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 U.S. 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.
Nov. 28, 1982: The brilliant Landaluce, who won her five lifetime starts by a total of 46 1/2 lengths, died of a viral infection. She was buried in the infield at Hollywood Park, where she had won her first two races. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Landaluce was later voted champion two-year-old filly of 1982 over another undefeated filly, Princess Rooney.
Nov. 30, 1989: Jockey Kent Desormeaux surpassed Chris McCarron’s 15-year record for most number of victories in a single season when he rode his 547th winner for the year, at Laurel.
Nov. 30, 1997: Jockey Edgar Prado became the fourth jockey in history to ride 500 winners in a single year.
Nov. 30, 2001: Advertising on jockeys’ attire, owners’ silks, and track saddlecloths became legal at California tracks.
Dec. 1, 1962: Ten thousand fans attended a ceremony at Tropical Park in honor of Carry Back’s retirement. By Saggy out of Joppy, Carry Back was known as “the people’s horse.” He retired after 55 starts and earnings of more than $1 million.
Dec. 1, 1982: In the first race to feature mother and daughter jockeys, Patti Barton rode against her daughter, Leah, at Latonia. Patti finished fifth aboard Tam’s Angel while Leah was tenth on Diane’s Ms. Lolly.
Dec. 1, 2002: Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey broke his own single-season North American earnings mark after finishing third aboard Royal Gem in the Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park. His total purse earnings of $19,032,509 propelled him past his 2001 total of $19,015,720.
Dec. 2, 1936: Fair Grounds, New Orleans, La., licensed its first female trainer, Miss Meryl Eckhardt of Flint, Mich.
Dec. 3, 1997: Jockey Russell Baze became the 12th rider in Thoroughbred racing history to win 6,000 races when he won the fourth race at Golden Gate Fields aboard Clover Hunter.
