In the first thirty-two runnings of the Hollywood Gold Cup, it had not been unusual to see horses finish the race in under two minutes.

When local racing fans gathered for Hollywood Park's grandest event, they saw all-time greats like Swaps, Round Table and Native Diver cover the mile and one-quarter distance in swift time. On top of scoring one of the most prestigious races in the country, winning the Gold Cup in such quick fashion only furthered the growing legend of each of these awesome equines.

For a time, Swaps and Round Table shared the record for fastest Gold Cup in history. Swaps won it in 1956 with a time of 1:58.60, and Round Table equaled the standard one year later. Several others followed with sub-2:00 times, including Hillsdale, the Diver and Ack Ack. Though many horses had joined the club of Hollywood Gold Cup champions, far fewer took it a step further by finishing the race in under 120 seconds.

And as of 2021, no one has done it more swiftly than Quack.

Going into the 1972 iteration, Quack had enjoyed a nice first half of the year. Having already collected trophies in the Will Rogers Stakes and California Derby, Quack had also placed in the Santa Anita Derby. He did not race in the Triple Crown events that year, but getting first place in the Gold Cup would certainly put him on the map in the three-year-old division, especially given that the race lured older horses.

Trained by Charlie Whittingham and ridden by Don Pierce, Quack earned the most win money on the tote board at over 5-2. Also part of the field were 1969 Gold Cup champion Figonero; Kennedy Road, who would take the race the following year; Droll Role, who captured the Hawthorne Gold Cup earlier in the season; and Buzkashi, winner of Hollywood Park's American Handicap a couple of weeks prior.

Starting from post twelve in a field of fourteen, Quack found himself near the back of the pack at one point as longshot Single Agent and jockey Ismael Valenzuela set the pace. But the splits were fast; the time for six furlongs alone was 1:08 2/5. That gave the advantage to Quack and Pierce, who made their way up the field as the Hollywood Gold Cup continued on.

Soon, they were well within striking distance of Single Agent. And then, they caught Single Agent. The old axiom of "pace makes the race," was of benefit to Quack on July 15, 1972. The public picked the right horse, and Quack won decisively over his rivals by several lengths as he stopped the clock in 1:58.20 while giving the fans a truly remarkable moment in Hollywood Park's storied timeline.

The win was historic for two reasons. First, Quack became just the second three-year-old to win the Gold Cup (Round Table was the first). And second, he set a new track record for ten furlongs as well as equaled the world record for the distance. It was an impressive time and performance, especially given the bay colt's age.

For the next forty-one years, many horses succeeded Quack as winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup. Most of them did so on a dirt surface, while others achieved victory over a synthetic course. But not one of them ever ran the race faster than he did. And none of them even equaled the time he set. That has been the case as well at Santa Anita, where the Gold Cup has been run in 2014.

Whether anyone eclipses Quack's time remains to be seen. But there is no denying the significance of what the son of T.V. Lark accomplished at the Home of Champions in 1972. Setting a track record and matching the world record for ten furlongs at three is amazing, and that has ensured Quack's performance will be ranked among the very best in the race's history.

And even if someone runs it faster than Quack, the fact he set such a dazzling time at three makes the win all the more memorable. And that makes Quack one of the bona fide legends of the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Source:

Quack wins Hollywood Gold Cup at three and sets track and equals world record: 2012 Hollywood Park Media Guide, p. 62-63.