Betty's Critters - & History Views

   The first Kentucky Derby was run at the distance of 1.5 miles, as were the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris.  The race was "invented" by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., the grandson of Meriwether Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  The entire race day and advertising was allotted $640 (about $19,212 today).  On May 17th, 1875, Oliver Lewis rode Aristides to victory in front of a crowd of about 10,000 spectators, besting 14 other colts by 2 lengths, and setting a world record time of 2 minutes and 37.75 seconds for the one-and-one-half mile race.  The colt was trained by Ansel Williamson and owned by Hal Price McGrath.    The Kentucky Derby was raced at one and a half miles (12 furlongs) for 20 years.  In 1896, it was decided to cut the race back to 1.25 miles (10 furlongs), and has been run at this distance for the last 131 races.  The only year since 1875 that the Derby was not   on the runin May wa...

 This year's running of the 155th edition of the Belmont Stakes will, once again, have an asterisk beside it.  The Belmont Stakes began running at old Jerome Park in 1867, and the first winner of the Belmont was a filly named Ruthless.  Horse racing was banned in New York state in the years 1911 and 1912, and the race was not run.  It had been run at various distances between 1867 and 1920, but in 1921 it was decided that the length of the Belmont Stakes would be 1 and 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) and would stay at that length.  The 12 furlong length was decided to be used as a "grueling test of champions" as the climax of the Triple Crown races.  If a thoroughbred could run and win at 10 furlongs on the first Saturday in May in Kentucky; run and win a race of 9.5 furlongs two weeks later in Maryland; and then run and win a race of 12 furlongs on the track known as "Big Sandy" in New York 5 weeks after the first one - then that horse was truly  a champion ....

 With Belmont Park closed, Saratoga will be hosting the the Acorn Stakes and the Belmont Stakes this weekend.  The Belmont will run Saturday, at a quarter-mile shorter than the normal distance.    The Acorn Stakes used to be the last part of the fillies "Triple Tiara" races, following the Kentucky Oaks and the Black-Eyed Susan, at Churchill Downs and Pimlico Race Courses.  It is now the first  race of the "Triple Tiara" races, followed by the American Coaching Club Oaks and the Alabama Stakes.    The Acorn began running in 1931, and it used to be run at the distance of 1 mile, with a usual purse of  $750,000.  This year, at Saratoga, it will be run at 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs), with a purse of $500,000.  This year's Acorn will face off the winners of the Kentucky Oaks, Thorpedo Anna, and the winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Gun Song.    There are nine entries in this year's Acorn; eight were bred in Kentucky and M...

 It's Monday, 3 June 2024, and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has been blessed with an extremely large number of foals this year - foals #79 and #80 were first seen yesterday, and foal #81 today.  Of course, as in all things on our world, death is also near at hand.      This is something no one likes to talk about, but deaths of ponies do  happen.  On 9 April, WH Wildfire, a direct descendant of Misty of Chincoteague, gave birth to a chestnut filly sired by Riptide.  The last day of April, it was noted that Wildfire was on the ground, and her baby looked distressed.  Our local fire company, who own the ponies, immediately went to work to try to save the mare.  Despite more than 48 hours of round-the-clock veterinary care, volunteer care, IVs, and sling for the mare, it was decided that it was best to euthanize her.  Her filly, #11, is doing extremely well with a domesticated Chincoteague pony nurse mare and a "step-br...