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==Background==
==Background==
A son of [[First Landing (horse)|First Landing]] out of Iberia (by Heliopolis),<ref>[http://www.pedigreequery.com/riva+ridge] Riva Ridge's five-generation pedigree and race record. Retrieved February 18, 2011.</ref> Riva Ridge and his sire were owned and bred by the Meadow Stable of [[Christopher Chenery]] in Doswell, Virginia.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Meadows Ladin, Leeanne; Dementi, Wayne (2010). Secretariat's Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend. Dementi Milestone Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-982-7019-0-4}}.</ref> Secretariat, the [[United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Triple Crown]] champion in 1973, was owned and bred by the same stable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aolnews.com/2010/10/07/hollywood-unnecessarily-embellishes-the-real-tale-of-secretariat/|title=Hollywood Unnecessarily Embellishes the Real Tale of Secretariat|publisher=AOL.Original|accessdate=2012-05-24|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216050048/http://www.aolnews.com/2010/10/07/hollywood-unnecessarily-embellishes-the-real-tale-of-secretariat/|archivedate=2012-02-16|df=}}</ref>
Riva Ridge was a light bay stallion who stood 16 hands high.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/riva-ridge.html|title=Riva Ridge|last=Hunter|first=Avalyn|date=|website=American Classic Pedigrees|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-06-09}}</ref> A son of [[First Landing (horse)|First Landing]] out of Iberia (by Heliopolis),<ref>[http://www.pedigreequery.com/riva+ridge] Riva Ridge's five-generation pedigree and race record. Retrieved February 18, 2011.</ref> Riva Ridge and his sire were owned and bred by the Meadow Stable of [[Christopher Chenery]] in Doswell, Virginia.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Meadows Ladin, Leeanne; Dementi, Wayne (2010). Secretariat's Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend. Dementi Milestone Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-982-7019-0-4}}.</ref> Secretariat, the [[United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing|Triple Crown]] champion in 1973, was owned and bred by the same stable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aolnews.com/2010/10/07/hollywood-unnecessarily-embellishes-the-real-tale-of-secretariat/|title=Hollywood Unnecessarily Embellishes the Real Tale of Secretariat|publisher=AOL.Original|accessdate=2012-05-24|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216050048/http://www.aolnews.com/2010/10/07/hollywood-unnecessarily-embellishes-the-real-tale-of-secretariat/|archivedate=2012-02-16|df=}}</ref>


