Burgoo King - The Belmont Stakes Mystery

The Belmont Stakes Mystery

Winning the 1932 Belmont Stakes would have made Burgoo King the third U.S. Triple Crown champion in history. Two years earlier, the term "Triple Crown" had been coined by a sportswriter amid the hoopla surrounding Gallant Fox. The 1932 Belmont was run on June 4 but it has been reported that the colt was not eligible due to a failure on the part of his handlers to file all of the required paperwork. However, according to other sources, he twisted an ankle before the race and could not run. Another source claims that on June 11, while training for the American Derby in Chicago, Burgoo King bowed a tendon and would not race again for almost two years.

That Burgoo King did not race from around mid 1932 until mid 1934 is a fact, but the National Sporting Library's Thoroughbred Heritage website says that he was referred to as being "far from robust" by turf writers. As such, he may have had a minor ankle injury that kept him out of the Belmont but would have healed enough in time for the American Derby a week later. Or, his handlers may simply have chosen not to risk injuring the suddenly valuable colt over the Belmont's 1½ mile distance, the longest and most grueling of the Triple Crown races. Instead, they may have opted to go to the then very prestigious American Derby which was run at the Kentucky Derby distance of 1¼ miles. Two years later the handlers for 1934 Kentucky Derby winner Cavalcade, who lost the Preakness by a nose, chose to skip the Belmont and compete in the American Derby instead.

Whatever the case, the colt's injury was a serious one and he did not return to racing until May 1934. At a time when more than one organization selected annual thoroughbred champions, despite his shortened campaign, Burgoo King still shared U.S. Three-Year-Old Co-Champion honors with Faireno. As a five-year-old horse in 1934, he returned to have a successful campaign in minor races, winning two of his five starts along with one second place finish and a third in each of his other two races.

Retired to Idle Hour Stock Farm, Burgoo King met with modest success at stud. Although none of his progeny achieved his race or earnings success, he did produce six stakes race winners. Burgoo King was eventually sent to Darby Dan Farm in Columbus, Ohio where he died in 1946. He is buried there in the farm's equine cemetery.