1981: Pleasant Colony

Pleasant Colony doesn't have quite the intriguing story that Spectacular Bid had. He was the Wood Memorial winner that year, and was the odds on favorite on Kentucky Derby day. The nearly seventeen had colt held off a late charge by a horse named Woodchipper to win at Churchill Downs by just 3/4 of a length. He would repeat that performance in Baltimore, taking the Preakness Stakes by about one length.

Meanwhile an impressive colt named Summing was coming into hand at the best of times: he won the Pennsylvania Derby, and just ten days later was set to run against Pleasant Colony in the Belmont Stakes.

On June 6, 1981, Summing took a three length lead down the backstretch and never looked back. He ended up holding off Highland Blade by a nose for the win, and Pleasant Colony held his ground for a distant third. His connections all knew he was a tired horse coming into the race, but he was sound and healthy, and with that being the case skipping the Belmont and forfeiting a chance at history was out of the question. Plain and simple, the horse ran flat. He didn't have anymore gas left in the tank, and though he didn't fade badly down the stretch, he didn't have the kick to catch the others. He would run only three more times in his career. After a long rest, he finished a close second in the Travers Stakes, the won the Woodward. He was retired after finishing fourth in the Malboro Cup.

Summing went on to win another big race that fall, and also scored a second place before the end of the year.

Pleasant Colony was simply another one of those that could have been. He wasn't fresh going into the Belmont, and the mile and a half test is no place for a tired horse. His Preakness Victory was his third big win in just four weeks, so understandably he didn't have much left in his tank. But in truth, he probably wasn't the same quality as those that won the crown before him. In fact his own trainer was quoted (when commenting on his Belmont loss) that "he is still a good horse. He's not a great horse". I think the remainder of his career supported that statement well. Good horses come and go. Good horses have good careers and win big races. But good horses don't win the Triple Crown. That takes a great horse.