Riva Ridge's name came from Chenery's daughter Penny and her husband, John Tweedy, honoring their favorite ski run at Vail, Colorado.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing. </ref><ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Meadows Ladin, Leeanne; Dementi, Wayne (2010). Secretariat's Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend. Dementi Milestone Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-982-7019-0-4}}.</ref><ref name=rrcd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=47kqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kGYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4973%2C1948277 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |location=Florida |agency=''(Washington Post / Los Angeles Times)''|last=Strine |first=Gerald |title=Riva Ridge captures Derby |date=May 7, 1972 |page=!C}}</ref> Tweedy had trained with the U.S. Army's Tenth Mountain Division in Colorado in 1943, but later served in Burma with the OSS. Upon his return from the war, he and fellow veterans from the Tenth Mountain division founded [[Vail Ski Resort]] in Colorado in 1962. They named the longest run "Riva Ridge" after a costly but important strategic victory by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army's]] [[10th Mountain Division]] on February 18 in the [[Apennine Mountains|North Apennine mountains]] of Italy.<ref name=wwren >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zd8qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bokFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2887%2C3944321 |newspaper=The Daily Gazette |location=Schenectady, New York |last=Rice |first=Bill |title=WWII ski heroes to re-enact historic climb|date=February 17, 1995 |page=C5 }}</ref><ref name=muflcl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1dhYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SvEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1860%2C1284664 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |last=Foster |first=J. Todd |title=Making up for lost climb |date=March 3, 1995 |page=B1 }}</ref>
Riva Ridge's name came from Chenery's daughter Penny and her husband, John Tweedy, honoring their favorite ski run at Vail, Colorado.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing. </ref><ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Meadows Ladin, Leeanne; Dementi, Wayne (2010). Secretariat's Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend. Dementi Milestone Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-982-7019-0-4}}.</ref><ref name=rrcd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=47kqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kGYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4973%2C1948277 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |location=Florida |agency=''(Washington Post / Los Angeles Times)''|last=Strine |first=Gerald |title=Riva Ridge captures Derby |date=May 7, 1972 |page=!C}}</ref> Tweedy had trained with the U.S. Army's Tenth Mountain Division in Colorado in 1943, but later served in Burma with the OSS. Upon his return from the war, he and fellow veterans from the Tenth Mountain division founded [[Vail Ski Resort]] in Colorado in 1962. They named the longest run "Riva Ridge" after a costly but important strategic victory by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army's]] [[10th Mountain Division]] on February 18 in the [[Apennine Mountains|North Apennine mountains]] of Italy.<ref name=wwren >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zd8qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bokFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2887%2C3944321 |newspaper=The Daily Gazette |location=Schenectady, New York |last=Rice |first=Bill |title=WWII ski heroes to re-enact historic climb|date=February 17, 1995 |page=C5 }}</ref><ref name=muflcl>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1dhYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SvEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1860%2C1284664 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |last=Foster |first=J. Todd |title=Making up for lost climb |date=March 3, 1995 |page=B1 }}</ref>
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In 1971, Meadow Stable was struggling financially. Christopher Chenery was very ill, and his daughter [[Penny Chenery|Penny]] wanted to save the operation, at odds with her siblings [[Hollis B. Chenery|Hollis]] and Margaret, who wanted to sell it. Following Riva Ridge's success as a two-year-old, however, Hollis and Margaret stopped pushing for her to sell the farm.<ref name=":0" />
In 1971, Meadow Stable was struggling financially. Christopher Chenery was very ill, and his daughter [[Penny Chenery|Penny]] wanted to save the operation, at odds with her siblings [[Hollis B. Chenery|Hollis]] and Margaret, who wanted to sell it. Following Riva Ridge's success as a two-year-old, however, Hollis and Margaret stopped pushing for her to sell the farm.<ref name=":0" />


A winner of the [[Eclipse Award]] at age two and four, Riva Ridge was ridden mainly by [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] [[jockey]] [[Ron Turcotte]], who also rode stablemate [[Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat]] a year later.
A winner of the [[Eclipse Award]] at age two and four, Riva Ridge was ridden mainly by [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] [[jockey]] [[Ron Turcotte]], who also rode stablemate [[Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat]] a year later. He was trained by [[Lucien Laurin]].

Riva Ridge was nicknamed "Old Pea Head" while racing.<ref name=":1" />


==Racing career==
==Racing career==
Riva Ridge made his racetrack debut on June 9, 1971 at [[Belmont Park]]. Despite going off at 2-1 odds, Riva Ridge was bumped at the start and finished seventh. With blinkers added, he then won in both maiden and allowance company, but in his stakes debut in the [[Great American Stakes]], he again disappointed as the favorite, finishing eighth.<ref name=":0" />
Riva Ridge made his racetrack debut on June 9, 1971 at [[Belmont Park]]. Despite going off at 2-1 odds, Riva Ridge was bumped at the start and finished seventh.<ref name=":0" /> With blinkers added, he then won in both maiden and allowance company, having broken on the lead in both races.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.secretariat.com/fan-club/writers-forum/the-riva-ridge-story-by-ron-turcotte/|title=The Riva Ridge Story|last=Turcotte|first=Ron|date=|website=www.secretariat.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2019-06-09}}</ref> In his stakes debut in the [[Great American Stakes]], he again disappointed as the favorite, finishing eighth.<ref name=":0" />


