Lexington, KY (Sportsbooks) - A Pennsylvania-bred three-year-old has won the 2004 Triple Crown as Hambletonian winner Windsong's Legacy became the first winner of trotting's three most prestigious races since 1972.
Earlier this year the horse racing world was all a buzz about Smarty Jones' hunt for thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown. The little horse from Pennsylvania, though, came within one length of capturing the elusive trophy.
Windsong's Legacy completed his quest for the Triple Crown by winning the $393,300 Kentucky Futurity at The Red Mile in Lexington. The three-year-old then won the second heat of the Futurity in a time of 1:53 for the mile.
Windsong's Legacy won the first heat by three quarters of a length over Rocky Balboa with Yankee Slide third. The time for the mile trot was 1:54 and twelve trotters went to the post in the $177,000 heat. A trotter is declared the winner of the Kentucky Futurity by capturing consecutive races.
Three horses were scratched from the second heat where Windsong's Legacy started from the inside post. He broke from post 11 in the first heat.
Windsong's Legacy posted a three-length win in the deciding second heat. Finishing second was Justice Hall with Rocky Balboa third. The winner was a 2-5 favorite in the second heat.
Windsong's Legacy is driven and trained by Trond Smedshammer and owned by Fredrick Lindegaard, Theodore Gewertz and Patricia Spinelli. The trotter has now won 9-of-12 races this year for more than $1.6 million. In his career, Windsong's Legacy has earned nearly $1.7 million and the Kentucky Futurity was his last race. He set a single season record for earnings by a trotter.
Last month, Windsong's Legacy won the Yonkers Trot after capturing the Hambletonian in August. The last trotter to win the Triple Crown was Super Bowl in 1972.
Windsong's Legacy was bred in Pennsylvania by Dr. Paul Spears and foaled in the Quaker State. He was raised at Hanover Shoe Farms after his mother died following colic surgery.
This past Tuesday was "Windsong's Legacy Day" in Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, the commonwealth honored Smarty Jones, the winner of this year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
