Editing Count Fleet (section)

===1942: two-year-old season===
As a two-year-old Count Fleet started off slowly, finishing second in his first two starts while racing erratically.<ref name="Drager" /> On June 19, 1942, though, he gained attention when he won a maiden race at Aqueduct Park by four lengths, despite having run out around the turn and losing many lengths to the field.<ref>{{cite web|title=SHUT OUT, VAGRANCY IN RICH RACE TODAY; Derby Winner to Meet Filly Champion and 5 Others in $30,000 Dwyer Stakes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/06/20/archives/shut-out-vagrancy-in-rich-race-today-derby-winner-to-meet-filly.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=20 June 1942}}</ref> On July 4, he entered the Army and Navy purse at [[Empire City Race Track]], part of a special program of racing to benefit the [[United States home front during World War II|war effort]], and won by six lengths.<ref>{{cite web|title=34,728 SEE UPSET; Whirlaway, 3-4 Choice, Second to Tola Rose in $33,300 Butler MARGIN IS FOUR LENGTHS Record Army-Navy Day Throng Sets New Empire Wagering Mark of $1,428,791 PART OF THE RECORD THRONG AT EMPIRE CITY FOR ARMY-NAVY DAY TOLA ROSE VICTOR; WHIRLAWAY NEXT|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/07/05/archives/34728-see-upset-whirlaway-34-choice-second-to-tola-rose-in-33300.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=5 July 1942}}</ref> He then finished second in the East View Stakes to Gold Shower,<ref>{{cite web|title=Gold Shower Beats Count Fleet By Length in East View Stakes; Mrs. Bragg's Juvenile Lowers Record for Empire City Fixture to 1:08 and Pays $9.30 -- Rurales Captures Show|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/07/16/archives/gold-shower-beats-count-fleet-by-length-in-east-view-stakes-mrs.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=16 July 1942}}</ref> before rebounding to win the Wakefield Stakes by four lengths with Gold Shower in third.<ref>{{cite web|title=Count Fleet Takes $6,825 Wakefield Stakes by Four Lengths at Empire Track; ODDS-ON FAVORITE OUTRUNS RURALES|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/07/23/archives/count-fleet-takes-6825-wakefield-stakes-by-four-lengths-at-empire.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=23 July 1942}}</ref>

He then traveled to Chicago where he won an allowance race on August 11 at [[Washington Park Race Track|Washington Park]].<ref name="DRF-PP" /> On August 15, he finished second by a neck to the highly regarded Occupation in the rich [[Washington Park Futurity]].<ref>{{cite web|title=OCCUPATION TAKES RICH RACE BY NECK; Marsch Juvenile Beats Count Fleet in $69,875 Washington Park Futurity OCCUPATION TAKES RICH RACE BY NECK|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/08/16/archives/occupation-takes-rich-race-by-neck-marsch-juvenile-beats-count.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=16 August 1942}}</ref>

Although Occupation was now considered the front-runner for the two-year-old championship, Count Fleet kept his name in consideration with a win in the Mars Purse at Aqueduct on September 15. Going off at odds of 7:10, Count Fleet was pinched at the start, was then bumped by another horse and ran into traffic problems in the turn, but finally got free and closed strongly to win by a head.<ref>{{cite web|title=Count Fleet Overcomes Interference to Triumph in Mars Purse at Aqueduct; 7-10 CHOICE VICTOR OVER VERY SNOOTY|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/09/16/archives/count-fleet-overcomes-interference-to-triumph-in-mars-purse-at.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=16 September 1942}}</ref> He and Occupation were next scheduled to meet in the [[Cowdin Stakes]] on September 19 but Count Fleet was scratched, presumably due to a sloppy track.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doublrab Third as Imperatrice Scores at Belmont Opening; LABOYTEAUX FILLY FIRST BY A LENGTH|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/09/22/archives/doublrab-third-as-imperatrice-scores-at-belmont-opening-laboyteaux.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|language=en|date=22 September 1942}}</ref> Instead, he made his next start on September 24 in The Morello at Belmont Park, where he "conveyed the impression that he was out for a breeze, and merely beating the others as an incidental manner."<ref>{{cite web|title=Count Fleet Wins Easily, Giving Longden Double; MRS. HERTZ'S ENTRY VICTOR AT BELMONT|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/09/25/archives/count-fleet-wins-easily-giving-longden-double-mrs-hertzs-entry.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=25 September 1942}}</ref> He finally met up with Occupation again in the [[Belmont Futurity]] on October 3 in what was then the world's richest race for two-year-olds. Occupation won by five lengths with Count Fleet finishing third after grabbing his quarter (a situation where one of the hind legs cuts into the hoof of one of the front legs). Count Fleet could not be pulled up after the race and eventually circled the mile-and-a-half track.<ref>{{cite web|title=LEADS ALSAB HOME; Whirlaway Earnings Hit $511,486 as He Takes Jockey Club Cup OCCUPATION EASY VICTOR Count Fleet Third in $77,090 Futurity|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/10/04/archives/leads-alsab-home-whirlaway-earnings-hit-511486-as-he-takes-jockey.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=4 October 1942}}</ref>