For his next start in the [[Flash Stakes]] at [[Saratoga Race Course]], Riva Ridge benefited from a jockey change to Ron Turcotte. Turcotte guided Riva Ridge back to the rail after he tried to bolt to the outside following the break, resulting in a {{Frac|2|1|2}} length victory. Because of Riva Ridge's behavior in the Flash Stakes, Turcotte realized that Riva Ridge had a fear of close quarters caused by the difficult start in his first race. He asked trainer [[Lucien Laurin]] if Riva Ridge could take a month away from racing to work on overcoming his fear. Laurin had plans for Riva Ridge to run in other races at Saratoga, so he initially declined Turcotte's request. Turcotte insisted that that month would make a huge difference in Riva Ridge's future career, telling Laurin "you can have a champion or a claimer. It’s your call." Following this, Laurin agreed to allow Turcotte to work Riva Ridge in company with two other horses from Laurin's stable. Turcotte's idea worked, and Riva Ridge won four consecutive stakes in the fall of 1971, netting him honors as that year's two-year-old champion.<ref name=":0" />
For his next start in the [[Flash Stakes]] at [[Saratoga Race Course]], Riva Ridge benefited from a jockey change to Ron Turcotte. Turcotte guided Riva Ridge back to the rail after he tried to bolt to the outside following the break, resulting in a {{Frac|2|1|2}} length victory. Because of Riva Ridge's behavior in the Flash Stakes, Turcotte realized that Riva Ridge had a fear of close quarters caused by the difficult start in his first race. He asked trainer [[Lucien Laurin]] if Riva Ridge could take a month away from racing to work on overcoming his fear. Laurin had plans for Riva Ridge to run in other races at Saratoga, so he initially declined Turcotte's request. Turcotte insisted that that month would make a huge difference in Riva Ridge's future career, telling Laurin "you can have a champion or a claimer. It’s your call." Following this, Laurin agreed to allow Turcotte to work Riva Ridge in company, using stable ponies at first and then two other horses from Laurin's barn. Laurin planned to run Riva Ridge in the [[Hopeful Stakes]] after Turcotte was finished working with him, but the horse came down with a fever a few hours before the race and had to be scratched.<ref name=":2" /> Ultimately, Turcotte's idea worked, and Riva Ridge won four consecutive stakes in the fall of 1971, netting him honors as that year's two-year-old champion.<ref name=":0" />


In his three-year-old debut, Riva Ridge won the [[Hibiscus Stakes]] at [[Hialeah Park Race Track]]. He then ran in the [[Everglades Stakes]], but he did not take well to the sloppy track and finished fourth. He then came back and won the [[Blue Grass Stakes]] in his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
In early 1972, Laurin announced that Riva Ridge would only run in three races prior to the Kentucky Derby, which shocked many observers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://claibornefarm.com/halloffame/riva-ridge/|title=Riva Ridge|website=Claiborne Farm|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-09}}</ref> In his three-year-old debut, Riva Ridge won the [[Hibiscus Stakes]] at [[Hialeah Park Race Track]]. He then ran in the [[Everglades Stakes]], but he did not take well to the sloppy track and finished fourth. He then came back and won the [[Blue Grass Stakes]] in his final prep race nine days before the Kentucky Derby.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />


