Little Current should be in Horse Racin, Hall of Fame, Baltimore man believes
Tom Sasvari
The Recorder
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Little Current should be in the hall of fame, says a 
Baltimore, Maryland man.
No, he isn't talking about the former town of Little Current (now Northeastern 
Manitoulin and the Islands). Kevin Grace is lobbying for the great race-horse 
Little Current, who won two of the three legs of the racing Triple Crown in 1974 
being inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga, New York.
"Little Current, 29, is the oldest living classic champion," stated Grace (an 
employee of the Maryland Jockey Club) who never saw the horse race.
"I knew nothing of the horse, I am just a horse fan. But I found out a little 
about him, and dug in a little bit more on his background, and found he won both 
the Preakness and Belmont races," said Grace. "When I went out to see him for 
the first time in Seattle, I said 'Wow, he is something.'"
Grace explained the connection between the horses name and the town of Little 
Current. "He was named by his owner at the time, John Galbraith, (from Ohiot who
owned the Major League baseball team the Pittsburgh Pirates from the 1950s to 
the 1970s.
"Mr. Galbraith named the horse after Little Current, where he owned a retreat, 
which his family still owns today," said Grace.
Little Current was honoured by the town he was named after, in August 1974 when 
Galbraith received the
key to the town for his horse's heroics.
Little Current was bred and raced by Darby Dan Farm, trained by Lou Rondinello 
and ridden by Miguel Rivcra. He is a son of the great Seabird, winner of the 
Epson Derby and Prix de I'Arc de Triomphe, and the sire of the great filly Allez 
France. Little Current is out of Luiana, the dam also of Spinaway Stakes winner 
Prayers 'N Promises.
His second dam is Banquet Bell, the dam of Kentucky Derby winner and champion 
Chateau-Gay, who also won the Belmont Stakes.
After servicing mares at Darby Dan, Little Curent moved to Arnold Farm, also in 
Kentucky. He then moved to Good Guys Farm near New Orleans, Louisiana. He was 
then purchased in 1995 by Ann and Mark Hansen, two veterinarians who own 
Maverick Farms, near Monroe, Washington.
"As of this morning, he was in great health," Ann Hansen told The Recorder last 
Thursday.
Apparently, according to Hanson, Little Current has quite a personality.
"He's very demanding of his human servants," auinoed Hansen. "He's the
king!... and he gets very upset if we don't follow his wishes."
Hansen noted, "Little Current really loves his grain, and gets mad if we don't 
feed him grain first. Usually we bring in the hay and water, and he will stand 
and look at us, pout, and make faces."
"He is also very playful, he'll nip and grab at you,
usually missing, and never intending to hurt anyone," said Hansen. "He is like a 
little boy who will pull the pigtails on a little girl, just being 
mischievious."
Hansen said she supports Grace's lobbying to have Little Current inducted into 
the Hall of Fame, although
she noted she isn't as passionate about it as Grace is. "We're slightly biased, 
but we think he should have won the Triple Crown. He's a phenomenal horse. I'm a 
horse veterinarian and as individuals go Little Current is an exceptional 
individual."
"I have seen Secretariat and he had a tremendous presence... a very powerful 
animal, that gives you chills just being around. That is the way Little Current 
is, and this aura is not something you feel being around many other horses," 
said Hansen. "Little Current is particularly intelligent and has a great 
personality. He knows he is the fastest, strongest, and is the king. I believe 
he won his races because of his heart., he believes in himself so much."
"Little Current should have won the Triple Crown," stressed Grace. "It was 
because of him the rules were changed to decrease the number of horses that can 
run in the Kentucky Derby."
Little Current failed to capture the Kentucky Derby in 1974, getting blocked out 
and finishing fifth in an enormous field of 23 racers,
after pulling on a finishing kick during the stretch, passing 15 horses in front 
of him, said Grace.
"In the Preakness, he trailed the field, then on the last turn his jockey, 
Miguel Rivera made a gutsy move and Little Current pulled away by seven lengths 
to win," said Grace.
The margin over runner-up Neopolitan Way was seven lengths. Cannonade, who had 
won the Kentucky Derby was another length back in third. The time of 1:54 3/5 
for the 1 3/16 miles was two-fifths of a second shy of the mark posted by 
Secretariat the previous year.
In the Belmont Stakes, "with about one half mile to go Little Curent went to the 
outside and passed the field to again win by seven lengths," said Grace. He 
charged to a seven length victory over Jolly Johu. Cannonade was third.
"He ran faster at the Belmont than Secretariat did. This is the hardest race of 
the three in the Triple Crown and Little Current blew the door off the room, 
coming back and winning easily," said Grace. After gaining knowledge
and becoming more enam-
ored with Lillle Current, Grace visited Seattle in 1997 to meet Little Current, 
and continues to do so three times a year.
"Little Current is a very intelligent horse, and he has always done what he's 
asked," said Grace. At 29 years old, Little Current is the oldest living winner 
of a Triple Crown race. The next oldest living Crown winner is Seattle Slew, 26 
years old, added Grace.
"The Hansens are great people, and since they're both veterinarians Little 
Current is getting the best treatment in the world," said Grace.
"Everyone I've talked to feels Little Currenl should have won the Triple Crown," 
he added. "He affected a lot of people.
The names of candidates for the Hall of Fame are expected in the near future. "I 
know Little Current will make the first cut. We should know for sure within the 
next couple of months," continued Grace.
"I want him to get the roses he should have in 1974, by getting Little Current 
into the Hall of Fame. He deserves it, and why should we wait until he's dead?"