Forward Pass (1965-1980) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who is the only horse in the history of the Kentucky Derby to have been declared the winner as the result of a disqualification. Thoroughbred race horses The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known as a race horse. ... The Eclipse Award is a thoroughbred racing award. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... The Kentucky Derby, the worlds preeminent horse race, is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. ...

Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, the colt was trained by Henry Forrest. Racing at age three, he won several graded stakes races including three very important U.S. Triple Crown prep races: the Everglades Stakes, the Florida Derby and the Blue Grass Stakes. The betting favorite going into the 1968 Kentucky Derby, Forward Pass finished second but winner Dancer's Image was disqualified to last place after traces of phenylbutazone were discovered in the mandatory post-race urinalysis. As a result, Forward Pass was declared the winner. The controversy over the first (and still the only) disqualification of a Derby winner filled the sporting news of every media outlet in North America and was the cover story for Sports Illustrated magazine who referred to it as the sports story of the year. It was revealed that Dancer's Image had been plagued by sore ankles and on the Sunday prior to the Kentucky Derby his handlers had a veterinarian give the horse a phenylbutazone tablet, a pain killer commonly used to relieve inflammation of the joints which was legal at many race tracks in the United States but not at Churchill Downs. However, it was still a legitimate practice as the medication would dissipate from the horse's system during the six days before the Derby. When the horse's post-Derby urinalysis revealed the phenylbutazone, his shocked owner and handlers believed someone else may have been motivated to give the colt another dose of the drug and they filed an appeal of the disqualification. The Kentucky State Racing Commission examined the matter and ordered distribution of the purse with first money to Forward Pass. Their decision was upheld in April of 1972, by Kentucky's highest court in case #481 S. W. 298. In a subsequent decision, the Commission ordered that Forward Pass be considered the winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby and that his owners were to receive the Derby's gold cup. Time Magazine cover of May 30, 1949, featuring Calumet trainer Ben Jones Calumet Farm is a 762 acre (3. ... In horse racing, a trainer is responsible for preparing a horse for races. ... A graded stakes race is a term applied to a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay. ... The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (Triple Crown for short, but the term is also used in other sports, and thus the full name should be used when it could cause confusion) consists of three races for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. ... The Everglades Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. ... The Florida Derby is a race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. ... The Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. ... The term gambling has had many different meanings depending on the cultural and historical context in which it is used. ... Dancers Image (1965-1992) an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the only winner in the history of the Kentucky Derby to have been disqualified. ... Phenylbutazone, often known as bute, is a crystalline substance having the structure shown at right. ... A urinalysis (or UA) is an array of tests performed on urine and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... Look up veterinarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Phenylbutazone, often known as bute, is a crystalline substance having the structure shown at right. ... Composite image of Churchill Downs on Derby Day, 1901 Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, is a thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby. ...

Any doubt about the ability of Forward Pass ended with his six length victory in the much anticipated rematch with Dancer's Image in the Preakness Stakes. As the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown approached, the Derby controversy raged on. A victory by Forward Pass in the Belmont Stakes would make him the first Triple Crown winner in twenty years and many fans, experts, and racing commentators felt he would be an illegitimate champion. In the Belmont, Forward Pass finished second by 1 1/2 lengths to Greentree Stable's colt, Stage Door Johnny, a horse who had not raced in the Derby or the Preakness but who had been specifically bred and conditioned for racing at longer distances. The Preakness Stakes is a classic 1 3/16 mile (1. ... The Belmont Stakes is a prestigious Grade I stakes race held yearly in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. ...

Despite his outstanding performances in 1968, only one of three polls voted Forward Pass Champion 3-Yr-Old Male honors. The other two organizations voted for Stage Door Johnny. Retired at the end of the 1968 racing season to Calumet Farm, Forward Pass was sent to stand at stud at a breeding farm in Japan. He died there in 1980. The Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Yr-Old Male Horse is a American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually. ...

Even today, controversy and speculation still surrounds the 1968 Kentucky Derby and The New York Times [1] calls the ruling the "most controversial decision in all of Triple Crown racing." The use of phenylbutazone was subsequently approved by Churchill Downs in recognition of medical research that showed it does not enhance a horse's performance. The official Kentucky Derby website now names both Dancer's Image and Forward Pass as the winner. The website's race video commentary also states that on the winner's plaque at Churchill Downs both Dancer's Image and Forward Pass are listed as the 1968 winner of the Kentucky Derby. The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ...

References

• Forward Pass' pedigree and racing stats
• 1968 Kentucky Derby official website
• New York Times About.com website on the 1968 Kentucky Derby