After his win as the 9:5 favorite<ref name="rrfavford">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZMIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wwkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3269%2C1364203 |newspaper=Wilington Morning Star |location=North Carolina |agency=UPI |title=Riva Ridge favorite for Kentucky Derby |date=May 6, 1972 |page=20 }}</ref> at the Kentucky Derby,<ref name="rrwwe">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4s5OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7wEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7074%2C5156301 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |agency=Associated Press |title=Riva Ridge winner with ease in Derby |date=May 7, 1972 |page=E1 }}</ref> many expected Riva Ridge to win the elusive [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown]]. Although a 1:5 odds-on favorite at [[Pimlico Race Course|Pimlico]] in [[Baltimore]], he finished fourth to longshot [[Bee Bee Bee]], after rain made the going sloppy.<ref name="bbbwprk">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pFwxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6wEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5151%2C3544219 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |title=Bee Bee Bee wins Preakness |agency=Associated Press |date=May 21, 1972 |page=E1}}</ref><ref name="psupiws">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UsIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wwkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3555%2C4750827 |newspaper=The Sunday Star-News |location=Wilmington, North Carolina |agency=UPI |title=Bee Bee Bee wins Preakness Stakes |date=May 21, 1972 |page=1C }}</ref> In the 1½-mile (2.4 km) [[Belmont Stakes]], Riva Ridge defeated nine other horses with a seven-length victory.<ref name="rrbtdf">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f-0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j-wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6589%2C4947022 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Riva Ridge back to Derby form to win Belmont by seven lengths |date=June 11, 1972 |page=1}}</ref>
After his win as the 9-5 favorite<ref name="rrfavford">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZMIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wwkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3269%2C1364203 |newspaper=Wilington Morning Star |location=North Carolina |agency=UPI |title=Riva Ridge favorite for Kentucky Derby |date=May 6, 1972 |page=20 }}</ref> at the Kentucky Derby,<ref name="rrwwe">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4s5OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7wEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7074%2C5156301 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |agency=Associated Press |title=Riva Ridge winner with ease in Derby |date=May 7, 1972 |page=E1 }}</ref> many expected Riva Ridge to win the elusive [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)|Triple Crown]]. Although a 1-5 odds-on favorite at [[Pimlico Race Course|Pimlico]] in [[Baltimore]], he finished fourth to longshot [[Bee Bee Bee]], after rain made the going sloppy.<ref name="bbbwprk">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pFwxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6wEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5151%2C3544219 |newspaper=Toledo Blade |location=Ohio |title=Bee Bee Bee wins Preakness |agency=Associated Press |date=May 21, 1972 |page=E1}}</ref><ref name="psupiws">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UsIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wwkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3555%2C4750827 |newspaper=The Sunday Star-News |location=Wilmington, North Carolina |agency=UPI |title=Bee Bee Bee wins Preakness Stakes |date=May 21, 1972 |page=1C }}</ref> In the {{Frac|1|1|2}}-mile (2.4 km) [[Belmont Stakes]], Riva Ridge defeated nine other horses with a seven-length victory.<ref name="rrbtdf">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f-0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j-wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6589%2C4947022 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Riva Ridge back to Derby form to win Belmont by seven lengths |date=June 11, 1972 |page=1}}</ref>


Later in his three-year-old season, Riva Ridge won the [[Hollywood Derby]] by a nose, but then suffered five straight losses, two of which were to eventual champion three-year-old male [[Key to the Mint]].<ref name=":0" /> After freshening up and training well in July, Riva Ridge's first race following the Hollywood Derby was the Monmouth Invitational. Before his fourth-place finish, Laurin and Penny Chenery thought he was unusually docile in the paddock and Turcotte described him as having been "dull" in the post parade.<ref name=":2" /> When Riva Ridge returned to Saratoga the day after, he tested positive for traces of a tranquilizer derivative, indicating someone had likely given him a tranquilizer between 8 and 48 hours before the race. However, Riva Ridge was not tested immediately after the race by officials and the levels reported were not grounds for any action regardless.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/08/22/archives/riva-ridge-suspected-of-being-under-the-influence-of-drug-in.html|title=Riva Ridge Suspected of Being Under the Influence of Drug in Monmouth Loss|last=Nichols|first=Joe|date=1972-08-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-06-09|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Later in his three-year-old season, Riva Ridge won the [[Hollywood Derby]], but then suffered five straight losses, two of which were to eventual champion three-year-old male [[Key to the Mint]].<ref name=":0" />


