In the twenty-five years between Citation's 1948 and Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown campaigns, seven horses went to Belmont Park with an opportunity to be the next Triple Crown champion.

This chestnut son of Raise a Native was the sixth to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes during that period. He did so with a Triple Crown-winning jockey as his conditioner, and he furthered the legend of that racing icon with a couple of his wins.

He would be the lone member of that group who spent the bulk of his career in California. Though not originally from the Golden State, he nevertheless turned into a memorable horse during that era of racing because of his Triple Crown bid.

Bought for the huge price of $250,000 (which was at that point the world record) at the Keeneland Yearling Sale in 1967, Majestic Prince clearly had something that caught the eye of both his future owner, Frank McMahon, and trainer, Johnny Longden. It would be over a year before Majestic Prince would show up in a race day program, but the two obviously saw something special in him.

Well before Majestic Prince tried to become a member of racing's most exalted club, he first appeared at Bay Meadows in November 1968. Ridden by Bill Hartack, he went off at short odds in the six furlong sprint. He showed the public they were right to back him, for he won on debut in what turned out to be the only time he raced in Northern California.

Following the Bay Meadows sojourn, Majestic Prince was sent to Longden's old stomping ground, Santa Anita Park. He was part of the Arcadia track's Opening Day festivities for the 1968-1969 winter/spring meet, entered in a six furlong allowance on the main oval. The clear favorite at 3-5, Majestic Prince's still budding reputation had preceded him. Teaming again with Hartack, he was in early contention before grabbing the lead and getting a nose victory to make it two straight going into 1969.

For the rest of the Santa Anita meet, no one could stop Majestic Prince. Continuing his partnership with Hartack, he got the new year off to a winning start by taking the six and one-half furlong Los Feliz Stakes in decisive fashion, and he followed that up with a clear victory on a muddy track in the San Vicente on February 6. Next came his first routing assignment, the one mile San Jacinto Stakes on February 27. Odds-on again, Majestic Prince made sure the confidence in him was well placed as he again finished well ahead of his closest competitor. That just left one race for Majestic Prince to try as he sought to run the table on Huntington Drive: the Santa Anita Derby.

Of course, this was a race Johnny Longden knew well. He owned five victories in the race as a jockey, with the last one coming in 1961 with Four-and-Twenty. Many who bet on the Santa Anita Derby saw Longden returning to the winners' circle again with his star colt. And nine furlongs later, they were right.

With a big move on the far turn, Majestic Prince finished off the winter/spring meet in grand style, powering home in front of a cheering crowd to become Southern California's top Kentucky Derby contender with a commanding eight length victory. The win gave Longden the unique distinction of being the only jockey to win the Santa Anita Derby as both a rider and a trainer (a distinction he still holds in the present day). Following another rendezvous with history, Longden and his talented horse headed for another track long familiar to the trainer: Churchill Downs.

On April 26, Majestic Prince had his last Kentucky Derby prep. Entered in the seven furlong Stepping Stone Stakes, he and Hartack were again the class of the field as they romped home by six lengths under the Twin Spires while narrowly missing the track record. With a race at Churchill Downs under his belt, and a jockey who had previously ridden four Derby champions, Majestic Prince now waited for the First Saturday in May.

Drawing post eight in a field of eight for the 96th running of the Kentucky Derby, Majestic Prince raced wide in the first stretch run. But he was right there with the leader, Top Knight, in the far turn. But as Top Knight faded, Majestic Prince found himself battling with Arts and Letters, who got by Top Knight on the inside. The strength and power of the top two were in full display under the Twin Spires, and they stayed near each other the rest of the way. But Majestic Prince was the better horse on the day, holding off Arts and Letters to take the Kentucky Derby while making Longden the only man to win the race as both a rider and trainer. He also gave Hartack his fifth and final Kentucky Derby win, and Hartack is still co-owner of the record with Eddie Arcaro to this day.

Interestingly, Majestic Prince also became an early contributor in what has turned out to be a long history between Raise a Native and the Kentucky Derby. In the year since, Raise a Native has long been a presence in the bloodline of many Kentucky Derby champions. Moreover, Majestic Prince was a grandson of the legendary Native Dancer, who missed the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown by a nose back in 1953.

The rematch between Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters took little time to happen. Two weeks later, they met up in the Preakness Stakes. Once more, they met in the stretch. Majestic Prince was closer to the inside while Arts and Letters raced wide for much of the Pimlico stretch. They were closer together at the wire, but Majestic Prince again got the better of Arts and Letters as he now only had the Belmont Stakes between him and the Triple Crown.

For Longden, it had to have been a callback to more than a quarter century earlier when he piloted Count Fleet to a sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Over the course of a couple of months, Longden had stood by as Majestic Prince gave him more pages in the record books. Three years earlier, Longden had retired after winning his last race in Santa Anita's San Juan Capistrano with George Royal. At the time, Longden could never have predicted another Triple Crown might come his way. But here he was, staring at it thanks to Majestic Prince.

But Longden then announced after the Preakness that Majestic Prince would not be entered in the Belmont. There was reportedly nothing wrong with the colt, but Longden had felt it was time for Majestic Prince to have a vacation before getting back into training. But Frank McMahon later decided the Belmont was a go after all, and round three between Majestic Prince and Arts and Letters happened in New York.

This time, Arts and Letters had his moment in the sun. He won the Belmont while Majestic Prince finished as runner up. Like Count Fleet, Majestic Prince would never run again after the Belmont, retiring with nine wins and a second in ten races. But he would get a measure of redemption exactly ten years later, for he finally picked up that elusive Belmont triumph as the sire of the race's winner, Coastal.

Majestic Prince missed out on the Champion Three-Year-Old title despite winning two legs of the Triple Crown. Arts and Letters ended up having a huge second half of the year, collecting the Jim Dandy, Travers and Woodward Stakes along with the Jockey Club Gold Cup to win both that divisional honor, Champion Handicap Horse, and Horse of the Year. Majestic Prince would go on to stallion duty, and he would live to the age of fifteen before passing in 1981. Seven years later, he was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Frank McMahon and John Longden were proven right in their sense that Majestic Prince would be a special horse. That was especially true for Longden, who actually had a link with the colt that went beyond trainer and racehorse. Exactly one week after Longden's last ride in 1966, Majestic Prince was foaled. That is symbolic of the closeness the two will forever share. And it shows that no one but Longden could have trained Majestic Prince.

He never won a divisional award, but Majestic Prince still became a champion whose legend lives on in the twenty-first century.