Champion Racehorse. He was the 7th horse to win American horseracing's Triple Crown, winning the 1946 Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont with jockey Warren Mehrtens in the saddle. Mehrtens, at 25, had never ridden in a Derby and would never do so again. Assault won the Derby by eight lengths, matching the Derby record. In the Preakness, he was favored for the first time and hung on to win by a neck. He was not favored to win the Belmont. Mehrtens with a bad start, nearly falling off his mount still managed to win by three lengths. Assault was handicapped when as a colt stepped on a surveyor's stake puncturing his right front hoof. This experience left him with the habit of favoring it giving him an awkward gait. After his Triple Crown performance, the horse went on a five-race losing streak and Mehrtens was replaced by Eddie Arcaro. Despite seven losses as a three-year-old, Assault was voted horse of the year. Retired to stud in 1948, he turned out to be sterile and raced intermittently for two more years. At the age of 28, the horse broke a bone in his left foreleg and was euthanized.
Champion Racehorse. He was the 7th horse to win American horseracing's Triple Crown, winning the 1946 Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont with jockey Warren Mehrtens in the saddle. Mehrtens, at 25, had never ridden in a Derby and would never do so again. Assault won the Derby by eight lengths, matching the Derby record. In the Preakness, he was favored for the first time and hung on to win by a neck. He was not favored to win the Belmont. Mehrtens with a bad start, nearly falling off his mount still managed to win by three lengths. Assault was handicapped when as a colt stepped on a surveyor's stake puncturing his right front hoof. This experience left him with the habit of favoring it giving him an awkward gait. After his Triple Crown performance, the horse went on a five-race losing streak and Mehrtens was replaced by Eddie Arcaro. Despite seven losses as a three-year-old, Assault was voted horse of the year. Retired to stud in 1948, he turned out to be sterile and raced intermittently for two more years. At the age of 28, the horse broke a bone in his left foreleg and was euthanized.
Bio by: Donald Greyfield
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