An extract from
NTRA Facts & Figures (Associated Press Newswires)
RACING TO HISTORY July 22, 1999 - Dale Baird, the winningest trainer in history, recorded his 8,000th victory at Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, W.Va., sending out Midsummer Scene to take the 6th race.
July 23, 1947 - Early Edition, Hunters Sun and Brown Jewel, all offspring of the sire Hunters Moon IV, finished 1-2-3, respectively, in a race at Hollywood Park
July 23, 1985 - A bay colt, Seattle Dancer, son of Nijinsky II and the mare My Charmer, sold to Robert Sangster for $13.1 million, the record price for a Thoroughbred. Seattle Dancer, a half brother to 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, raced five times as a three-year-old to earn less than $150,000 from two wins, one second and one third before he was retired. The previous record for a horse sold at auction was $10.2 million, paid by Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum in 1983 for Snaafi Dancer, who never raced.
July 26, 1962 - Jockey Angel Cordero Jr. rode his first winner in the U.S., Counterate, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
July 26, 1973 - The New York Racing Association and the Philip Morris Corporation announced the inaugural Marlboro Cup, a race to feature Secretariat and his stablemate, Riva Ridge, that would be run Sept. 15 at Belmont Park.
July 27, 1973 - In preparation for the Aug. 4 Whitney Stakes, Secretariat worked a mile at Saratoga Racecourse in 1:34 over a muddy track. His workout time was 4/5 of a second lower than the 55-year-old track record for the distance. He galloped out another eighth of a mile for a final time of 1:47 4/5, which was 2/5 of a second lower than the track record.
July 27, 2004 - Tim Smith, first-ever Commissioner of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, resigned his position, effective Sept. 1. D.G. Van Clief, Jr. was named his successor.
July 28, 1951 - Citation, then the worlds leading money-winning Thoroughbred, was paraded before a crowd of 28,000 at Arlington Park in his last public appearance at a track before being retired to stud.
July 28, 1987 - Jockey Angel Cordero Jr. won his 6,000th victory in the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park aboard Lost Kitty. He was the fourth rider in racing history to accomplish that feat.
July 29, 1953 - Jockey Walter Blum rode his first career winner at Saratoga Racecourse.
July 29, 1972 - In preparation for a July 31 race at Saratoga, Secretariat went three furlongs in :35.
July 29, 1973 - Jockey Pat Day rode his first career winner, Forblunged, in a $2,000 claiming race at Prescott Downs, Prescott, Ariz. His mount earned $347the winners share of the $631 purse.
July 29, 1995 - Jockey Russell Baze won his 5,000th career victory, aboard Cyrus Says, in the sixth race at Sonoma County Fair. He was the 15th rider to reach that plateau.
July 29, 2004 - Jockey John Velazquez earned the 3,000 victory of his career in the second race at Saratoga aboard Runingforpresident.
