Tributes poured in after the passing of American racing icon Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, who died at his New York home following his regular morning visit to Belmont Park. He was 87.
Owner of Maryland's Sagamore Farm, a 21st birthday gift in 1933 from his mother which would be home to numerous champions, including fillies Bed o' Roses and Next Move, Vanderbilt was best known as the breeder/owner of Native Dancer.
At 25, Vanderbilt became president of Pimlico (and later president of Belmont Park). One of his most celebrated accomplishments was staging the 1938 match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral in the Pimlico Special.
Snowden Carter reminisced: "His handling of the magnificent [575-acre Sagamore] property was impeccable. In addition to acquiring superb horses [such as the great racehorse and sire Discovery], Vanderbilt adopted a policy of round-the-clock maintenance which involved miles of gleaming white fences, sparkling shedrows, emblazoned with cerise and white diamonds, and a picturesque training track . . . In a sense it was Camelot. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt's gift to Maryland."
Ann and Henry Stern's Saluter became the winningest timber campaigner of all time, with victories 20 and 21 for trainer/rider Jack Fisher in the $50,000 International Gold Cup and $25,000 Virginia Hunt Cup, surpassing 1970s record holder *Dosdi.
Racing over timber since he was 4 (in 1993), Saluter clinched his fourth timber championship.
John's Call -- who survived career changes, disqualifications, court appearances, falls, old age, spots (he was covered in white spots), an identity crisis, and Breeders' Cup-caliber competition, per writer Sean Clancy -- gave trainer Tom Voss his first graded stakes win on the flat in the Laurel Turf Cup-G3. It was the second stakes win in a row for the 8-year-old son of Lord At War (Arg).
Raced through age 10, John's Call added Grade 1 wins in the Sword Dancer and Turf Classic and was third in a photo in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Turf-G1 while earning more than $1.5 million. In retirement he became Voss' lead pony.
