Legend IV: Whirlaway

Legend IV: Whirlaway. 19x24 inches, 2009, charcoal, conte crayon and Rembrandt pastel on pearl Canson Mi-Teintes. SOLD

Whirlaway, the 1941 Triple Crown winner, was a “tough baby” according to Jimmy Jones, son of trainer, Ben Jones. Whirlaway had a way about him that could have frustrated a lesser trainer, but Ben Jones knew exactly what to do with this wayward colt. A unique one-eyed blinker, fashioned by Jones, helped keep the colt from veering out and drifting off the rail.

Whirlaway was tough to train, but he was pure poetry on the racetrack. He won the hearts of fans as they cheered him home, his long, red tail flowing out behind him. “Mr. Longtail,” became a legend the day he won the Belmont stakes, becoming the fifth Triple Crown winner.

Jimmy Jones said even though the colt was a “tough baby,” jockey Eddie Arcaro “had his number.” Jockey and colt were a sight to behold, a lightning bolt of horse and man; working perfectly in sync…

"...not even a cyclone could head us off. I don't think I ever passed as many horses in such a hurry. I might as well have been shot from a gun. What a horse! What a horse!" --Eddie Arcaro

"He carries in his armament the deadliest weapon a thoroughbred can have - an annihilating burst of speed which he can apparently turn on at any stage of a race."

--Blood Horse Magazine

Winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the Belmont is a monumental feat, and only the most exceptional horses have ever accomplished this ultimate test of heart, speed and talent. The last Triple Crown winner was way back in 1978, when Affirmed snagged it by a nose over his rival, Alydar.

Whirlaway was an enormously talented “tough baby.”

I drew him racing fit and built for speed, his trademark long tail nearly brushing the ground; with a mischievous look in his eye. Always looking around, that one…