1968年のケンタッキーダービー

1968年のケンタッキーダービー馬、ダンサーズイメージ。
最後方からのスタートながら、四コーナー回った辺りで、他をごぼう抜き、圧倒的な速さで駆け抜け圧勝しながら、その後の薬物検査で失格となった悲劇のダービー馬。
この競馬場に居合わせた寺山修司は、この「ダンサーズイメージ」に賭けたそうだ。その後の失格事件等を受け、「馬敗れて草原あり」の中で、義憤でもって書き綴っている。

　私はこのダンサーズイメージの子が、もしわが国の芝生を走ることがあったら、何がなんでもその馬に賭け続けるつもりである。正義ということばも、もはや古いものになってしまったが、しかし私はダンサーズイメージを信じたい。世界でいちばん速い馬よ。わが国の芝生にも、いい子を送ってくれ。

（「ケンタッキーダービー報告」より）

引退後のダンサーズイメージは、種牡馬としてアメリカ、アイルランド、フランスを渡り、最晩年を日本で過ごし、1992年、27歳で日本で死んだようだ。
寺山修司は1983年に死んでしまった。
寺山は、ダンサーズイメージの子に賭ける機会があったのだろうか？

NH Chronicle - Dancer's Image
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-9oqxWMmTc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipDhd3275Vw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0pItNOwUjo

Dancer's Image won the 1968 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified to last after traces of phenylbutazone were discovered in the mandatory post-race urinalysis. Second place finisher Forward Pass was declared the winner. The controversy filled the sporting news of every media outlet in North America and was the cover story for Sports Illustrated magazine who referred to it as the sports story of the year. Owner Peter Fuller and the horse's handlers believed someone else may have been motivated to give the colt another dose of the drug and filed an appeal of the disqualification.
The Kentucky State Racing Commission examined the matter and ordered distribution of the purse with first money to Forward Pass. However, owner Peter Fuller took legal action and in December of 1970 a Kentucky Court awarded first-place money to Dancer's Image.[5] That decision was overturned on appeal in April 1972, by Kentucky's highest court in Kentucky State Racing Comm'n v. Fuller, 481 S.W. 2d 298 (Ky. 1972).
As at 2008, the Churchill Downs media guide for the Derby includes the official chart showing Dancer's Image as the winner. [6] Controversy and speculation still surround the incident even today and the New York Times [7] calls the ruling the "most controversial decision in all of Triple Crown racing."
Dancer's Image ran in the 1968 Preakness Stakes, finishing third to Forward Pass. Unfortunately, he was disqualified again and set back to eighth place, this time for bumping the horse Martins Jig. Continued ankle problems resulted in Dancer's Image being retired after the race and was syndicated and sent to stand at stud at the Maryland division of Windfields Farm. [8] Eventually his owners sold the colt and in 1974 he was sent to breeders in Ireland then in 1979 to Haras du Quesnay at Deauville, France owned by renowned breeder Alec Head. [9] Dancer's Image was later sent to stand at stud in Japan, where he died at age 27 on December 26, 1992.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancer's_Image

馬敗れて草原あり (角川文庫)

今年の四月に、「Dancer's Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby」って本も出たようだ。読んでみよう。