Riva Ridge is one of five horses who won two of three Triple Crown races but not that year's three-year-old championship.<ref name=":1" />
⚫
At age four, Riva Ridge won five of the nine races he entered, set track records four times, and equaled the 1{{frac|1|8}}-mile track record at [[Suffolk Downs]] in winning the [[MassCap|Massachusetts Handicap]]. His winning time of 1:52{{frac|2|5}} in the [[Brooklyn Handicap]] (raced that year at [[Aqueduct Racetrack]]) set a world record for 1{{frac|3|16}} miles on the dirt.<ref>[http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horses-view.asp?varID=124] Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 18, 2011.</ref> His mark was equalled by [[Farma Way]] in 1991 at [[Pimlico Race Course]]. As of January 2008, their record still stands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.horsehats.com/horse-racing-records.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-01-24 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124044822/http://www.horsehats.com/horse-racing-records.html |archivedate=2008-01-24 |df= }} Race records. Retrieved February 18, 2011.</ref>


⚫
At age four, Riva Ridge developed a kidney condition and a chronic shoulder issue,<ref name=":1" /> but still won five of the nine races he entered, set track records four times, and equaled the 1{{frac|1|8}}-mile track record at [[Suffolk Downs]] in winning the [[MassCap|Massachusetts Handicap]]. His winning time of 1:52{{frac|2|5}} in the [[Brooklyn Handicap]] (raced that year at [[Aqueduct Racetrack]]) set a world record for 1{{frac|3|16}} miles on the dirt.<ref>[http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horses-view.asp?varID=124] Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 18, 2011.</ref> His mark was equaled by [[Farma Way]] in 1991 at [[Pimlico Race Course]]. As of January 2008, their record still stands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.horsehats.com/horse-racing-records.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-01-24 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124044822/http://www.horsehats.com/horse-racing-records.html |archivedate=2008-01-24 |df= }} Race records. Retrieved February 18, 2011.</ref>
⚫
With much fanfare, the [[Altria Group|Philip Morris]] company (manufacturer of [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro cigarettes]]) sponsored what was to be a [[match race]] with stablemate [[Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat]]. After both horses were beaten in preparatory races for the match, it was changed to an invitational race which brought together top horses three years old and up. In record time, Secretariat (ridden by Turcotte) finished first and Riva Ridge (ridden by [[Eddie Maple]]) finished second. During their careers, both horses wore the blue and white checks of Meadow Stable. In 30 lifetime starts, Riva Ridge won 17 races, finished second three times and third once, with earnings of $1,111,497.

⚫
With much fanfare, the [[Altria Group|Philip Morris]] company (manufacturer of [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro cigarettes]]) sponsored what was to be a [[match race]] with stablemate [[Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat]]. After both horses were beaten in preparatory races for the match, it was changed to an invitational race which brought together top horses three years old and up. In record time, Secretariat (ridden by Turcotte) finished first and Riva Ridge (ridden by [[Eddie Maple]]) finished second. Both horses surpassed the world record time, though only Secretariat received credit due to his first-place finish.<ref name=":3" /> During their careers, both horses wore the blue and white checks of Meadow Stable. In 30 lifetime starts, Riva Ridge won 17 races, finished second three times and third once, with earnings of $1,111,497.


==Stud career==
==Stud career==
After the death of Christopher Chenery in January 1973, Riva Ridge and his stablemate Secretariat were both sold to breeding syndicates and retired to stud at [[Claiborne Farm]] at the end of the 1973 racing season.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing. </ref> Penny Chenery often came back to visit both horses, but over time Secretariat would no longer acknowledge her due to the many visitors he got. Riva Ridge, however, developed a stronger bond with Penny since he was largely overlooked by the general public.<ref name=":0" />
After the death of Christopher Chenery in January 1973, Riva Ridge and his stablemate Secretariat were both sold to breeding syndicates and retired to stud at [[Claiborne Farm]] at the end of the 1973 racing season.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing. </ref> Riva Ridge was syndicated for $5.12 million, and Secretariat for $6.08 million.<ref name=":3" /> Penny Chenery often came back to visit both horses, but over time Secretariat would no longer acknowledge her due to the many visitors he got. Riva Ridge, however, developed a stronger bond with Penny since he was largely overlooked by the general public.<ref name=":0" />

