This is an original 1934 photo of Discovery with John Bejshak.
Scion of the wealthy Vanderbilt family, young Alfred was raised by his mother, the heiress to the bromo-seltzer fortune. His father, whom he hardly knew, died in the torpedoing of the ill-fated Lusitania in 1915.
Eerily, his father had cancelled passage on board the Titanic in 1912 because of a premonition of the ship's demise, only to find himself a scant few years later in a similar situation.
Later it was learned, he had died a hero, offering his life jacket to another passenger. He might still have survived the sinking except for the ultimate irony, that as an avid sportsman and race car driver, he could not swim a stroke.
Struggling at Yale, Alfred Vanderbilt left after one year to devote his energies to running the thoroughbred operation in Maryland that his mother had presented him with on his 21st birthday. He would retain the services of her trainer, Joseph H. (Bud) Stotler who was an old time horseman with a keen eye for horse flesh and an even keener one for the main chance.
At Latonia, Stotler was impressed with an ungainly chestnut colt with a singular blaze by the name of Discovery, who was from the first crop of Display, the 1926 Preakness winner and perennial bane of assistant starters everywhere.
Discovery’s dam Ariadne was not much of a runner, but she was by Light Brigade, and combined top American bloodlines with that of St. Simon, Isinglass, and Isonomy.
Vanderbilt was on the look-out for a two year old with racing potential that came from good breeding stock to enhance his stable. On Stotler’s advice, Vanderbilt plunked down $25,000 and the son of Display was transferred to Sagamore Farm.
Discovery started out his two year old season with a fourth place finish in a maiden at Belmont Park on June 3, 1933. While Discovery would win only two races from 14 starts that year, it was his efforts in stakes company that would show his true mettle and be a harbinger of things to come.
While a vast improvement over his two year old campaign, Discovery's three year old season would be defined by his continued rivalry with Cavalcade. Starting with the Chesapeake Stakes on April 28, 1934 Discovery would meet Cavalcade six times and be on the losing end each time.
In the Kentucky Derby, American Derby, Detroit Derby and the Arlington Classic, Cavalcade would take the full measure of the Sagamore colt and come out on top. The only change was in the Preakness where High Quest defeated both. Still even there Cavalcade finished ahead of Discovery.
Sadly Cavalcade was a chronically unsound horse and immediately after his victory in the Arlington Classic, he came up lame in a workout. Later he would be diagnosed with a severe quarter crack and retired for the season.
With Cavalcade out of commission, Discovery would start in eight prestigious stakes races, winning six: the Kenner, Whitney, Rhode Island, Potomac, Brooklyn and Maryland Handicaps. In the Rhode Island Handicap he would set a world record for a mile and 3/16; while in the Maryland Handicap he would tote 130 to victory.
Discovery’s final record in 1934 showed 16 starts 8 wins 3 seconds 3 thirds. While he couldn't defeat Cavalcade, he bested everyone else, including top older horses, like Dark Secret. Further enhancing his resume, Discovery carried 130 to victory, the most weight carried by any three year old that year.
Clearly the Sagamore colt was coming into his own and if taken alone, these feats would have warranted consideration as a very good if not great horse. But it would be his four year old season in 1935 that would assure Discovery a place with the immortals.
He started off slowly in 1935 losing his first five starts. Then in the six week period from June 22nd to August 10th he would notch eight stakes victories carrying imposts from a low of 123 to a high of 139 and setting a world record along with several track records.
The Brooklyn would start the ball rolling. Here he would meet the Triple Crown winner, Omaha. Discovery would win by over eight lengths setting a new world record to boot. Omaha was never a factor finishing a dull third in Discovery's second consecutive triumph in this American Classic.
A week later, Discovery would travel to Detroit to contest the Challenge Cup where his only rival would be Azucar the recent Santa Anita Handicap winner. The track came up muddy and Discovery splashed home by 30 lengths equalling the track record set the year before by his nemesis, Cavalcade.
Continuing his winning ways, Discovery accounted for: the Stars and Stripes Handicap at Arlington under 126; the Butler Handicap at Empire City under 129 giving his closest competitor, Top Row 13 lbs; the Bunker Hill Handicap at Suffolk Downs toting 131 and setting a new track record while rolling home by over 15 lengths.
It quickly became clear that the Vanderbilt colt's only real competition was to come from the racing secretary and his assignment of weights. In the Arlington Handicap, Discovery was asked to shoulder 135. Thereby spotting his rivals anywhere from 19 lbs. to 39lbs. The race was no contest as Discovery merely toyed with his opponents and bounded home by five lengths setting a new track record for a mile and quarter.
Now it was on to Saratoga and the Wilson Handicap, where only two challengers awaited him. Winning as he pleased under 126, he would next go postward in the Merchants and Citizens Handicap under a staggering 139 to face five challengers. Inspite of giving away from 22 lbs to over 35 lbs. to his competitors, Discovery led from start to finish.
He would lose the Narragansett Special and the Massachusetts Handicap to Top Row who had a 29lb. and a 22 lb. pull in the weights respectively. Back to Saratoga, Discovery would add a second consecutive Whitney to his resume and in October, he would handily win the Hawthorne Gold Cup.
