Triple Crown Winners: Whirlaway

WHIRLAWAY - 1941

When Whirlaway dismantled his Triple Crown opposition in 1941, it prompted a backlash against the weak efforts put up by his challengers.

[LIFETIME PAST PERFORMANCES: Whirlaway]

"Never before have our 3-year-olds, of supposed stake calibre, made so sorry a showing in these great events," wrote John Hervey in "American Race Horses." Hervey was careful, however, to exempt Whirlaway from his criticism. In fact, the muscle-bound chestnut with the tail like Rapunzel's tresses was considered brilliant.

Whirlaway, the top money-winning 2-year-old of 1940, was known as a difficult horse. He would lug out, pull himself up, and otherwise act the part of a confused young brat. Eddie Arcaro never looked forward to riding him, only to the results.

Trainer Ben Jones fished around for the right mix of hard workouts and proper equipment. In a last-minute improvisation that may be more legend than fact, Jones supposedly whipped out a pocketknife before the Derby and sliced off the left cup from Whirlaway's blinkers. Whatever Jones did, it worked.

As the first of eight Derby winners for Calumet Farm, Whirlaway set a daunting standard. He won the Derby by eight lengths and set a track record. He won the Preakness by 5 1/2 lengths, and then, one week later, he went slumming in an allowance race at Belmont Park, beating older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

Two days before the June 6 Belmont Stakes, Whirlaway worked 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.40. That was enough to send any serious competition scurrying for cover. Only three horses could be mustered against him. Arcaro let Whirlaway take the lead after leaving the first turn, and together they strolled home to win by 2 1/2 merciful lengths. The Triple Crown was not supposed to be that easy.

Profiles of Triple Crown winners