Oldest living Triple Crown race winner dies 


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From AP and The Baltimore Sun 

Little Current, the oldest living winner of a Triple Crown race, died Sunday at age 32 in Monroe, Wash., where he had lived in obscurity but comfort in the care of admiring veterinarians. 

The regally bred horse, who once was visited in Kentucky by the Queen of England, won the 1974 Preakness and Belmont, both by seven lengths. He finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, and many believe he would have won had he not been blocked repeatedly in the record 23-horse field for the 100th running. After that the field was limited to 20. 

Little Current began showing signs of abdominal distress late Saturday. Ann and Mark Hansen, veterinarians who had cared for him the past eight years, treated him overnight in their clinic. Finally, at 5 a.m. Sunday, Ann Hansen euthanized Little Current. 

''The good news is it all happened very quickly, and he was feeling good, doing well, up to when he got sick,'' Ann said. ''My husband's comment was, 'Dignified unto death.' He was a class act up to the end.'' 

Little Current won only two races other than the Preakness and Belmont, but because of those victories he was named champion 3-year-old. A chestnut son of the legendary European champion Sea-Bird out of the My Babu mare Luiana, Little Current was bred and raced by John W. Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Ky. He was syndicated for $4 million as a stallion but was unsuccessful at stud. 

Spectacular Bid, 27, is now the oldest living winner of a Triple Crown race. The 1979 Derby and Preakness champ lives in Unadilla, N.Y. 

In racing yesterday 


Santa Anita: Johar, last in the early going and still fourth with less than 50 yards to go, surged to a head victory in the $150,000, Grade II San Marcos Stakes. 
The 4-year-old son of Gone West-- Windsharp covered 1

miles on grass in 1:57.92 under Alex Solis and paid $6.60. The Tin Man, the 9-5 favorite in a field of seven, finished second, a nose in front of the pacesetting Grammarian. 
The Richard Mandella-trained Johar is 5-3-1 in 12 starts and has earned $672,000. He is being pointed for the 1 3/4 -mile San Juan Capistrano, a race in which his mother finished second. 

Earlier on the card, Elloluv ($5.60) rallied from just off the pace to win the $150,000, Grade II Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies by 2 1/2 lengths. The Craig Dollase-trained daughter of Gilded Time covered seven furlongs in 1:23.03 under Patrick Valenzuela. She was coming off a victory in the Grade I Hollywood Starlet. 


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http://www.courierjournal.com/cjsports/news2003/01/21/sp012103s352831.htm