Bet Twice
Encyclopedia
Bet Twice was a multi-millionaire American
thoroughbred
Stallion
racehorse
. Foaled in Kentucky
, he was sired by Sportin' Life, who in turn was the son of the great stallion and British Triple Crown champion Nijinsky
, out of the mare Golden Dust. He was bred by William S. Farish III and E. J. Hudson and born on what became Lane's End Farm
in Versailles, Kentucky
.
and Garry Maddox, his principal shareholder was Robert Levy, the owner of Atlantic City Race Course
. As a two-year-old, Bet Twice won the grade one Laurel Futurity
and Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes
and the grade two Sapling Stakes
.
on the road to the Triple Crown. He met a crop of talented horses in that three-year-old year, including Gulch
and Cryptoclearance
; however, his rivalry with Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes
winner Alysheba
was most famous. He faced the other colt nine times, beating him three times (Alysheba won four times, while neither horse won in their other two meetings).
Bet Twice and Alysheba battled down the stretch in what many consider one of the most physical Derbies ever. Alysheba prevailed by a half length over Bet Twice with both colts almost two and a half length in front of the rest of the field.
In the Preakness Stakes
, Bet Twice was listed at post time as the fourth choice in a strong field at 5-1. He broke sharply and was third going into the first turn. He was up with the leaders when he was floated out wide. Approaching the stretch, the colt took the lead from Lookingforthebigone and Alysheba. In the closing moments of the race, Alysheba closed and Bet Twice gave way stubbornly, losing by a half length again. In third and fourth were Cryptoclearance and Gulch respectively.
Bet Twice may be best known for his victory in the 1987 Belmont Stakes
. Ridden by Craig Perret
and trained by Jimmy Croll
, he won by 14 lengths and denied Alysheba
the Triple Crown
. By virtue of his victory in the Belmont and runner-up performances in the Preakness Stakes
and the Kentucky Derby
, he edged out Alysheba for the first ever $1,000,000 Chrysler Triple Crown Bonus. That bonus stamped Bet Twice as the top performing three-year-old in the Triple Crown series despite being overshadowed in the media by Alysheba.
Bet Twice then won the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park over Alysheba. He also finished ahead of Alysheba in the Travers Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course
, though both horses finished in mid-pack behind Java Gold
on the sloppy track.
Handicap at "Old Hilltop" in Baltimore
, Maryland
. He entered that race as the post time fourth choice in a field of seven graded stakes winners at 7-1. As the gates opened, he dropped back to next to last but was only six lengths off the lead. Going into that famous "club house turn" at Pimlico Race Course
, Oaklawn Handicap winner Lost Code led the field followed by local favorite Little Bold John
and dual classic winner Alysheba
. Then, on the far turn, Bet Twice weaved through traffic and moved between horses to challenge for the lead. Coming down the stretch, he drifted out and brushed Lost Code. Then he drew off and won by 3/4 length. In that race, he avenged his loss to Alysheba in the Preakness from a year earlier and beat a stellar field that included Cryptoclearance, Lost Code and local Maryland star Little Bold John
. The time for the grade-one race at 1 3/16 miles was 1:54 1/5.
Later that year, Bet Twice put in a very consistent summer campaign. He had runner-up finishes in the grade one Philip H. Iselin Handicap
, the grade-three Ben Ali Stakes
and the grade-three Salvator Mile. He also had show performances in the grade-one Suburban Handicap
and the grade-one United Nations Handicap
.
at age 15.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
Stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Foaled in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, he was sired by Sportin' Life, who in turn was the son of the great stallion and British Triple Crown champion Nijinsky
Nijinsky II
The racehorse Nijinsky was one of the greatest horses in Thoroughbred horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the Leading broodmare sire in North America.He was bred at E. P...
, out of the mare Golden Dust. He was bred by William S. Farish III and E. J. Hudson and born on what became Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm which means beautiful woods and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought by leading...
in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
.
Two year-old season
Owned by a syndicate of approximately three dozen that included baseball players Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
and Garry Maddox, his principal shareholder was Robert Levy, the owner of Atlantic City Race Course
Atlantic City Race Course
The Atlantic City Race Course , formerly the Atlantic City Race Track, is a thoroughbred horse race track located in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The track is located off the Black Horse Pike next to the Hamilton Mall...
. As a two-year-old, Bet Twice won the grade one Laurel Futurity
Laurel Futurity
The Laurel Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on turf, at one time it was a Grade I stakes race on dirt, and one of the richest and most important races for two-year-old...
and Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes
Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes
The Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes is a Grade III flat horse race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds. It is raced over a distance of 8 furlongs, or one mile, on Polytrack synthetic dirt at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois every fall and currently offers a purse of $150,000.It was run...
and the grade two Sapling Stakes
Sapling Stakes
The Sapling Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early September at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to 2-year-olds, it is raced on dirt over a distance of six furlongs for a purse of $150,000....
.
