Another Horse Which Grabbed A Quarter In The Belmont.

[Patuxet]

California Chrome's misfortune reminded me of another horse similarly damaged in the Belmont. I haven't seen anyone mention this.

According to his Hall of Fame bio: War Admiral stumbled when the gate opened for the Belmont and grabbed a quarter when his hind foot cut an inch-square chunk out of his right forefoot. The race was shaping up to be a disaster for him. He had expended a great amount of energy before the race and now his legs and belly were saturated with blood from his misstep out of the gate. War Admiral had every excuse to run a clunker. Instead, he demonstrated why he is considered to be among the greatest racehorses in American history. War Admiral rocketed to a three-length victory to cover the 1½-mile distance in 2:28 3/5, breaking the track record set by his sire, Man o’ War, in the Belmont 17 years earlier and equaling the American record for the distance.