Dinny Phipps finally won the Derby. The Phipps have been legendary thoroughbred racing family and after well more than a century in the game have finally won the highest prize in U.S. racing.
But they are well known in racquets sports circles. Ogden, Dinny’s father, played squash at Harvard under Harry Cowles and captained the team his senior year, 1931; he won seven U.S. amateur singles and nine U.S. amateur doubles titles in court tennis and three times challenged for the world championship. He was an uncle to Pete and Jimmy Bostwick, racquet sport giants.
Dinny played squash (#2 on ladder) and tennis at Yale. In court tennis, he won four U.S. Open doubles titles and seven U.S. amateur doubles titles.
That was a big win. Sadly the horse didn’t know that I had bet on him in the Preakness and the Belmont. I was one of the 100,000 people who showed up in Queens looking to see a little part of history. Horses are big and run fast, but the few measly shekels I plunked down on his nose are gone. Oh well. The traffic wasn’t that bad and it was a nice day at the track. It’s not Saratoga, but then again, there’s only one Saratoga.