Out of Riva Ridge's 360 named foals, 228 were winners, including 29 stakes winners.<ref name=":1" />


Riva Ridge died at age 16 of a heart attack on April 21, 1985.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing. </ref>
Riva Ridge died at age 16 of a heart attack on April 21, 1985.<ref>Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing. </ref>


==Assessment==
==Assessment==
In the [[Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century|Top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred Champions of the 20th century]], Riva Ridge was ranked No. 57. He was elected to the [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|American Racing Hall of Fame]] in 1998.
In the [[Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century|Top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred Champions of the 20th century]], Riva Ridge was ranked No. 57. He was elected to the [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|American Racing Hall of Fame]] in 1998.<ref name=":1" />


== Pedigree ==
== Pedigree ==

Revision as of 23:01, 9 June 2019

Riva Ridge
SireFirst Landing
GrandsireTurn-To
DamIberia
DamsireHeliopolis
SexStallion
Foaled1969
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederMeadow Stud, Inc.[1]
OwnerMeadow Stable
TrainerLucien Laurin
Record30:17-3-1
Earnings$1,111,347
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (1971)
Futurity Stakes (1971)
Laurel Futurity (1971)
Flash Stakes (1971)
Garden State Futurity (1971)
Blue Grass Stakes (1972)
Hollywood Derby (1972)
Brooklyn Handicap (1973)
Massachusetts Handicap (1973)
Stuyvesant Handicap (1973)
Triple Crown races
wins:
Kentucky Derby (1972)
Belmont Stakes (1972)
Awards
U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old (1971)
U.S. Champion Older Horse (1973)
Honours
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1998)
#57 – Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
Riva Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park
Last updated on January 24, 2008

Riva Ridge (April 13, 1969 – April 21, 1985) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972.[2]

Often remembered simply as a stablemate of Secretariat, Riva Ridge was a successful racehorse in his own right, winning 17 of his 30 starts and two championships: American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse in 1971 and American Champion Older Male Horse in 1973. His success was largely responsible for saving Meadow Stable from financial ruin.[3]

Background

Riva Ridge was a light bay stallion who stood 16 hands high.[4] A son of First Landing out of Iberia (by Heliopolis),[5] Riva Ridge and his sire were owned and bred by the Meadow Stable of Christopher Chenery in Doswell, Virginia.[6] Secretariat, the Triple Crown champion in 1973, was owned and bred by the same stable.[7]

Riva Ridge's name came from Chenery's daughter Penny and her husband, John Tweedy, honoring their favorite ski run at Vail, Colorado.[8][9][10] Tweedy had trained with the U.S. Army's Tenth Mountain Division in Colorado in 1943, but later served in Burma with the OSS. Upon his return from the war, he and fellow veterans from the Tenth Mountain division founded Vail Ski Resort in Colorado in 1962. They named the longest run "Riva Ridge" after a costly but important strategic victory by the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division on February 18 in the North Apennine mountains of Italy.[11][12]

In 1971, Meadow Stable was struggling financially. Christopher Chenery was very ill, and his daughter Penny wanted to save the operation, at odds with her siblings Hollis and Margaret, who wanted to sell it. Following Riva Ridge's success as a two-year-old, however, Hollis and Margaret stopped pushing for her to sell the farm.[3]

A winner of the Eclipse Award at age two and four, Riva Ridge was ridden mainly by Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, who also rode stablemate Secretariat a year later. He was trained by Lucien Laurin.

