Arts and Letters (VA)

Biography

Bred and owned by Paul Mellon and trained by Hall of Famer Elliott Burch, Arts and Letters enjoyed a magical season in 1969, winning several of the most prestigious races in America en route to Horse of the Year honors.

Although he finished second to Majestic Prince in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes that year, Arts and Letters avenged those defeats by thwarting his rival’s Triple Crown bid by winning the Belmont Stakes by 5½ lengths.

By the time of his Belmont victory, Arts and Letters was thriving. Prior to the Belmont, Arts and Letters easily won the Metropolitan Handicap and was rounding into top form. Later that summer, at Saratoga, Arts and Letters crushed the field by 10 lengths in the Jim Dandy Stakes before winning the 100th running of the Travers Stakes by 6½ lengths.

Following the Travers, Arts and Letters defeated top handicapper Nodouble by two lengths in the Woodward Stakes and stretched his win streak to six with a 14-length romp in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Arts and Letters finished 1969 with a record of 8-5-1 from 14 starts and earnings of $555,604. Along with Horse of the Year, he was named Champion 3-Year-Old Male and Daily Racing Form selected him as Champion Handicap Male. 

Arts and Letters won the Grey Lag Handicap as a 4-year-old, but pulled a suspensory ligament in his left front ankle during the Californian Handicap. The injury ended his career.

Retired to Greentree Stud, Arts and Letters sired Preakness Stakes winner Codex and Winter’s Tale, a two-time winner of the Suburban and Nassau County handicaps.

Arts and Letters died at Greentree in 1998 at the age of 32. He is buried on the property, which is now part of Gainesway Farm.

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1969
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1969
Champion Handicap Male (Daily Racing Form) — 1969

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Belmont Stakes — 1969

Notable 

Won the Blue Grass Stakes — 1969
Won the Everglades Stakes — 1969
Won the Jim Dandy Stakes — 1969
Won the Jockey Club Gold Cup — 1969
Won the Metropolitan Handicap — 1969
Won the Travers Stakes — 1969
Won the Woodward Stakes — 1969
Won the Grey Lag Handicap — 1970

Horse Profile for Arts and Letters | Equibase is Your Official Source for Thoroughbred Racing Information