Bee Bee Bee (foaled 1969 in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

best known for winning the 1972

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

. To date Bee Bee Bee is one of only eight Maryland-bred colts to win the Preakness, and one of only eleven from the state to win a triple crown race.

Background

Bee Bee Bee was sired by multiple stakes winner Better Bee, who was a grandson of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Reigh Count Reigh Count (April 13, 1925–April 8, 1948) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1928 Kentucky Derby and the 1929 Coronation Cup in England. Reigh Count was bred by Willis Sharpe Kilmer and foaled at Court Manor n ...

. His dam was Paula, a granddaughter of the great

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

. Bee Bee Bee was bred by former

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

racing commissioner William S. Miller of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

who dispersed his racing stable following a bribery scandal involving Chicago mayor,

Richard J. Daley Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...

. As a result, during the 1971-72 winter Bee Bee Bee became the property of William S. Farish III who late in the decade became the owner of

Lane's End Farm Lane's End Farm is a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought ...

near

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...

Racing career

In the fall of 1971, two-year-old Bee Bee Bee was competing at Timonium Racetrack, a half-mile track far from the limelight that shone on the best-bred stars at top tracks along the Eastern seaboard. After winter racing in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, the colt was brought back to Maryland by his new owner where he won two minor races at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Although nominated for the U.S. Triple Crown series, trainer Del Carroll chose not to run Bee Bee Bee in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. However, an impressive seven-length win in the April 29, 1972 Survivor Stakes at 1⅛ miles on the Pimlico track convinced him to enter the colt in the May 20

Bee Bee Bee was confronting Kentucky Derby winner

Riva Ridge Riva Ridge (April 13, 1969 – April 21, 1985) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972. Often remembered simply as a stablemate of Secretariat, Riva Ridge was a successful racehorse in his own rig ...

and standouts

Key to the Mint Key to the Mint (1969–1996) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bred by Paul Mellon and raced under his Rokeby Stable colors, Key to the Mint was trained by future Hall of Fame inductee Elliott Burch. Racing career Key to the ...

and

No Le Hace No Le Hace was an American Thoroughbred racehorse foaled on March 18, 1969, No Le Hace is best remembered for his runner-up performances in the $200,000 grade 1 Preakness Stakes to Bee Bee Bee and the Kentucky Derby behind Riva Ridge. Backgrou ...

. On the day preceding the Preakness,

was hit by heavy rains. At race time, the track was listed as sloppy. Riva Ridge, who had not previously run on a sloppy track, remained the heavy favorite. Sent off at odds of 19:1, jockey

Eldon Nelson Glen Eldon Nelson (January 28, 1927 - March 16, 2012) was an American jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing who competed primarily at tracks on the East Coast of the United States and who is best known for winning the 1972 Preakness St ...

sent Bee Bee Bee into an early lead and the duo never looked back. Relishing the muddy conditions, the colt held off a late rally by No Le Hace to earn the most important victory of his career. Riva Ridge proved not to perform well and finished fourth. Bee Bee Bee did not run in the 1½ mile

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

, but his Preakness win turned out to be the one that denied the Triple Crown to Riva Ridge as he won the ensuing Belmont Stakes. In late June 1972, Bee Bee Bee made his first start since the Preakness, winning the Patriot Stakes by five lengths at

Liberty Bell Park Racetrack Liberty Bell Park was an American race track in Northeast Philadelphia that held harness racing and Thoroughbred horse racing from 1963 until 1986. The site, northeast of the intersection of Knights and Woodhaven Roads, was derived from several f ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Stud record

Retired to

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...

, in 1974 Bee Bee Bee was sent to a

breeding farm A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English ''stod'' meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, documentation ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of 1992 he had fathered 404 foals, of which 223 were winners and eight were graded-stake winners.

Pedigree

References

Bee Bee Bee's pedigree and partial racing stats

* [http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-05-12/sports/1992133081_1_bee-bee-riva-ridge-slop May 12, 1992 ''Baltimore Sun'' article, Ken Murray: ''Slop slop slop didn't stop Bee Bee Bee: In 1972, Maryland colt spoiled Riva Ridge's bid''] {{Preakness Stakes Winners 1969 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in the United States Preakness Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 9-h