Riva Ridge was nicknamed "Old Pea Head" while racing.[4]

Racing career

Riva Ridge made his racetrack debut on June 9, 1971 at Belmont Park. Despite going off at 2-1 odds, Riva Ridge was bumped at the start and finished seventh.[3] With blinkers added, he then won in both maiden and allowance company, having broken on the lead in both races.[13] In his stakes debut in the Great American Stakes, he again disappointed as the favorite, finishing eighth.[3]

For his next start in the Flash Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, Riva Ridge benefited from a jockey change to Ron Turcotte. Turcotte guided Riva Ridge back to the rail after he tried to bolt to the outside following the break, resulting in a 2+1⁄2 length victory. Because of Riva Ridge's behavior in the Flash Stakes, Turcotte realized that Riva Ridge had a fear of close quarters caused by the difficult start in his first race. He asked trainer Lucien Laurin if Riva Ridge could take a month away from racing to work on overcoming his fear. Laurin had plans for Riva Ridge to run in other races at Saratoga, so he initially declined Turcotte's request. Turcotte insisted that that month would make a huge difference in Riva Ridge's future career, telling Laurin "you can have a champion or a claimer. It’s your call." Following this, Laurin agreed to allow Turcotte to work Riva Ridge in company, using stable ponies at first and then two other horses from Laurin's barn. Laurin planned to run Riva Ridge in the Hopeful Stakes after Turcotte was finished working with him, but the horse came down with a fever a few hours before the race and had to be scratched.[13] Ultimately, Turcotte's idea worked, and Riva Ridge won four consecutive stakes in the fall of 1971, netting him honors as that year's two-year-old champion.[3]

In early 1972, Laurin announced that Riva Ridge would only run in three races prior to the Kentucky Derby, which shocked many observers.[14] In his three-year-old debut, Riva Ridge won the Hibiscus Stakes at Hialeah Park Race Track. He then ran in the Everglades Stakes, but he did not take well to the sloppy track and finished fourth. He then came back and won the Blue Grass Stakes in his final prep race nine days before the Kentucky Derby.[3][14]

After his win as the 9-5 favorite[15] at the Kentucky Derby,[16] many expected Riva Ridge to win the elusive Triple Crown. Although a 1-5 odds-on favorite at Pimlico in Baltimore, he finished fourth to longshot Bee Bee Bee, after rain made the going sloppy.[17][18] In the 1+1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) Belmont Stakes, Riva Ridge defeated nine other horses with a seven-length victory.[19]

Later in his three-year-old season, Riva Ridge won the Hollywood Derby by a nose, but then suffered five straight losses, two of which were to eventual champion three-year-old male Key to the Mint.[3] After freshening up and training well in July, Riva Ridge's first race following the Hollywood Derby was the Monmouth Invitational. Before his fourth-place finish, Laurin and Penny Chenery thought he was unusually docile in the paddock and Turcotte described him as having been "dull" in the post parade.[13] When Riva Ridge returned to Saratoga the day after, he tested positive for traces of a tranquilizer derivative, indicating someone had likely given him a tranquilizer between 8 and 48 hours before the race. However, Riva Ridge was not tested immediately after the race by officials and the levels reported were not grounds for any action regardless.[20]

Riva Ridge is one of five horses who won two of three Triple Crown races but not that year's three-year-old championship.[4]

At age four, Riva Ridge developed a kidney condition and a chronic shoulder issue,[4] but still won five of the nine races he entered, set track records four times, and equaled the 11⁄8-mile track record at Suffolk Downs in winning the Massachusetts Handicap. His winning time of 1:522⁄5 in the Brooklyn Handicap (raced that year at Aqueduct Racetrack) set a world record for 13⁄16 miles on the dirt.[21] His mark was equaled by Farma Way in 1991 at Pimlico Race Course. As of January 2008, their record still stands.[22]

With much fanfare, the Philip Morris company (manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes) sponsored what was to be a match race with stablemate Secretariat. After both horses were beaten in preparatory races for the match, it was changed to an invitational race which brought together top horses three years old and up. In record time, Secretariat (ridden by Turcotte) finished first and Riva Ridge (ridden by Eddie Maple) finished second. Both horses surpassed the world record time, though only Secretariat received credit due to his first-place finish.[14] During their careers, both horses wore the blue and white checks of Meadow Stable. In 30 lifetime starts, Riva Ridge won 17 races, finished second three times and third once, with earnings of $1,111,497.

