Real Handicaps

[Calzone Lord]

"There is no other horse in the entire range of Turf history, American or foreign, that ever attempted to do anything so tremendous or came anywhere near Discovery in doing it so successfully."

Those words from a great old-timer who preferred to publicly knock top horses more often than compliment them.

For a 13-race stretch starting with the '35 Brooklyn Handicap -- Discovery was incredible. He broke the world record for 9 furlongs and 9.5 furlongs -- he obliterated top competition -- he campaigned hard and traveled -- and he gave ridiculous weight concessions to elite opposition.

Here is how Triple Crown winner Omaha faired against him with a 9lbs weight break:



3rd by 12 lengths despite a 9lbs weight break. Second place finisher King Saxon had won 14 out of his last 16 starts -- including the Met Mile as highweight last out.

It might look as though Omaha didn't fire that day -- he did. 4th place was beaten 18 lengths, 5th place was beaten 24 lengths, and 6th place beaten 26 lengths -- they all came back and won stakes. Omaha was a big success in Europe as a 4-year-old. Just missing in the Ascot Gold Cup in front of a reported crowd of over 200,000 people.


Discovery was 13-11-1-1 over his great stretch ... here are the only two horses to finish ahead of him during it.



Top Row -- getting a 29lbs weight break at 9.5 furlongs -- beat him once on August 21st. He beat Discovery again by a neck while carrying 22 less pounds on Oct 16th.

In his first two starts at Santa Anita -- Top Row set a track record at a mile and won the worlds richest horse race (SA Handicap) over a field of 14 other horses.




Whopper is the other horse. He finished a nose in front of him on October 16th while getting a 30lbs weight break.

Whopper was no bum. He came back and won a stakes race at Hialeah over 16 other horses next time out. In his last two starts above, he was 2nd in the Met Mile on May 16th and 3rd in the Suburban on May 30th. The Suburban winner Firethorn was also a 2-time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner. The Suburban 2nd place finisher Granville is in the Hall of Fame as a racehorse.

Discovery unquestionably would have been the top Ragozin Sheet horse of all-time. He ran wickedly fast races over dull track and blew up great competition. He once had to give an in-form Esposa (2-time champion older female) 43 pounds.

On both the Ragozin and Thoro-Graph Sheets -- a 20lbs weight break at 10 furlongs equals eight lengths. 40lbs is a 16-length weight break on sheet figures.