Discovery would finish off the 1935 season with a victory in the Cincinnati Handicap by twelve lengths toting 132 over six challengers and a loss under 138 in the Washington Handicap at Laurel to the speedy Firethorn.
His impressive record of 11 wins from 19 starts in 1935, included repeat victories in the Whitney and the Brooklyn while carrying imposing weights and setting several track records. Because of his towering achievements, Discovery would be named the 1935 Horse of the Year over Omaha. It would be the first time a Triple Crown Winner would be denied that honor.
His 1936 campaign earned him recognition as the year's top handicapper, but his record was spotty. The truth of the matter was that the gallant warrior was showing signs of wear. If his banner was a bit more tattered this year, it was because the extensive traveling across the country and grueling campaign complete with little rest and staggering weights had finally taken its toll.
Still there were flashes of brilliance. While Discovery started off the year on a winning note in the San Carlos at Santa Anita under 130, he finished a dull fourth in the San Antonio carrying 138 and was left up the track in the demolition derby masquerading as a horse race known as the Santa Anita Handicap won by his old foe, Top Row.
Returning east, he took an overnight race at Aqueduct in preparation for his unprecedented third win in the Brooklyn under 136. The impost carried that day would eclipse the mighty Exterminator's record victory weight.
He suffered two straight losses in the Stars and Stripes and the Massachusetts Handicap finishing unplaced in both under 136 and 138 respectively.
Returning to Saratoga, he laughed home by six lengths in the Saratoga Handicap and by eight in the Wilson. In his next outing, the famed Merchant and Citizens Handicap, Discovery was asked to shoulder a bone-crushing 143 thereby giving the eventual winner, Esposa, forty three pounds. He would then turn the tables on her in the Whitney leading from start to finish and winning by ten lengths.
His third straight win in the Whitney would be his last. While gallant in defeat in the Narragansett Special, just losing by a short head to Rosemont, he would be unable to contain Granville, the eventual Horse of the Year, in the Saratoga Cup at equal weights. His final effort would be an unplaced finish at Havre de Grace where he came up lame. It was now time to go home to Sagamore Farm for good.
His career tally was 63 starts 27 wins 10 seconds 10 thirds. But these numbers don't tell the whole story.
During his 1935-1936 campaigns, he had run no less than 33 races carrying imposts of at least 130 in 19 of them. The lowest weight he carried in those years was 123 and the highest was 143. He won under 139 besting Exterminator's top weight.
All the while racing on all surfaces against any foe at any distance and traveling over ten thousand miles from one end of the country to the other. Discovery had more than earned his stature and his retirement.
He was the 1935 Horse of the Year and the 1935 and 1936 Champion Handicap Horse and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1969. On the Blood Horse List of 100 Top American Horses, Discovery checks in at number 37.
At stud, he would sire stakes winning sons in the gritty gelding, Find; Loser Weeper; Knockdown; Whistling Wind and others. But it would be his fillies that would bring Discovery true immortality. Among them:
Geisha: the dam of Native Dancer. The Grey Ghost, whose career mirrored that of the mighty Man o’ War's with just one loss, would be responsible for the Raise A Native line, the Dan Cupid line resulting in the great conqueror, Seabird, and be the maternal sire of Northern Dancer and the ill-fated Ruffian, among many others.
Miss Disco: would secure her legacy by giving the Phipps family and the racing world the eight time leading North American Sire, Bold Ruler whose line would produce two Triple Crown winners in Secretariat and Seattle Slew and extends today through AP Indy to top sires, Pulpit, Tapit and Malibu Moon and recent Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, California Chrome.
My Recipe: the dam of Intentionally whose son, In Reality, is the main conduit for the Man O' War line today and is a major factor in various pedigrees through Relaunch.
Traffic Court, the 1954 Broodmare of the Year, was the dam of top sires Traffic Judge and Hasty Road. Traffic Judge would give racing the 1982 Broodmare of the Year in Best in Show who in turn through her daughter Blush With Pride would be the third dam of Jazil and Rags to Riches and through another daughter, Sex Appeal, she would factor in the lines of champions, Try My Best and El Gran Señor.
Traffic Court's other son, Hasty Road, would be the sire of Broadway, herself a top producer for the Phipps family accounting for Reviewer, Queen of the Stage and Great White Way among others. Broadway would also be the second dam of Seeking the Gold. Hasty Road would also sire Lady Golconda, who gave the racing world, three time Horse of the Year, Forego.
Discovery was retired from stud duty in 1954. Having survived a severe case of founder, the Iron Horse of Sagamore spent much of his time in his paddock resting under the shade of a large oak tree. Euthanized at the age of 27 in 1958, Discovery was buried next to champion Bed O' Roses, a daughter of his nice filly, Good Thing.
Some years before the old warrior went to his final reward, his trainer, Bud Stotler reflected on Discovery's career: "the good Lord makes one like him every 50 years or so, and sometimes not even then."
Few would argue with that assessment.
