A Look Back at Gallant Fox's Arlington Classic

In conjunction with Tom Hall's Throwback Thursday features in BloodHorse Daily, BloodHorse.com each Thursday will present corresponding race stories from the pages of the magazine. 

This week is a scene setter and a race recap of the July 12, 1930 Arlington Classic won by Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox. The stories are not credited to any writer. Both stories ran in the July 19, 1930 issue of BloodHorse.

Arlington Park

It is estimated that 60.000 people were present at Arlington park last Saturday (July 12) to witness the second running of The Classic, wherin Gallant Fox scored his sixth successive stakes victory as a 3-year-old and thereby brought the total of his earnings for two seasons to $274,980, making him  next to Zev ($313,639) the largest money winner in American racing. 

The order of the first three at the finish of The Classic confirmed the running of the Kentucky Derby, for it was the same--Gallant Fox, Gallant Knight, Ned O. In the Derby each carried 126 pounds and there were two lengths between them. In the Classic, Gallant Fox carried 126 and won by a neck, while Gallant Knight had 123 and was five lengths in front of Ned O., 121.

There were many notables in the throng at the great course, among them being Vice President Charles Curtis, Governor Lewis Emmerson, and Lieutenant Governor Fred Sterling. The Vice President expressed regret that he could be at Arlington Park only the one day, and he was amazed at the improvements made since last year. "Horse racing," he said, "is the greatest sport extant, and the cleanest. Here we have it under the finest auspices and the grandest environment,"

Otto W. Lehmann, president of the Arlington Park Jockey Club, entertained with luncheon, as did also Laurence Armour, president of the Post and Paddock Club. There were a number of other luncheon parties during the day.

Arthur B. Hancock, at whose Claiborne Stud stands *Sir Gallahad III, where also Gallant Fox was foaled, was present, as were also Thomas Piatt, owner of Brookdale Farm; Edward F. Simms, master of Xalapa Farm; Henry Teller Archibald, owner of Arch Manor Farm; E. Gay Drake, Minneola Stud; John W. Marr, Clarkland Farm; Tom B. Young, Hanover Stud; Norman W. Church, Mira Monte Farm; J. Edwin Griffith, Griffwood Farms; Thomas Carr Piatt, Bethel Farm; Silas Mason, Duntrath Farm; W. Arnold Hanger, Arlington Farm, the last named two also principles in the Warm Stable ownership, and John D. Hertz, Leona Stock Farm, were the breeeders seen in the throng. Col. Phil T. Chinn, master of Himyar Stud, had been at Arlington earlier in the week, but had been made ill by the excessive heat and departed for home on Friday.

Gallant Fox Wins Classic

Gallant Fox, the champion son of *Sir Gallahad III, under the colors of his breeder-owner, William Woodward, again claimed his right to his unquestionable and undisputed 3-year-old crown when he won the Classic at Arlington Park, July 12, adding $64,750 to his earnings. 

The finish in this rich stakes event, was an exact duplication of that in the Kentucky Derby. Audley Farm Stable's Gallant Knight, son of *Bright Knight, was lapped closer on the winner than he was in the Derby, finishing a neck back, and gave Gallant Fox the best battle of his 3-year-old career thus far. G. W. Foreman's Ned O. was third six lengths back and 10 lengths ahead of Maya, from the W. R. Coe Stable. Alcibiades was fifth and Dark Entry sixth, both from Hal Price Headley's Stable.

The distance of The Classic was 1 1/4 miles, and the fractional time was :23 3/5, :47 4/5, 1:12 2/5, 1:37 2/5, 1:52 1/5 and 2:03 4/5, one fifth of a second slower than the track record. The stakes was worth $10,000 more to Gallant Fox than it would have been to any other horse entered, by virtue of his having won the Kentucky Derby. The second horse received $8,000, $4,000 to third and $2,000 to fourth. The odds about the winner were 32 to 100.

The Woodward colt, ridden by Earl Sande, had up 126 pounds, while Gallant Knight had carried 123, Ned O., Maya and Dark Entry 121 and Alcibiades, the only filly starting, carried 116 pounds.

There was no delay at the post, the six horses taking their places promptly. Gallant Fox was off fast, but Maya dashed away until he was leading at the half-mile ground. Sande had his mount on the inside, and when the Coe colt went a bit wide going to the turn, the magnificent son of *Sir Gallahad III moved into first place. Gallant Knight, ridden by H. Schutte, also made his move and was close on the Woodward colt in second place, Ned O. third and Maya fourth. In this fashion they raced to the finish. At the mile ground Gallant Fox and Gallant Knight drew away from the others. At the stretch Gallant Fox advanced slightly from the Audley Farm colt, but Gallant Knight held on tenaciously and came again to get up within a neck of the winner at the finish line.

It was Gallant Fox's sixth big triumph over six different courses. He started his 3-year-old career by winning the Wood Memorial Stakes at Jamaica, continuing through the Preakness, at Baltimore, the Kentucky Derby, at Louisville, the Belmont Stakes, at Belmont Park, the Dwyer Stakes, at Aqueduct and the Classic, at Arlington Park. It was announced after the running of the Classic, that the Woodward colt would be kept in Chicago to fulfill his engagement in the Arlington Cup at one mile and a quarter, in which he will meet Blue Larkspur, Sun Beau, and Misstep at scale weight.

After the race Sande gave evidence of being all in, and when questioned said that Gallant Fox was not all out at the end, but that he was. He said "the Fox" started to loaf at the head of the stretch; that he roused him a little, and when they were straightened out, and Gallant Knight had moved up to within a head of the champion, he used his whip once. He said he thought "the Fox" had enough left to hold Gallant Knight for another turn of the track.

Gallant Fox, thus far undefeated in his 3-year-old career, has earned the total winnings of $274,980, placing him second in the list of largest money winning horses in America, the first place on this list being held by Zev.