***Ruffian***

1972 br. f. by Reviewer x Shenanigans (by Native Dancer)

Ruffian was and remains the "Queen of the Fillies." She set or broke a record in 9 of her first 10 races. She had the lead at every call in every race. She was never headed and never beaten. Even in her last race, the fateful match against Foolish Pleasure, she had a half-length on the colt and was pulling away when she took her last racing stride. She is buried in the infield at Belmont Park with her nose pointing toward the finish line.

***Swale***

1981 br. c. by Seattle Slew x Tuerta (by Forli)

Swale is the first racehorse I can remember, so he has always had a place in my heart. He was a tremendously talented colt, winning such races as the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont, and the Florida Derby. His record stands at 14-9-2-2. Sadly, Swale died of a heart attack only days after his Belmont victory.

***Go For Wand***

1987 b. f. by Deputy Minister x Obeah (by Cyane)

Go For Wand is generally acknowledged as the best filly since Ruffian, and she certainly has the record to prove it. She won all of her races except two, in which she finished second, and she ran her races in record or near-record time. Go For Wand tragically broke down in the stretch of the 1990 Breeders Cup Distaff, still holding off champion older mare Bayakoa by a neck. She is buried in the infield of Saratoga, the site of some of her greatest wins.

***Easy Goer and Sunday Silence***

1986 ch. c by Alydar x Relaxing (by Buckpasser) and 1986 br. c. by Halo x Wishing Well (by Understanding)

Easy Goer and Sunday Silence will forever be remembered for their dramatic rivalry in the 1989 Triple Crown races. Sunday had grit and determination, and Easy had the most incredible closing kick I've ever seen. They both retired from successful racing careers, but met untimely deaths at stud. Easy stood only three seasons at Claiborne before dying suddenly of anaphylactic shock in 1994. Sunday was a wildly successful sire in Japan until he died of a heart attack in 2002 brought on by complications from acute laminitis.

***Alydar***

1975 ch. c. by Raise A Native x Sweet Tooth (by On-And-On)

Beautiful Alydar was the only horse to finish second in all three Triple Crown races. Despite his losses to Affirmed, he retired as a very successful racehorse and went on to be a top sire. Alydar was mysteriously injured in his stall in 1990 and subsequently was euthanized. It is quite likely that he was killed for insurance purposes to "save" Calumet Farm .

***Unbridled***

1987 b. c. by Fappiano x Gana Facil (by Le Fabuleux)

Unbridled, the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup Classic winner, is another horse that I have always loved. Every time I hear Carl Nafzger calling the finish of the Derby for Mrs. Gentner, I get choked up. What an incredible team they were. Unbridled was a very successful stallion who sadly succombed to colic in September 2001.

***Exogenous***

1998 gr. f. by Unbridled x Tangled Up In Blue (by Phone Trick)

Exogenous, the talented daughter of Unbridled, suffered a freak accident as she walked onto the track at Belmont for the 2001 Breeders Cup Distaff. Spooked by the crowd, she reared and flipped, cracking her skull when she fell. Track officials were able to get her back to her stall where she seemed to improve for about a week. On Nov. 2, 2001, she unfortunately took a turn for the worse and was euthanized.

***Landseer***

1999 b. c. by Danehill x Sabria (by Miswaki)

Landseer, shown here winning the Shadwell Mile, suffered a catastrophic break down in the 2002 Breeders Cup Mile. He will be sorely missed.

***Laissezaller***

1999 gr. c. by End Sweep x Laissez Faire (by Talinum)

I only got a glimpse of Laissezaller in the post parade of the 2002 Wood Memorial. He struck me though because of the unusual white spots, known as chubari spots, on his rump just like those The Tetrarch was famous for. And not surprisingly, his grey color traces directly to the "Spotted Wonder" himself. Sadly, he broke down on the turn and was euthanized.