Keen Ice = Onion

[afleetphil]

It's horse racing. Like Onion, doubt if Keen Ice beats Pharoah again as Secretariat toasted Onion  in the Marlboro Cup.

[Raven]

Onion was a claimer.  Keen Ice run a second and a third in his last two,both G1 races!

[Catalina]

Keen Ice still seems to be improving.

[curtis]

Onion was a claimer.  Keen Ice run a second and a third in his last two,both G1 races!

I've seen this before and it's a bit misleading.  Onion had just set a track record at Saratoga in his most recent start before the Whitney.  He was off the track in 1974, at 5, and in 1976, at 7.  In 1977, at the age of 8, Jerkins dropped Onion into some high priced claimers when he wasn't able to compete in Allowance company anymore.  Onion may have been a maiden claimer and may have run for a high priced tag early on after breaking his maiden.  I don't know this for sure.  I do know that he remained with Hobeau Farms throughout a long life. In 1973 he ran in the Carter and in several allowance races including his track record breaking performance leading up to the Whitney.  While not to intimate he was in Secretariat's class, he was not a claimer at that point in his career.

[Man o Taz]

As always, thank you for the insights.