Laurel's Grace has big plans for honoring Little Current
One of the great charms of horseracing becomes evident when two people take a 
shine to the same horse for different reasons.
That's why I got so excited a few days ago when Kevin Grace suddenly approached 
me at Laurel Park and began to campaign for a colt named Little Current to be 
voted into racing's Hall of Fame.
When Grace admitted he was 32-years-old and couldn't have known much about the 
romance of racing in Little Current's year, 1974, I had to challenge his motive.
"I saw his name in a book and saw that he won the Preakness," Grace said. "Then, 
I saw that he won the Belmont (Stakes) and should have won the Derby, I decided 
that he ought to be in the Hall of Fame."
Grace didn't stop there. A graduate of Towson University and now an employee of 
the Maryland Racing Commission, he is a man with a plan.
He talked racing columnists from around the around the county and in Canada into 
writing stories about Little Current's ability.
And frankly, he pointed out a few days ago that he is mainly interested in 
getting someone in Maryland to write about him. That way, with a story in The 
Sunday Capital, he can use the evidence on the Hall of Fame nominating 
committee.
The man has no guile, but no shame. He even went to Washington State where 
Little Current stands at stud these days.
Little Current is now 30, the oldest living stud to win a Triple Crown race.
The point is that I thought I was one of the few people who knew how great 
Little Current was. He was great, along with several others that represented 
John Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm.
Little Current, you see, headed to Churchill Downs in the spring of 1974 as one 
of 23 horses to get in the race. It was the 100th Derby and that year, the race 
seemed more important than any of the starters. And that includes the eventual 
winner, Cannonade, and his stablemate, Judger, who ran eighth with such good 
credentials that the two colts-trained by Woody Stephens, went off as favorite.
Little Current was fifth, beaten S'/4 lengths, after rallying from 23rd and 
last. Now, the rally alone should have given everyone the clue to his merit, but 
did many people realize it? No.
The footnotes carried at the bottom of the official chart, a comment of each 
horse's trip. It said, "Little Current closed strongly following a sluggish

beginning."
Most of the nation's "press", that is, the guys who wrote year-round about the 
good horses, were on the backstretch Sunday morning, to check out the entire 
field and to assess	the inconsistencies. At the Darby Dan barn, Lou 
Rondinello was missing. He had been hospitalized before the Derby because of 
kidney stones and had watched the race on television. His crew, preparing for a 
return trip to Belmont Park, was not talkative.
So the press wrote more amusing stories about Woody Stepehens and his 
philosophy.
As the Preakness neared, Rondinello was still in New York before eventually 
arriving at Pimlico late and out of the spotlight. Little Current won by seven 
lengths after rallying from ninth. He paid $28.20. Afterward, the press watched 
the Derby tapes and this time, paid attention. As best as could be determined, 
it had been a horror show. The colt suffered interference four or five times, 
depending on the person telling about viewing the tapes. No matter about the 
tapes. He had closed more than 25 lengths to reach fifty place and seemed to be 
traveling fastest of all at the finish. It seemed that way after the fact, 
anyway.
Little Current went on to gallop in the Belmont Stakes, but never got the 
attention other near-misses. That is, unless you'd want to consider another 
Darby Dan colt named Chateaugay in 1963.
He was an upset winner of the Derby and brought to Pimlico that year at least a 
week ahead of time by Jimmy Conway, trainer for Darby Dan. During the second 
week between the two races, Conway wanted to send Chateaugay out for a sharp 
workout and picked out a local exercise rider. Now the statistics are a little 
blurred after 28 years but it can be asserted that Chateaugay worked a mile that 
morning in a time faster than the track record.
The configuration of Pimlico is such that they haven't had mile races there for 
some time back in the 1950's, but still, it was a blazing trip. When Chateaugay 
eased up and was returning to the barn area, Conway walked up to
the rider and horse to say "a little fast, wasn't it?" The rider grinned 
sheepishly and said, "I didn't think he was going that fast."
Conway then stepped away from the crowd and lost his breakfast. He knew the 
Preakness was lost. Chateaugay ran a dull second to Candy Spots, beaten 3 1;2 
lengths. The workout taken edge off the Darby Dan colt.
On the walk to the press box after Little Current had won, Galbreath was asked 
about his two colts, Little Current and Chateaugay.
"You can't win things like that by having the best horse," he said. "You've got 
to win them on the track. That's why this game is so tough."
More than 150 horses are in the Hall of Fame.
Grace is right. Little Current belongs. We all have our reasons.