Three months after they tangled in the Kentucky Derby, the country's prize 3-year-old colts staged their return match in the $1 million Travers Stakes today, and the top three contenders were outrun dramatically by an outsider, Corporate Report.
It was a tour de force for Corporate Report, who ran ninth in the Derby, second in the Preakness and fourth in the Belmont Stakes. On this muggy afternoon before 48,170 spectators at old Saratoga Race Course, he led almost wire to wire, fought off a rousing challenge from Hansel in the homestretch and beat him in a photo finish by the margin of a neck.
Two and a half lengths back in third place came Fly So Free, last year's juvenile champion, and three lengths back in fourth place was the favorite, Strike the Gold, who won the Derby but lost today for the fourth straight time. And this time, he lost with new gold-and-white colors and a new jockey, Angel Cordero Jr.
So, the year's chase for ultimate honors remained more scrambled than ever. And to complicate matters even more, Hansel, the winner of the Preakness and Belmont, closed the race with a tendon injury in his left front leg and was driven back to his barn in a horse ambulance.
His jockey, Jerry Bailey, said that "he took a few funny steps in the homestretch." The chief veterinarian, Dr. Ted Hill, reported later: "He's a little sore, but not terribly. It appears to be, at this point, a low tendon injury."
Racing has been chancy for Hansel since he first showed signs of pulmonary bleeding last March, and since then he has been taking the medication Lasix, except in New York State, where it is banned. But no signs of bleeding were detected this time.
www.nytimes.com/1991/08/18/spo...