Greatest Decade in Horse Racing...

For me, you can't beat the 1970's when it comes to our beloved sport...
Seattle Slew, Forego, Allez France, Chris Evert, Dahlia, Shergar, Affirmed, Youth, Alydar, Sham, Ruffian, Alleged, Desert Vixen, Mr. Prospector, Foolish Pleasure, Exceller, Our Mims, Secretariat, Riva Ridge, Wajima, L'Enjoleur, Brushing Groom, Davona Dale, The Minstrel, Storm Bird, John Henry, Glorious Song, Danzig, Nureyev, Kris S, Genuine Risk, Desert Orchid, All Along, Deputy Minister, Spectacular Bid... to name only a few.
Having been born in the mid-70's, I actually began watching horse racing in the 80's, but the 1970's must have been the golden age.
So what's your favourite decade? This is for fun debate, not meant to be contentious.. really there is no wrong answer, right? lol
Seattle Slew, Forego, Allez France, Chris Evert, Dahlia, Shergar, Affirmed, Youth, Alydar, Sham, Ruffian, Alleged, Desert Vixen, Mr. Prospector, Foolish Pleasure, Exceller, Our Mims, Secretariat, Riva Ridge, Wajima, L'Enjoleur, Brushing Groom, Davona Dale, The Minstrel, Storm Bird, John Henry, Glorious Song, Danzig, Nureyev, Kris S, Genuine Risk, Desert Orchid, All Along, Deputy Minister, Spectacular Bid... to name only a few.
Having been born in the mid-70's, I actually began watching horse racing in the 80's, but the 1970's must have been the golden age.
So what's your favourite decade? This is for fun debate, not meant to be contentious.. really there is no wrong answer, right? lol
Comments
But I'll select
A DECADE LESS COMPLICATED...
...A time period which were less sophisticated without medical drugs to enhance the performance of the racehorse, a time when horses were built sturdier, a time that did not involve genetics but good breeding sense...the 1940s!
These were times where horse racing brought out people from famous leaders and glamorous movie stars to the average "Joe" workman who were thrilled to see their favorite horse run. It was common back then for horses to race in the double digits before they were retired. Citation for example ran 45 races (32 wins, 10 places, 2 shows). During WWII...horse racing also gave people something to hope for.
Who can forget Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946) and Citation (1948) for Triple Crown winners during this decade!
Remember...The objective of this thread was to select a decade you felt was your favorite decade...there are no right or wrong answers.
the 40s has to be equal to the 70s, im just not old enough to have lived it but i know it was an incredible decade as well...having been in Kentucky recently and being able to walk the cemetery at calumet farm and visiting with citation etc, makes me think the 40s would have really been something to see...kinda like the few people who were fortunate enough to have seen Man o War AND secretariat
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1932910026?cache=1390945255#ref=pd_aw_sbs_b_0
Was very sad when Sunday Silence went to Japan. He didn't fare well there and I always thought it wasn't good for him. Some horses will forever be linked to their rivals and Sunday Silence-Easy Goer was one of those great rivalries.
Those two diseases send chills down my spine when I hear a horse having either illnesses. I know in equine science...they are pursuing finding the genetic links that triggers the onset of laminitis...in combination with environmental aspects such as diet, stress, etc. Currently with not knowing the genetic "trigger" mechanism(s), vets can only work on the symptoms. I hope in the near future, they can find the genetic "off" switch for laminitis! In the meantime, I'm all for the Old World techniques such as bot fly maggots and leeches to help combat the domino effect of tissue degeneration & inflammation/poor circulation in laminitis.
Sorry...went off topic just now.
Anyway...looks like the 1970's seems to be the head runner in most of the people's selections! Earlier. I chose the 1940's because it was a different era of thinking on how they bred and trained these race champions. Back then wealthy families also bred their horses to keep and not to commercially sell outright. So I thought I'd put in an alternative preference. Besides...4 triple crown winners and Pensive with 2 out of 3 TC wins (1944)...the 1940's aint bad either! :oD
Check Zenyatta's pedigree, she is inbred 5x5 to Nashua. Nashua, along with Princequillo, also a JCGC winner, is likely where Zenyatta gets her stamina.
The 50's also had Gallant Man, who won the JCGC the year after Nashua, lost the Kentucky derby due to a terrible mistake by Bill Shoemaker and won the Belmont stakes in stakes record time.
Round Table, by Princequillo, won 43 races from 66 starts. No, he was not a gelding, and went on to be a significant sire. Horses had actual racing careers in those days.
Bold Ruler was from the same 1954 crop as Gallant Man and Round Table and a good race horse as well. Although he retired after only 33 starts with 23 wins, Bold Ruler was an important stallion. Among his progeny was a horse of the 70's you may remember out of the Princequillo mare Somethingroyal, called Secretariat.