Pegasus is a white horse with wings in Greek Mythology. Pegasus was created by Madusa's blood when she was decapitated by Perseus. Pegasus was captured and tamed by Bellerophon. Once Pegasus was tame, Bellerophon rode on Pegasus to destroy Chimera. He was successful. Chimera is a creature that is part lion, part goat, and part snake. After this, Bellerophon attempted to fly to heaven, but Pegasus became lame. Now Pegasus is a constellation and a servant of Zeus.
In Greek literature, the earliest description of a Unicorn was made by historian Ctesias. He said it looks like a horse, white body, purple head, blue eyes, and a cubit-long horn on his forehead. The colors of the horn were red at the tip, black in the middle, and white at the base. It is said that those who drink from the horn were thought to be protected from stomach trouble, epilepsy, and poison.The Unicorn is also in the ancient myths of India and China. The Unicorn is said to be very difficult to capture. The actual animal that Ctesias described was probably the Indian rhinoceros.
Man O'War was one of Americas greatest racehorses of all time. He won twenty of twenty-one races. He set time records at five different distances. Man O'War was the worlds leading money earner when he retired from racing. He earned $246,465 in his career. He defeated Triple Crown winner Sir Barton. He was bought as a yearling for $5,000 dollars by Sam Riddle. Riddle turned down a $1-million offer for Man O'War. Man OWar never ran in the Kentucky Derby because it came to early in the year for a three year old. Man O' War won the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. He also beat two Kentucky Derby winners. One of them was War Admiral, who won the 1937 Triple Crown and was the nation's best runner that year. Man O' War was as popular as any movie star. Thousands of people would go to see him race. He died when he was thirty years old in 1947. His name was put in the racing Hall of Fame in 1957.
Lexington was born in 1850. He won six of seven races. At this time, racing was contested at four miles He became the greatest U.S. stallion of the 19th century. He made $56,600 in his racing career. Lexington beat twelve champions. He became blind in his left eye and partially blind in the right. Lexington died the year of the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. Two of his sons beat Kentucky Derby winners. Lexington beat three Preakness Stakes winners and four Belmont Stakes winners. He is a member of the racing Hall of Fame.
He was the next best racer next to Man OÕ War. He is widely known as the greatest horse in U.S. history, although some rank him at the top. In 1973, he became the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years. He appeared on the cover of time, News Week, and Sports Illustrated that summer. Secretaries won the Kentucky Derby in record time, shattering the track record in the Belmont Stakes by winning by thrity-one lengths. Some of his offspring included Preakness and Belmont winners Risen Star and the female Horse of the Year, LadyÕs Secret. Secretaries was a member of the racing Hall of Fame. Secretaries died in 1989.
Cigar was racingÕs all time leading money earner. In his career he earned $9.9-million. He won sixteen consecutive races. Cigar started racing in grass instead of dirt like most other racehorses. He won $4-million racing in the Dulai World Cup halfway around the world. Cigar won $3-million in the BreederÕs Cup Classic. He was a great-grandson of Northern Dancer who won the Kentucky Derby in 1964 and one of the worlds all time stallions. He was voted Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996.
Sir Barton
Sir Barton was a member of the racing Hall of Fame. He was the first horse to win the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Kentucky Derby. He was officially recognized as the first Triple Crown winner even though the term ÒTriple CrownÓ didnÕt exist at the time he won the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Kentucky Derby. Sir Barton faced only two rivals that set the American time record for the 1 1/3-mile distance. Sir Barton died at the age of twenty-one in 1937