The day after the 1987 Preakness Stakes, I stopped at a service area on I-95 in Maryland on my way back home from the Preakness and called Jack Van Berg, asking if I could do a feature on him for the Thoroughbred Times, which had only been in existence for about a year. I had never met Van Berg, who was on top of the world at the time and who looked like a sure bet to saddle racing's next Triple Crown winner following Alysheba's impressive victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

Many horses like Wanderin Boy go through their entire career overlooked by the fans and media. They're always dependable, showing up in many of the grade I stakes, and while they turn in huge efforts at times, they're just not able to get to the finish line first and make that leap into the big-time.