Grade 1 Baltimore Crown Review

Original article written by Fanta Arcadia posted 12 years 1 week ago

The names of Affirmed and Alydar are forever linked for their mystical rivalry that spanned practically their entire careers. Affirmed’s Triple Crown win was coming on the heels of the mighty Seattle Slew’s triumph in the Spring Classics, to begin bringing that marvelous decade known as the 70s to a close.

The story of Sword and Spartan is our very own version of that amazing rivalry. Sword and Spartan were juveniles when Maelstrom stormed to victory in the Triple Crown, much like Affirmed and Alydar when Seattle Slew made good on his owners’ winning bid of $17,500. The comparisons between Sword, Spartan, Affirmed, and Alydar continued even to their connections. At the end of the Derby all Eric Nalbone had to say about Spartan was that he owned the “SIM’s Alydar”. Well this Alydar would have his day.

Many were conceding the undefeated Sword his second jewel of the Triple Crown, myself included amongst them. Yet Sword’s tendencies for a thrilling late run got the better of him in the Baltimore Crown. This track is practically tailor-made for a front-runner, its sharp turns make it incredibly difficult for a closer to make their move and have enough time in the stretch to run down the pacesetter, all without blowing the turn.

Sword was prepared with his customary late run, while Spartan kept to his dutiful style as a front-runner. Spartan broke extremely well and was immediately at the front by a half-length, while Spartan settled in seventh alongside Wide Awake Still and Elijah. Spartan increased his lead to a length, while Sword still held seventh. By the third call Sword was being called upon for all that he had and his move carried him to third but he was blowing wide on the turn, and that would be his downfall as Spartan still held the lead.

Down the stretch they came and once again it was a two horse race as Sword and Spartan surged two lengths ahead of the rest of the field. David Faulkner on Spartan was urging his mount furiously knowing that they had the chance at upsetting the grey’s bid for the Triple Crown, and they were right. The wire flashed overhead and Spartan had defeated his previously undefeated rival by a game neck.

Spartan is his ancestor Alydar no more. Thus we here at the SIM are destined to wait another year for a Triple Crown winner. Yet we can revel in this rivalry that has spanned three races: the Steward’s Cup Juvenile, Louisville Derby, and Baltimore Crown. These two mighty sons of War Daddy are different in so many ways, and alike in others. Whereas Sword is grey, Spartan is a chestnut. Spartan likes to rule the pace from the onset, and Sword loves to overcome it in a dramatic rush. The one thing we know for sure that they have in common is that they are supremely talented.

Sword is already entered into the Long Island Classic, whether Spartan joins him in New York remains to be seen.

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