THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRIPLE CROWN AND AN ON-TRACK BREAK DOWN
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way"
- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities*
- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities*
Horse racing in America has had moments of great triumph, and moments where death looms around every turn. Some horses can win the Triple Crown, while others collapse under the pressure, their bodies unable to keep up with their fighting spirits. In order to determine why some racing Thoroughbreds are so successful while others are not, I will analyze the genetics behind horse racing. Within this website you will find descriptions of horses, both victorious and tragic, as well as a conformational analysis to describe physical differences between these two types of racers. On top of of this, there is a section of the website dedicated entirely to the genetics of these horses, including bloodlines that link these horses to their common ancestors as well as to each other to determine if success or failure is hereditary in the Sport of Kings. Information on the genes so far discovered has also been included to take every step to discover the genetic reason we see Triple Crown Winners in the same sport that horses run themselves into the ground, ending their careers in either the Winner's Circle or a deep grave.
*Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.