Riva Ridge - 1972 Kentucky Derby

The 1972 Kentucky Derby won by the deer-like, terrific Riva Ridge in a wonderful performance. He was Secretariat's stablemate at the track and at stud.

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Sports

Tags:

• Thoroughbred
• Horse
• Racing
• 1972
• Kentucky
• Derby
• Riva
• Ridge
• No
• Le
• Hace
• Hold
• Your
• Peace
• Chic
• Anderson
• Churchill
• Downs
• Louisville
• SECRETARIAT

[terjer01]

Thanks again, cf1970! Another splendid post! Riva Ridge is the one of two Kentucky Derby winners to win New England's oldest and most prestigious stake: The Massachusetts Handicap (in 1973 at age 4) at historic Suffolk Downs, not too far from my stomping grounds of Boston. Whirlaway was the other when he won the "MassCap" in 1942 at age four.

[cf1970]

Hey, glad you liked it! Riva was an awesome horse.

Have a good weekend!

[photostud]

Didn't Riva Ridge have a running mate, same age, that was also a top performer?

[cf1970]

Hi. Not that I'm aware of.

[marge1958]

Upper Case is the horse that you are referring to. He won the Flamingo and Florida Derbys in 1972.

[cf1970]

Thank you for the information.

[kwgrid]

WOW! Wire to wire! Those long legs of his really ate up some ground. It looked like the other horses were using almost two strides to his one. He didn't look strained at all. Amazing!

[mjcamck]

Posting appreciated. THANK YOU, RIVA RIDGE, for buying The Meadow enough time to give us Secretariat. On his own, though, Riva Ridge was a JOY to look at even standing still, and much more while running. I have a couple of Riva Ridge momentoes in my collection. A CHAMPION RACE HORSE - RIVA RIDGE! Best Wishes, ALL.

[PonyLuv17]

@RunsTheLabyrinth629

He is also my horses Grandsire! My horses name is Blues Encore :)

[flatonia]

If you watch the film 'Secretariat' you'd never know that Penny Tweedy and Lucien Laurin had won the KY Derby the year before, with Riva Ridge. Penny Tweedy has said that Riva Ridge was sweetly tempered and had been her favorite racehorse.

Of course, sometimes accurate biography and cinematic drama are in conflict.

[melneey]

@ewd76 Yes, it used to be at 4:30 or so.  HATE the 6 pm starting time now!

[ewd76]

Did they have this race earlier in the day back then? Just looks like the sun is a bit higher than it usually is now.

[4tomoconnor]

@MegaObserver1 @MegaObserver1 Oh, I have no doubt that Riva would have beat Bee Bee Bee handily had it been a dry track. Riva hated the slop while Bee Bee Bee actually ran faster in it than on a dry track. The Triple Crown would have been won a year earlier otherwise. Having the same Sire, he and Sec were two of a kind.

[711ATOM]

Mrs. Penny Chenery (Tweedy) and Mr. Lucien Laurin knew more about horses than I'll ever know, but they made some strange mistakes handling Riva Ridge (and Secretariat). Mrs. Chenery admits that they ran Riva Ridge into the ground as a 3 year old,"If only we had said to ourselves, `Okay, we have squeezed this lemon,' and stopped on him, I don't think he would have fallen apart." It was Riva Ridge that gave the dying Chris Chenery his Derby, and it was Riva Ridge that saved Meadow Stables.

[RunsTheLabyrinth629]

@CausinARuckuss Riva Ridge is also my horse's grandsire. :)

[MegaObserver1]

In 1972, Riva Ride was considered the best 3 year old in years. If it hadn't been raining in Baltimore, he would have won the Triple Crown. I remember later that summer a racing analyst on TV said "Chenery and Laurin have ANOTHER one coming up!" Another one indeed.