Counterpoint (horse)
Counterpoint | |
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Whitney Handicap (1952)
United States Horse of the Year (1951) | |
Last updated on December 24, 2006 |
Counterpoint (1948–1969) was an American
Racing career
As a yearling he injured an ankle bone severely enough that his racing future was put in doubt. However, he healed to where he could be trained and at age two he started in two races but showed little, most likely hampered by the effects of injury and a late start in developing his strength.
1951: three-year-old season
In his three-year-old campaign in 1951, Counterpoint was entered in the Blue Grass Stakes, an important test race for Kentucky Derby hopefuls. That year, the race was contested in two divisions because of the number of entrants. Counterpoint finished fourth in the second division of the Blue Grass but was moved up to third place after the winner, Sonic, was disqualified. His handlers then put him in the Kentucky Derby, where Counterpoint made a move at the three quarters pole but tired badly and finished eleventh to Count Turf, another son of Count Fleet.
Despite his poor showing in the Kentucky Derby, Counterpoint competed in the 1951 Preakness Stakes. Dismissed by bettors, he went off as a longshot at 25:1. He finished second, seven lengths behind Brookmeade Stable's winning colt Bold in the second-fastest time in Preakness history.
Counterpoint was entered in the June 16
Counterpoint bruised a foot and was out of racing for two months, but in early fall he returned to the track with a win in the important
1952: four-year-old season
Raced at age four, Counterpoint won the inaugural
Retirement
Although Counterpoint sired a number of
References
- ^ "Jabot Scores Record Win in Handicap Race". The San Bernardino Sun, Volume 41. 1935-02-03. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
- ^ "Counterpoint Named Horse-of-the-Year". Lewiston Daily Sun. 1951-11-19. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ^ "Counterpoint, Citation are Honored". Deseret News. 1951-12-20. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- Counterpoints pedigree and racing stats
- "No Excuses Needed". Time. May 28, 1951. Article on the Preakness Stakes.
- Counterpoint's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy Reeves