On October 10, Count Fleet was entered in the [[Champagne Stakes (USA)|Champagne Stakes]], racing for the first time at a distance of a mile. In Occupation's absence, Count Fleet was made the even money favorite. He broke well and, in a change from his normal tactics, went to the early lead. Establishing a two-length lead down the backstretch, he rebuffed a challenge by Slide Rule around the turn and then continued to draw away down the stretch. His final winning margin was six lengths over Blue Swords with Attendant eight more lengths back in third. Count Fleet's time of 1:34{{frac|4|5}} was not only a new track record, it was also a world record for the fastest mile ever run by a two-year-old.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Field|first1=Bryan|title=ALSAB WINS, COUNT FLEET SETS WORLD MARK AT BELMONT|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/10/11/archives/whirlaway-third-favorite-a-length-back-as-alsab-beats-obash-by-nose.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=11 October 1942}}</ref>

Count Fleet followed this up with a six-length win in the Thunderclap Purse on October 20 at odds of 1:4.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alsab and Shut Out Meet Again Today; COUNT FLEET, 1 TO 4, FIRST BY 6 LENGTHS Mrs. Hertz's Juvenile Easily Defeats Towser at Jamaica in Thunderclap Purse|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/10/21/archives/alsab-and-shut-out-meet-again-today-count-fleet-1-to-4-first-by-6.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=21 October 1942}}</ref> On October 31, he again faced off with Occupation in the [[Pimlico Futurity]] in what essentially became a [[match race]]. Occupation took the early lead but Count Fleet moved up on the outside and the two matched strides down the backstretch and into the final turn. Rounding into the stretch, Count Fleet started to draw away and eventually won by six lengths. His time of 1:43{{frac|3|5}} for {{frac|1|1|16}} miles equaled the track record and broke the existing stakes record by over a second.<ref>{{cite web|title=COUNT FLEET WINS PIMLICO FUTURITY; Beating Occupation 6 Lengths, He Ties 1 1-16-Mile Track Record of 1:43 3/5|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/11/01/archives/count-fleet-wins-pimlico-futurity-beating-occupation-6-lengths-he.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=15 October 2017|date=1 November 1942}}</ref>

Count Fleet finished his two-year-old campaign on November 10 in the Walden Stakes at Pimlico. Going off as the 1-10 favorite, he ran away from the field and won by twenty lengths<ref>{{cite web|title=Count Fleet Takes Walden Stakes By 20 Lengths From Uncle Billies; Mrs. Hertz's 1-10 Choice Close to Record for Pimlico Fixture as He Earns $9,700 and Increases His Total to $75,245|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/11/11/archives/count-fleet-takes-walden-stakes-by-20-lengths-from-uncle-billies.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=16 October 2017|date=11 November 1942}}</ref> (other sources have the margin of victory as 30 lengths.)<ref name="Drager" /><ref name="HoF">{{cite web|title=Count Fleet {{!}} National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|url=https://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/count-fleet|website=www.racingmuseum.org|access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref> At season's end, he had won 10 of his 15 races while never being out of the money, a performance that earned him the two-year-old championship honors. He was assigned {{convert|132|lbs|kg}} on the 1942 [[Experimental Free Handicap]], the highest impost ever.<ref name="ACP" />