mentioned coulda, woulda, shoulda...

[saratoga guy]

Here's the list:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0202691.html

[banacek]

My first choice would be Northern Dancer (it was his record Secretariat broke). And although he wouldn't be at the top of the list, I never forget about Little Current who won the last 2 legs in 1974. He had a dreadful trip in the Derby and the next year they limited the field to 20 horses.

[Rutgers]

My first choice would be Northern Dancer ....

Must be a Canadian thing. :)


My vote is Man of War, even though I never seen him run. For horses I have seen run live and in person, (which excludes Bid and Sunday) I would go with Point Given.

[Cratos]

1. Majestic Prince
2. Riva Ridge
3. Risen Star

[joanied]

Saratoga Guy...thanks for the list link...I decided to pick a few from each decade...makes it easy when you can see the list:D...
Man O War woulda been a slam dunk
I'll skip the 30's & 40's...
50's...Native Dancer
Nashua
Needles (honorable mention:))
60's...Northern Dancer
Damascus
Carry Back (honorable mention...he was my first love)
70's... The Bid
Riva Ridge (damned mud)
80's...Sunday Silence
Swale
Alysheba
Risen Star
90's...Silver Charm
Real Quiet
2000's...Point Given
Smarty
Afleet Alex

I think those are the best horses that couldn't win the TC...and everyone had legitimate excuses for not winning whichever leg they didn't win...from sloppy tracks to safety pins :bang:

One of these days, everything is going to fall into place, the stars will align and we will have our TC winner...and when it does happen, may he be the best of his generation.

[lamboguy]

according to "super agent" ron anderson, he claims that empire maker is the best horse he has ever been around

[Linny]

Let's not forget ALYDAR.


He didn't win 2/3 of the TC. In fact he won 0/3 of it, though he was a very good horse, born in the wrong year.


Of recent vintage, Point Given and Silver Charm get my vote. Had Alex completed his career post Belmont he might have been eligible but he didn't. Smarty fits the same category. Funny Cide was a good horse who got to his best at the right time but he wasn't as good as Silver Charm.
Going back, I'd say of those that ran in all three (meaning I exclude Man O War) that Native Dancer and Spectacular Bid are the best 2 out of 3er's.

[Pell Mell]

My favorite is Tim Tam and he finished 2nd on 3 legs!:(

[joanied]

according to "super agent" ron anderson, he claims that empire maker is the best horse he has ever been around

I heard that...and what he said about Lookin at Lucky...wow:jump:

[cj's dad]

probably did not deserve to win any but a great trivia question answer is that Mane Minister finished 3rd in all 3 legs of the TC

[PaceAdvantage]

Over the last 20 years? In my mind, it's Sunday Silence...hands down the best horse to miss the crown by one placing in the past two decades...

[only11]

probably did not deserve to win any but a great trivia question answer is that Mane Minister finished 3rd in all 3 legs of the TC
Trivia..the only horse to be favorite in all 3 legs and get beat in all of them??

[Steve R]

Trivia..the only horse to be favorite in all 3 legs and get beat in all of them??
Chief's Crown?

[only11]

Chief's Crown?
Bingo...did you bet him in all three? do you think he underachieve?

[jefftune]

1. Spectacular Bid
2. Northern Dancer
3. Point Given

Did anyone mention Alysheba yet?

[LA Racing Lady]

That's easy.....

Risen Star

[joanied]

1. Spectacular Bid
2. Northern Dancer
3. Point Given

Did anyone mention Alysheba yet?

I did:)

[tzipi]

He didn't win 2/3 of the TC. In fact he won 0/3 of it, though he was a very good horse, born in the wrong year.


Of recent vintage, Point Given and Silver Charm get my vote. Had Alex completed his career post Belmont he might have been eligible but he didn't. Smarty fits the same category. Funny Cide was a good horse who got to his best at the right time but he wasn't as good as Silver Charm.
Going back, I'd say of those that ran in all three (meaning I exclude Man O War) that Native Dancer and Spectacular Bid are the best 2 out of 3er's.

:D You're right. I def got carried away with Alydar. I think when I came back to thread I was thinking closest triple crowns for some reason. Just a shame he came along at the wrong time. Would've easily walked home with the TC.

Real Quiet. Gutsy horse.

[banacek]

:D You're right. I def got carried away with Alydar. I think when I came back to thread I was thinking closest triple crowns for some reason. Just a shame he came along at the wrong time. Would've easily walked home with the TC.

True. Sham had similar luck.

[bisket]

#1- native dancer
#2 bid
#3 northern dancer
#4 sunday silence
#5 silver charm

[Steve R]

Bingo...did you bet him in all three? do you think he underachieve?
Since I was a HUGE Spend a Buck fan from the time he was a 2yo running in Florida, I didn't play Chief's Crown in the Derby. I did back him in the Preakness but actually went with Creme Fraiche in the Belmont because of his effort against Spend a Buck in the Jersey Derby.

Do I think he underachieved? Hell, no. No horse in the world was going to beat Spend a Buck on Derby day and Tank's Prospect set a track record when winning the Preakness. Also, I think 12f was a bit beyond Chief's Crown's capability. Overall, though, how can you call a horse that was a champion, won over $2 million (when it meant something), won 8 G1 stakes and defeated older horses in a G1 as a 3yo an underachiever? He was a terrific runner and an influential sire as well.

[CBedo]

Of the horses that I remember seeing, The Bid has to be above the rest. I'd put Alysheba up there as well (Alydar would make the list if we weren't restricting it to winners of two). Personally, I always liked Silver Charm.

Looking at the historical list, there are some strong candidates as well: War Admiral, Native Dancer, Northern Dancer & Damascus.