Stud career

After the death of Christopher Chenery in January 1973, Riva Ridge and his stablemate Secretariat were both sold to breeding syndicates and retired to stud at Claiborne Farm at the end of the 1973 racing season.[23] Riva Ridge was syndicated for $5.12 million, and Secretariat for $6.08 million.[14] Penny Chenery often came back to visit both horses, but over time Secretariat would no longer acknowledge her due to the many visitors he got. Riva Ridge, however, developed a stronger bond with Penny since he was largely overlooked by the general public.[3]

Out of Riva Ridge's 360 named foals, 228 were winners, including 29 stakes winners.[4]

Riva Ridge died at age 16 of a heart attack on April 21, 1985.[24]

Assessment

In the Top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred Champions of the 20th century, Riva Ridge was ranked No. 57. He was elected to the American Racing Hall of Fame in 1998.[4]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Riva Ridge
Sire
First Landing 		Turn-To Royal Charger Nearco
Sun Princess
Source Sucree Admiral Drake
Lavendula
Hildene Bubbling Over North Star
Beaming Beauty
Fancy Racket Wrack
Ultimate Fancy
Dam
Iberia 		Heliopolis Hyperion Gainsborough
Selene
Drift Swynford
Santa Cruz
War East Easton Dark Legend
Phaona
Warrior Lass Man o' War
Sweetheart

See also

References

  1. ^ Buttram, Bill (May 19, 1972). "Meadow Stud: Riva Ridge lived here". Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. p. 6.
  2. ^ "Hollywood Unnecessarily Embellishes the Real Tale of Secretariat". AOL.Original. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2012-05-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Meadow Stable's True Hero: Riva Ridge". www.americasbestracing.net. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Hunter, Avalyn. "Riva Ridge". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved 2019-06-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ [1] Riva Ridge's five-generation pedigree and race record. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  6. ^ Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Meadows Ladin, Leeanne; Dementi, Wayne (2010). Secretariat's Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend. Dementi Milestone Publishing. ISBN 978-0-982-7019-0-4.
  7. ^ "Hollywood Unnecessarily Embellishes the Real Tale of Secretariat". AOL.Original. Archived from the original on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2012-05-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing.
  9. ^ Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Meadows Ladin, Leeanne; Dementi, Wayne (2010). Secretariat's Meadow—The Land, The Family, The Legend. Dementi Milestone Publishing. ISBN 978-0-982-7019-0-4.
  10. ^ Strine, Gerald (May 7, 1972). "Riva Ridge captures Derby". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida. (Washington Post / Los Angeles Times). p. !C.
  11. ^ Rice, Bill (February 17, 1995). "WWII ski heroes to re-enact historic climb". The Daily Gazette. Schenectady, New York. p. C5.
  12. ^ Foster, J. Todd (March 3, 1995). "Making up for lost climb". Spokesman-Review. p. B1.
  13. ^ a b c Turcotte, Ron. "The Riva Ridge Story". www.secretariat.com. Retrieved 2019-06-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ a b c d "Riva Ridge". Claiborne Farm. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  15. ^ "Riva Ridge favorite for Kentucky Derby". Wilington Morning Star. North Carolina. UPI. May 6, 1972. p. 20.
  16. ^ "Riva Ridge winner with ease in Derby". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. May 7, 1972. p. E1.
  17. ^ "Bee Bee Bee wins Preakness". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. May 21, 1972. p. E1.
  18. ^ "Bee Bee Bee wins Preakness Stakes". The Sunday Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. UPI. May 21, 1972. p. 1C.
  19. ^ "Riva Ridge back to Derby form to win Belmont by seven lengths". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. June 11, 1972. p. 1.
  20. ^ Nichols, Joe (1972-08-22). "Riva Ridge Suspected of Being Under the Influence of Drug in Monmouth Loss". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  21. ^ [2] Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  22. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Race records. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  23. ^ Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing.
  24. ^ Chenery Tweedy, Kate; Ladin, Leeanne; (2012), Riva Ridge – Penny's First Champion. Dementi Milestone Publishing.

External links

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