Three-year-old season
Early in his three-year-old season, Bet Twice won the grade two Fountain of Youth StakesFountain of Youth Stakes
The Fountain of Youth Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida at the beginning of March. A Grade II event open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt, it offers a purse of $400,000...
on the road to the Triple Crown. He met a crop of talented horses in that three-year-old year, including Gulch
Gulch (horse)
Gulch was an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. Owned and bred by Peter M. Brant, he was sired by the outstanding North American stud and graded stakes race winner Mr...
and Cryptoclearance
Cryptoclearance
Cryptoclearance was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.Trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Scotty Schulhofer, leading up to the 1987 U.S. Triple Crown series, Cryptoclearance won the Florida Derby...
; however, his rivalry with Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
winner Alysheba
Alysheba
Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....
was most famous. He faced the other colt nine times, beating him three times (Alysheba won four times, while neither horse won in their other two meetings).
Bet Twice and Alysheba battled down the stretch in what many consider one of the most physical Derbies ever. Alysheba prevailed by a half length over Bet Twice with both colts almost two and a half length in front of the rest of the field.
In the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, Bet Twice was listed at post time as the fourth choice in a strong field at 5-1. He broke sharply and was third going into the first turn. He was up with the leaders when he was floated out wide. Approaching the stretch, the colt took the lead from Lookingforthebigone and Alysheba. In the closing moments of the race, Alysheba closed and Bet Twice gave way stubbornly, losing by a half length again. In third and fourth were Cryptoclearance and Gulch respectively.
Bet Twice may be best known for his victory in the 1987 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. Ridden by Craig Perret
Craig Perret
Craig Perret is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding horses at age five and by seven was riding quarter horses in match races...
and trained by Jimmy Croll
Warren A. Croll, Jr.
Warren A. "Jimmy" Croll, Jr. was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred race horse trainer.Croll was born in 1920 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. After finishing high school, he attended the University of Pennsylvania with the intention of becoming a veterinarian but left to pursue his passion for...
, he won by 14 lengths and denied Alysheba
Alysheba
Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....
the Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
. By virtue of his victory in the Belmont and runner-up performances in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
and the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, he edged out Alysheba for the first ever $1,000,000 Chrysler Triple Crown Bonus. That bonus stamped Bet Twice as the top performing three-year-old in the Triple Crown series despite being overshadowed in the media by Alysheba.
Bet Twice then won the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park over Alysheba. He also finished ahead of Alysheba in the Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, though both horses finished in mid-pack behind Java Gold
Java Gold
Java Gold is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won Grade 1 races and sired two Champions.Bred by Paul Mellon, and raced by his Rokeby Stables, Java Gold notably won the 1986 Remsen Stakes at age two and the Grades 1 Travers Stakes, Marlboro Cup Invitational and Whitney Handicaps...
on the sloppy track.
Four-year-old season
As a four-year-old, Bet Twice's connections accepted an invitation to run him in the first revival of a very prestigious race in the $500,000 grade one Pimlico SpecialPimlico Special
The Pimlico Special is an American thoroughbred horse race held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. It is raced on dirt over a distance of 1³/16 miles . The race is currently open to horses age three and older and offers a purse of $250,000.The Pimlico Special was first run in...
Handicap at "Old Hilltop" in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He entered that race as the post time fourth choice in a field of seven graded stakes winners at 7-1. As the gates opened, he dropped back to next to last but was only six lengths off the lead. Going into that famous "club house turn" at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
, Oaklawn Handicap winner Lost Code led the field followed by local favorite Little Bold John
Little Bold John
Little Bold John is a multi-millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Maryland by Hal C.B. Clagett and raced under the Hidden Hill Farm's banner as his owner. He finished racing with a record of 38-16-14 in 105 starts with career earnings of $2,056,406...
and dual classic winner Alysheba
Alysheba
Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....
. Then, on the far turn, Bet Twice weaved through traffic and moved between horses to challenge for the lead. Coming down the stretch, he drifted out and brushed Lost Code. Then he drew off and won by 3/4 length. In that race, he avenged his loss to Alysheba in the Preakness from a year earlier and beat a stellar field that included Cryptoclearance, Lost Code and local Maryland star Little Bold John
Little Bold John
Little Bold John is a multi-millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Maryland by Hal C.B. Clagett and raced under the Hidden Hill Farm's banner as his owner. He finished racing with a record of 38-16-14 in 105 starts with career earnings of $2,056,406...
. The time for the grade-one race at 1 3/16 miles was 1:54 1/5.
Later that year, Bet Twice put in a very consistent summer campaign. He had runner-up finishes in the grade one Philip H. Iselin Handicap
Philip H. Iselin Handicap
The Philip H. Iselin Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to horses three years of age and older, the race was first run in 1884...
, the grade-three Ben Ali Stakes
Ben Ali Stakes
The Ben Ali Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run in the Spring of each year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. For 4-year-olds and up, it is a Grade III event set at a distance of one mile and one eighth mile on the dirt...
and the grade-three Salvator Mile. He also had show performances in the grade-one Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
and the grade-one United Nations Handicap
United Nations Handicap
The United Nations Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The race is open to horses, age three and up, going one and three-eighths miles on the turf. A Grade I event, it currently offers a purse of $750,000...
.
Retirement
Bet Twice stood at stud for six years at Muirfield Farm from 1990 through 1996. He was pensioned from stud duty at age 12. On March 5, 1999, he died at Muirfield East in MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
at age 15.