Racing History Highlights – Nov. 14-26

Nov. 14, 1997: Jockey Eddie Arcaro, a 1958 Racing Hall of Fame inductee and the only two-time winner of the Triple Crown, died of cancer at his home in Miami at age 81.

Nov. 15, 1990: Alydar, one of the top sires in America and runner-up in all three Triple Crown races to Affirmed, was euthanized at Calumet Farm.

Nov. 15, 1995: Jockey Julie Krone rode her 3,000th career winner, in the fourth race at Aqueduct, aboard Dustin’s Dreamer.

Nov. 16, 1951: The Pimlico Special, then a winner-take-all $15,000 contest, became the first race to be televised nationally. The winner was C.T. Chenery’s Bryan G.

Nov. 17, 2000: Officials of Breeders’ Cup Limited announced the addition of an interactive stallion nomination system to the company’s Website.

Nov. 18, 1961: Jockey Eddie Arcaro rode his last career race, finishing third on Endymion in the Pimlico Futurity. He retired with a then-record $30,039,543 in purses.

Nov. 18, 1972: Secretariat capped his two-year-old racing season with a 3 ??-length victory in the Garden State Stakes at Garden State Park. The winner’s share of the purse was $179,199, the most Secretariat ever won in a single race.

Nov. 18, 1979: In the eighth race at Aqueduct, Laffit Pincay Jr. had his 4,000th career win, aboard Gladiolus.

Nov. 19, 1956: Jockey Fernando Toro won his first career race at the Hipodromo in Santiago, Chile.

Nov. 19, 1995: Jockey Russell Baze became the first rider to have won 400 races a year for four consecutive years, after he rode Royal Boutique to victory at Golden Gate Fields.

Nov. 21, 1971: Secretariat completed his preliminary training at Meadow training center.

Nov. 22, 1990: Jockey Pat Day marked his 5,000th career winner when he rode Screen Prospect to victory in the Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs. Day was the twelfth rider in history to hit 5,000.

Nov. 25, 1997: Officials from Churchill Downs and the Maryland Jockey Club announced a new method for drawing post positions for the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The traditional blind draw would be held to establish a selection order, then a horse’s owner/trainer or authorized agent would choose his preferred post position among those still available.

Nov. 26, 1946: American Air Lines transported six horses from Shannon Airport, Eire, Ireland, to Newark, N.J., completing the first trans-Atlantic flight for Thoroughbreds. The plane arrived in the United States on Nov. 27.

Nov. 26, 1992: Sandy Hawley became the ninth North American rider to win 6,000 races. His record victory came aboard Summer Commander in the second race at Greenwood Racecourse.

Nov. 26, 2001: “Seabiscuit,” Laura Hillenbrand’s best-selling book about the rags-to-riches story of a 1930s Thoroughbred champion and the colorful people associated with him, was honored with the United Kingdom’s prestigious “William Hill Sports Book of the Year” award.

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