Bee Bee Bee

American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Not to be confused with Bee Bee or BBB.

Bee Bee Bee

Sire| Better Bee
Grandsire| Triplicate
Dam| Paula
Damsire| Nizami
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| 1969
Country| United States
Colour| Dark Bay
Breeder| William S. Miller
Owner| 1) William S. Miller
2) William S. Farish III (at age 3)
Trainer| Del W. Carroll
Record| 31: 11-8-2
Earnings| US$281,098
Major wins
Hawthorne Juvenile Stakes (1971)
Survivor Stakes (1972)
Patriot Stakes (1972)
American Triple Crown wins:
Preakness Stakes (1972)

Bee Bee Bee (foaled 1969 in Maryland) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1972 Preakness Stakes. 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

[edit]

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. His dam was Paula, a granddaughter of the great Nearco. Bee Bee Bee was bred by former Illinois racing commissioner William S. Miller of Chicago who dispersed his racing stable following a bribery scandal involving Chicago mayor, Richard J. Daley. 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 near Versailles, Kentucky.

## Racing career

[edit]

In the fall of 1971, two-year-old Bee Bee Bee was competing at Timonium Racetrack, a 1⁄2-mile (0.80 km) track far from the limelight that shone on the best-bred stars at top tracks along the Eastern seaboard. After winter racing in Florida, the colt was brought back to Maryland by his new owner where he won two minor races at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore

Although nominated for the U.S. Triple Crown series, trainer Del Carroll chose not to run Bee Bee Bee in the Kentucky Derby. However, an impressive seven-length win in the April 29, 1972 Survivor Stakes at 1+1⁄8 miles (1.8 km) on the Pimlico track convinced him to enter the colt in the May 20 Preakness Stakes. [1]

Bee Bee Bee was confronting Kentucky Derby winner Riva Ridge and standouts Key to the Mint and No Le Hace. On the day preceding the Preakness, Pimlico Race Course 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 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 1+1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) Belmont Stakes, but his Preakness win turned out to be the one that denied the Triple Crown to Riva Ridge, who won the 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 in Philadelphia.

## Stud record

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Retired to stud, in 1974 Bee Bee Bee was sent to a breeding farm in Japan. As of 1992 he had fathered 404 foals, of which 223 were winners and eight were graded-stake winners.

## Pedigree

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Pedigree of Bee Bee Bee  Sire
Better Bee

drk.brn. 1954

| Triplicate

ch. 1941

| Reigh Count | Sunreigh

|
|
|

Contessina
Fairday  | Fair Play
Ruthenia
S. Bee

black 1943

| Haste  | Maintenant
Miss Malaprop
Sevres  | The Scout
Anna M. Humphrey
Dam
Paula

brown 1953

| Nizami

bay 1946

| Nearco | Pharos
Nogara
Mumtaz Begum | Blenheim
Mumtaz Mahal
Withdrawn

bay 1948

| Haltal  | The Porter
False Modesty
Golden Rose  | Sickle
Nipisiquit

## References

[edit]

* Bee Bee Bee's pedigree and partial racing stats
* May 29, 1972 Sports Illustrated article titled Give An A-plus To Bee Bee Bee
* 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

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Preakness Stakes winners

* 1873 Survivor
* 1874 Culpepper
* 1875 Tom Ochiltree
* 1876 Shirley
* 1877 Cloverbrook
* 1878 Duke of Magenta
* 1879 Harold
* 1880 Grenada
* 1881 Saunterer
* 1882 Vanguard
* 1883 Jacobus
* 1884 Knight of Ellerslie
* 1885 Tecumseh
* 1886 The Bard
* 1887 Dunboyne
* 1888 Refund
* 1889 Buddhist
* 1890 Montague
* 1894 Assignee
* 1895 Belmar
* 1896 Margrave
* 1897 Paul Kauvar
* 1898 Sly Fox
* 1899 Half Time
* 1900 Hindus
* 1901 The Parader
* 1902 Old England
* 1903 Flocarline ♥
* 1904 Bryn Mawr
* 1905 Cairngorm
* 1906 Whimsical ♥
* 1907 Don Enrique
* 1908 Royal Tourist
* 1909 Effendi
* 1910 Layminster
* 1911 Watervale
* 1912 Colonel Holloway
* 1913 Buskin
* 1914 Holiday
* 1915 Rhine Maiden ♥
* 1916 Damrosch
* 1917 Kalitan
* 1918 War Cloud
* 1918 Jack Hare Jr.
* 1919 Sir Barton ₩
* 1920 Man o' War
* 1921 Broomspun
* 1922 Pillory
* 1923 Vigil
* 1924 Nellie Morse ♥
* 1925 Coventry
* 1926 Display
* 1927 Bostonian
* 1928 Victorian
* 1929 Dr. Freeland
* 1930 Gallant Fox ₩
* 1931 Mate
* 1932 Burgoo King
* 1933 Head Play
* 1934 High Quest
* 1935 Omaha ₩
* 1936 Bold Venture
* 1937 War Admiral ₩
* 1938 Dauber
* 1939 Challedon
* 1940 Bimelech
* 1941 Whirlaway ₩
* 1942 Alsab
* 1943 Count Fleet ₩
* 1944 Pensive
* 1945 Polynesian
* 1946 Assault ₩
* 1947 Faultless
* 1948 Citation ₩
* 1949 Capot
* 1950 Hill Prince
* 1951 Bold
* 1952 Blue Man
* 1953 Native Dancer
* 1954 Hasty Road
* 1955 Nashua
* 1956 Fabius
* 1957 Bold Ruler
* 1958 Tim Tam
* 1959 Royal Orbit
* 1960 Bally Ache
* 1961 Carry Back
* 1962 Greek Money
* 1963 Candy Spots
* 1964 Northern Dancer
* 1965 Tom Rolfe
* 1966 Kauai King
* 1967 Damascus
* 1968 Forward Pass
* 1969 Majestic Prince
* 1970 Personality
* 1971 Canonero II
* 1972 Bee Bee Bee
* 1973 Secretariat ₩
* 1974 Little Current
* 1975 Master Derby
* 1976 Elocutionist
* 1977 Seattle Slew ₩
* 1978 Affirmed ₩
* 1979 Spectacular Bid
* 1980 Codex
* 1981 Pleasant Colony
* 1982 Aloma's Ruler
* 1983 Deputed Testamony
* 1984 Gate Dancer
* 1985 Tank's Prospect
* 1986 Snow Chief
* 1987 Alysheba
* 1988 Risen Star
* 1989 Sunday Silence
* 1990 Summer Squall
* 1991 Hansel
* 1992 Pine Bluff
* 1993 Prairie Bayou
* 1994 Tabasco Cat
* 1995 Timber Country
* 1996 Louis Quatorze
* 1997 Silver Charm
* 1998 Real Quiet
* 1999 Charismatic
* 2000 Red Bullet
* 2001 Point Given
* 2002 War Emblem
* 2003 Funny Cide
* 2004 Smarty Jones
* 2005 Afleet Alex
* 2006 Bernardini
* 2007 Curlin
* 2008 Big Brown
* 2009 Rachel Alexandra ♥
* 2010 Lookin At Lucky
* 2011 Shackleford
* 2012 I'll Have Another
* 2013 Oxbow
* 2014 California Chrome
* 2015 American Pharoah ₩
* 2016 Exaggerator
* 2017 Cloud Computing
* 2018 Justify ₩
* 2019 War of Will
* 2020 Swiss Skydiver ♥
* 2021 Rombauer
* 2022 Early Voting
* 2023 National Treasure
* 2024 Seize the Grey
* 2025 Journalism

Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly
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