The Kentucky Derby has been in existence since the nineteenth century, but both the Florida and Santa Anita Derbies have long been cornerstones of the the race's prep season despite being decades younger.

Many a horse that has won at least one of the spring classics has gone through California or Florida en route to capturing the Run For the Roses. And by extension, the prestige for either those mile and one-eighth Grade I contests has been enhanced over time thanks to horses like Swaps, Tim Tam, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, Alysheba, Silver Charm, I'll Have Another and Nyquist.

It is common to see the Santa Anita Derby winner take a Triple Crown race. And it is common to see the Florida Derby winner take a Triple Crown race. But a horse winning both of those prep races and a Triple Crown race?

Once upon a time, that happened, and it is one of the truly unique rarities of the sport. In fact, it happened twice. Snow Chief is the first horse who likely comes to mind, for he swept the Florida and Santa Anita Derbies prior to his Preakness score in 1986. That achievement is laudable, and that trio of wins was instrumental in his being named Champion Three-Year-Old for that year.

But his feat was not unprecedented.

Twenty-three years earlier, one horse went from coast to coast, making history as the first horse to take the two biggest Kentucky Derby preps in the land. And like Snow Chief, he happened to be a California-bred.

Going into the 1963 Santa Anita Derby, Candy Spots had yet to know defeat. But twelve horses attempted to stop his winning streak as they readied to travel nine furlongs around Santa Anita's main track. This was a race Candy Spots's connections knew well; Rex Ellsworth and Mesh Tenney, his owner/breeder and trainer, guided Swaps to a win in the big race in 1955. And Bill Shoemaker, who was aboard the legendary chestnut that day, handled the reins for Candy Spots as well.

The undefeated record of Candy Spots stood out among bettors, for he was made the heavy favorite at 7-10. Hardly anyone was seen as having a legitimate chance at defeating him. And as it turned out, no one did.

Candy Spots only had two horses in front of him when he was well into the backstretch, closely tracking leader Might and Main and second place Sky Gem. He soon got past Sky Gem, and bided his time to make the move to the front. He did so in the stretch, taking over to keep his undefeated record intact while scoring a victory in the biggest race for three-year-olds out West. And that allowed him the potential to join horses like Hill Gail and Swaps as a Santa Anita Derby/Kentucky Derby winner.

But a trip to Florida was first.

Given the close proximity of the Santa Anita and Florida Derbies on the racing calendar nowadays, you won't find a horse entered in both contests. But that was not always the status quo. There used to be a gap between the two preps, and such a gap occurred in 1963. The Santa Anita Derby happened on March 3, and the Florida Derby followed on April 1. One month after emerging as the top Kentucky Derby hope in the Golden State, Candy Spots looked to strengthen his status in the division with a win in the sport's top Kentucky Derby prep race.

Both Candy Spots and Sky Gem traveled from California to take part in the Florida Derby. In total, the race drew eight horses, and the reputation of Candy Spots followed him to Gulfstream. Bet down to sixty cents on the dollar, he and Shoemaker again sat in third place early on. He soon moved to second, trailing only Gray Pet. But history repeated itself at Hallandale Beach. Candy Spots again found the front, and he kept first place the rest of the way, taking the Florida Derby while becoming the first horse to sweep that race and the Santa Anita Derby.

As one might expect, Candy Spots was made the favorite for the Kentucky Derby when the race started. He finished in third place that day as Chateaugay took the race. In an ironic twist, Swaps became the winning sire for that year's renewal. But Candy Spots had his big moment a couple of weeks later as he rebounded from his first loss to win the Preakness.

He remained the only horse to win the Santa Anita and Florida Derbies for well over two decades before Snow Chief joined him, and he became one of the few Cal-breds to win the Preakness. He also added the Jersey Derby in what was a tremendous year for the grandson of Khaled.

If you ask racing fans about the most successful Cal-breds to race, Candy Spots should be mentioned in the conversation. He compiled a good overall career record, and is the victor of a Triple Crown race.

But just for his Derby double alone, Candy Spots deserves to be a member of that pantheon.

He made his presence felt in the East and the West. And though Candy Spots missed out on Champion Three-Year-Old honors for 1963, he stands to this day as the top Cal-bred for that season.