Little Current

One year earlier, Thoroughbred racing had witnessed Secretariat captivate much of the American public with his record-breaking performances en route to becoming the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years. One of the spillovers from Secretariat's enormous popularity was the record crowd of 163,628 who showed up at Churchill Downs on May 4, 1974, for the 100th running of the Kentucky Derby. Among those in attendance were Her Royal Highness Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowden.

In light of Little Current's performances leading up to the 1¼-mile Derby, he was given little consideration by the betting public and was sent off at more than 22-1 odds. Because jockey Miguel Rivera had earlier committed to ride Rube The Great in the Derby, Bobby Ussery was aboard Little Current in the twenty-three-horse field, the largest in the race's history. Complicating matters for Little Current was the fact that trainer Lou Rondinello was in hospital recovering from surgery.

Leaving from post position 10, Little Current was last at the quarter pole and at the mile mark was still trapped behind the large field in seventeenth place. Despite a strong drive after the mile pole, he finished fifth, more than six lengths back of winner Cannonade, who was ridden by Ángel Cordero Jr. Little Current in the homestretch had run down the middle of the track and passed numerous horses to finish fifth. As a result of the difficulties experienced by many entrants due to the large field, Churchill Downs officials, including Chairman of the Board and owner of Little Current John W. Galbreath, adopted a new rule limiting the field to twenty horses beginning in 1975.

Notwithstanding Little Current's off-the-board showings in the Blue Grass Stakes and the Derby, his handlers believed the colt was in part a victim of circumstances and a much better racehorse than his record showed. As such, he was entered in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Ridden by Miguel Rivera, Little Current was again given little chance by bettors and was sent off at 13-1 odds. Near the back of the pack for much of the 1 3/16 mile race, he raced close to the inner rail until a hole opened between horses. Launching an explosive drive, the colt drove through the narrow opening, quickly caught the leaders, then stormed past them to win by seven lengths over Neapolitan Way and Derby winner Cannonade. Little Current's winning margin was the largest in twenty-three years.

The third and final leg of the American Classic Races is the 1½ l-mile-long Belmont Stakes. Over the years, many great horses have won the Derby and Preakness only to fall short in the longer race. However, Little Current's sire, Sea Bird, had established himself as one of Europe's greatest runners with dominating victories at 1½ miles in the 1965 Epsom Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

In a nine-horse field, Little Current sat nine lengths back in eighth place while Kentucky Derby winner Cannonade and Jolly Johu dueled for the lead. Making the turn for home, again Little Current came storming through to run away from the pack and score another seven-length win.

After capturing the Belmont, Little Current only raced three times. He did not start again until August's Monmouth Invitational Handicap where, after being nearly 20 lengths behind the leader, he put on another explosive drive to finish second by a nose to Holding Pattern. These two horses then met in the Travers Stakes with the same result.

John Galbreath, Little Current's owner, had also raced successfully in Europe. In 1972, his colt Roberto won England's most prestigious race, The Derby. He wanted to win France's most important race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and because of Little Current's easy victory at 1½ miles in the Belmont Stakes, Galbreath believed the horse had a chance in the Arc. In order to first see how the colt could handle the grass surface he would run on in France, Galbreath entered him in the Lawrence Realization Stakes on Belmont Park's turf course. However, Little Current chipped a bone in his right front ankle and was retired from racing. Despite his shortened racing season, he was voted the 1974 Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse.