answer to question #2
A race they are STILL talking about, and one which undoubtedly earned
Saratoga its nickname as "the house of upsets" and the "graveyard of
favorites". This was the Sanford Memorial. Chief opposition was to come from
Golden Broom, at level weights. Upset was not considered much of a threat -
Man o'War had already beaten him in their last meeting, although Upset would
again carry 15 lbs less.
These were the days before starting gates, and the group circled, approached
the starting line as a team, and were released by signal of the starter's
flag. On this day, Man o'War was still circling when the flag fell, and was
in fact, not even yet facing the right direction. It was a horrible for
him - the group was gone before he got himself righted, placing him at a
distinct disadvantage in this 6 furlong race. He shot straight away after
them, and very soon had passed Captain Alcock, The Swimmer and Armistice.
Assuming the rail would be the shortest route, jockey Loftus steered Big Red
to the rail and aimed for the leader, Golden Broom. Upset was challenging
for the lead, and Donnacona was starting to fade. Unfortunately, Donnacona
was on the rail also, and Man o'War was forced to check go to the outside to
continue his run. The 130 lbs was beginning to tell on Golden Broom, and he
relinquished the lead to the courageous Upset. Man o'War continued to close
resolutely, but ran out of track with a half length to go.
It was an unfair start, and Man o'War was boxed into a hopeless position
during the running. Despite the injustice, Man o'War was heaped with glory
for a superhuman effort in defeat. Everyone at Saratoga that day knew the
best horse had not won. Upset would face Man o'War a total of six times in
their careers, and would lose all the other meetings, but his single
victory, a feat no other horse could claim, was enough to immortalize him.
Ten days later Man o'War avenged his loss with a triumph in the Grand Union
Hotel Stakes. Upset was relegated to his more familiar second-place
position.
d*@syix.com
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