Book Board Chat

I remember one sports writer blathering on in the early 1970s of how no horse in the modern era would ever win the triple crown again. The Preakness was a short speed race while the Belmont was a long endurance race. Modern horses were bred for either speed or distance not both. So, in the next five years three horses won the triple crown; two in back to back years and another two since then.

I only have made one horse race bet in my life. That was on Sham (5-2) in the 1973 Kentucky Derby that Secretariat (3-2) won. (Angle Light was also a 3–2 favorite.) Sham did look good, Secretariat had lost some races before that. Now everyone talks about how Secretariat was the greatest race horse of all time. If he was so great why did he lose those earlier races? And, why was he at the same odds as Angle Light? He also came in second in two of his next four races. I want my $2 back.