It is easy to remember that many winners from the Santa Anita Derby have gone on to win a Triple Crown race. And in the case of Affirmed and Justify, the Triple Crown.

Indeed, Southern California's biggest Kentucky Derby prep has been a steppingstone for glory in the spring classics for horses like Hill Gail, Swaps, Majestic Prince, Snow Chief and Sunday Silence after they earned the trophy in Arcadia.

But for all the success local-based horses have had in the first two legs in the Triple Crown, the exact opposite rings true when it comes to the Belmont Stakes.

Of course, the Southland has not gone empty-handed when it comes to victory in the Test of the Champion. Along with Affirmed and Justify, A.P. Indy and Point Given have completed the Santa Anita Derby/Belmont Stakes double.

It is a rare club, and we have not yet mentioned its charter member:

Avatar.

A son of 1966 Bahamas Stakes champion Glaustark, Avatar picked up a win in the Bradbury Stakes before trainer Andrew Thomas Doyle sent him to a win the Santa Anita Derby. With that ticket to Louisville, Avatar took second to Foolish Pleasure under the Twin Spires before taking fifth in the Preakness Stakes. Following his trip to Pimlico, Avatar directed his gaze to the mammoth Belmont Park.

The Triple Crown was not on the line at Big Sandy that year, but it featured the Derby and Preakness champions in Foolish Pleasure and Master Derby, respectively. Obviously seen as a rubber match between the two horses, they were joined by Avatar. Also in the lineup was; Grade II California Derby winner Diabolo, who sought to join his sire, Damascus, as a Belmont Stakes winner; Just the Time, who captured Belmont Park's Grade I Futurity in 1974; Florida Derby champion Prince Thou Art; Singh, the recent Jersey Derby winner; and Nailees Rialto and Syllabus.

Diabolo emerged with the lead as the field went around the first turn with Singh in the outside in second. Master Derby followed along the inside in third. Avatar had fourth place as Nailees Rialto followed.

The top six had broken away from the others as they reached the far turn. Diabolo still controlled the tempo, and opened up a gap on Master Derby. He put together fractions ranging from twenty-three to twenty-four seconds as he traversed across Belmont Park, but could not get the distance that day. Master Derby surged ahead before the top of the stretch asAvatar went with him. Foolish Pleasure was in the mix in fourth, and everyone else was out of contention.

Only Avatar came up to Master Derby as they stared down the final stretch of the Belmont Stakes. With Bill Shoemaker handling the reins, Avatar took the lead from his rival before coming to the furlong pole. Foolish Pleasure found another gear win the final sixteenth, gaining rapidly on the leader. But he ran out of track.

With a half-length margin to spare, Avatar did something no one else had done before June 7, 1975. He became the very first horse to win both the Santa Anita Derby and the Belmont Stakes, doing so at longshot odds of 13-1.

He started something very few horses have emulated. He managed to win two of the biggest races for sophomores, and he defeated rivals out West and back East. He also gave Bill Shoemaker his fifth Belmont Stakes triumph, making the iconic rider one of the all time best in the race's history.

It is always a question as to who can get the mile and one-half distance in the Belmont, and handicappers pondered that back in 1975. Of course, no one knew for sure whether Avatar could do it, but he was a descendant of Ribot, the two-time winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France. That race was the same length as the Belmont, and Ribot's stamina found its way into Avatar.

Though he missed out on being named champion of the three-year-old division, Avatar found his piece of Triple Crown glory.

Actually, he did more than that. He found unprecedented glory.