Trainer Buddy Delp famously remarked that his charge Spectacular Bid was “the greatest horse ever to look through a bridle”. A bold claim, especially so because it was proclaimed so soon following the exploits of the legendary horses that had preceded him such as Secretariat, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, and Alydar.
The Bid, as he was sometimes called, boasts an astonishing list of accomplishments and certainly deserves to be mentioned in any fair discussion of the greatest thoroughbreds of all time.
Spectacular Bid was foaled on February 17, 1976 and sold at auction at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $37,000. He sire Bold Bidder enjoyed some success as a stallion, and even sired 1974 Kentucky Derby winner, Cannonade.
Debut
Spectacular Bid made his debut on June 30, 1978 as a 2-year-old at Pimlico Race Course. He broke his maiden race at 5 ½ furlongs by an easy 3 ¼ length margin, coming within 2/5ths of a second of the track record for that distance. His odds certainly did not suggest that there was much buzz about him before the race, closing at 6-1. He would never go off at such a high price again.
He proceeded to win an allowance race by 8 lengths in a driving finish. This was just the 2nd start of career, but he equaled the Pimlico Race Course Track Record of 1:04 1/5.
He suffered his first loss in his third start over a sloppy Monmouth Park racetrack in a stakes race called the Tyro Stakes. He was very wide early but could only manage 4th place, beaten nearly 7 lengths without a legitimate excuse.
The Bid again tried his hand in stakes company in the slightly longer 6 furlong $34,000 Dover Stakes at Delaware Park. Again he was made the favorite at even money, but he could only manage second. He ran well, and was clearly second best, but the odds suggested the public had hoped for a little more from him.
The Breakthrough
Some horses ascend to greatness gradually, by degrees, but some explode onto the scene with a performance that serves notice that they are going to be something special. Spectacular Bid showed why he was named so with such a race in the World’s Playground (Grade 3) at 7 furlongs. Here he dispatched of seven rivals easily, beating the runner up by 15 lengths, and stopping the clock in 120 and 4/5 seconds. This would mark the beginning of a 12 race winning streak that would extend well into his 3-year-old season.
He proceeded to register three straight Grade 1 wins in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, in the Young America at the Meadowlands, and in the Laurel Futurity at Laurel Racetrack, the latter being an 8 ½ length romp in which he also set a Laurel Park track record in 141 3/5 seconds.
He even wound out his 2-year-old season with a 6 length romp in the Grade 2 Heritage Stakes for good measure.
3-Year-Old Season
The Bid continued to rack up the wins as he matured, and seemed to do it with increasing ease despite facing increasingly difficult levels of competition. He made his debut in the 7 furlong Hutchenson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He won two more at that track, the Fountain of Youth (Grade 3), and the Grade 1 Florida Derby, which he won easily.
Next up was the Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah racetrack, a Grade 1 race against 7 other rivals. He was ridden out by jockey Ron Franklin to win by 12 easy lengths.
His final prep for the Kentucky Derby was the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keenland Racecourse. Most horses these days generally race no more than 4 times before the Kentucky Derby, sometimes only 2 or 3 times as a 3-year old before the Derby.
The Kentucky Derby
That he made 14 starts before his first start in the Kentucky Derby is a testament to his durability. Most Derby starters today don’t make half that many.
He carried 126 pounds for the Derby, and was the highest impost he had ever had to haul. He was made the heavy 3/5 favorite for the race – was there any horse that could possibly challenge him for the roses? Some bettors fancied Flying Paster who was made the second choice, the betting being 2-1 on him, but he managed to only finished 5th.
Spectacular Bid dropped back to 6th position early, and tracked down the backstretch. By the half mile pole, he and second betting choice Flying Paster made a move for the front. Turning into the homestretch, the Bid took command and overtook General Assembly gradually drawing away to a 2 ¾ length win.
The Preakness Stakes
Two weeks later, only 4 other contenders dared show up, and he easily demolished them. Flying Paster and General Assembly hooked up early in a duel, while Bid calmly dropped back near the rear passing the stands for the first time. Down the backstretch he was very wide, nevertheless, with a half mile to go, he charged to the lead and never looked back. He won by 5 ½ lengths.
The Bid for the Triple Crown: The Belmont Stakes
Coastal spoiled Spectacular Bid’s attempt to become the 12th Triple Crown winner. After dropping back to track in second, with a mile left to run, jockey Ronny Franklin sent the Bid to the lead perhaps prematurely. The very fast early pace by the frontrunner did not help matters for him.
Bid had the lead turning into the stretch by 3 lengths but nearing the 1/8 pole, it was evident that he was in trouble. Coastal came up the inside and wrested the lead from him as Bid tired, and eventually finished third.
His trainer Buddy Delp claimed after the race that a safety pin had been found in Spectacular Bid’s foot the morning of the Belmont, but after soaking his foot in a tub of warm water, he seemed to improve and on that basis, made the decision not to scratch him. There was some speculation as to the veracity of this claim, nevertheless, the 12th Triple Crown winner he was not to be, and was given a 2 ½ month rest after the Belmont Stakes.
Spectacular Bid would only have one more blemish, if it can be called that, on what would be one of the most remarkable series of races of any horse that had ever raced, which occurred in the Jockey Club Gold Cup that summer in which he faced the previous year’s Triple Crown winner Affirmed. The fans certainly got their money’s worth.
New jockey Willie Shoemaker pressed Laffit Pincay down the long Belmont backstretch. Affirmed set the pace, and Spectacular Bid several times fell back, but gallantly fought on and made several runs at Affirmed. In the end he made one final run at him but could not quite get by and finished only ¾ of a length behind the older more seasoned Affirmed.
Age 4
Into his 4-year-old season, he continued to grow stronger and faster. He set 4 track records, including the 7 furlong track record in 1:20 flat in the Malibu Stakes, and the 1 ¼ mile track records at Santa Anita Racetrack in the Strub Stakes, stopping the clock in an amazing 157 and 4/5 seconds. The 157 and 4/5 time was also a North American record and world record which still stands today.
He also set the 1 and 1/8 mile track record at Hollywood Park in the Californian (G1) in 145 and 4/5, and then established another track record over at Arlington Park in the Washington Park Handicap (G3), also at 1 and 1/8 miles in 146 and 1/5.
His final race would be a walkover in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park, after all the original entrants scratched. His win here would be his 10th consecutive win. Needless to say he won Horse of the Year Honors in his 4-year-old season in 1980.
All in all, the Bid finished his career with 14 Grade 1 wins, and he set or equaled eight track and American records at distances from 5 ½ to 1 ¼ miles.
Spectacular Bid died June 9, 2003 of a heart attack and was buried at Milfer Farms, NY. The son of Bold Bidder had a lifetime record of 30 starts, 26 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third with earnings of $2,781,608.
