Word: longden
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...Majestic Prince become the ninth winner of the Triple Crown Trophy, joining Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), and Citation (1948)? It seems unlikely, for Majestic Prince has been scratched from the race by his trainer John Longden. Longden said that he did this out of consideration for the horse. One tends to believe that it is Mr. Longden's reputation that is at stake...
Clearly Johnny Longden feels that Majestic Prince might not win the Belmont. Perhaps the horse is sore or cannot go the distance or both. We can discount Johnny's earlier statements about this horse being as good as Count Fleet. The Immortal Count won the Derby by 3 lengths, the Preakness by 8 lengths, and the Belmont by an incredible 25 lengths...
Majestic Prince was recommended to McMahon by no less a judge of horseflesh than Johnny Longden, 62, the winningest jockey in history (6,026 victories in 32,406 starts) and now the horse's trainer. Says Johnny: "Hartack is so high on this colt he comes out to work him in the mornings, and you know how many name jocks do that." Even his blacksmith finds the Prince charming. "His hoofs," says Bill Bane, "are as perfect a set as I've been privileged to work with for many a year...
...Johnny Longden is quite a boy. He is 59 now, and a grandfather. His face is wrinkled, his hair is mostly gone and his back aches-as might be expected when a man standing 4 ft. 10 in. and weighing 110 Ibs. has fallen off enough horses to break both arms, both collarbones, both legs (one of them five times), both feet, two vertebrae and most of his ribs. To the fans, Longden is known as "The Pumper" (for his style of riding) and "The Fox." He is the jockey who rode Count Fleet to a Triple Crown...
...Longden's last ride came to a classic happy ending. First time past the grandstand in the 1¾-mi. race, George Royal was running dead last. But The Pumper went to work. Looping the field on the final turn, he whipped George Royal into the lead, kept him there to win by a nose. The victory was worth $75,000 to George Royal's owner and $7,500 to Longden. But it was Johnny's last purse as a jockey. "I'm hanging up my tack," he announced. And so ended 44 years of riding...