Northern Dancer won the 89th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

That was exactly 51 years ago today, on May 16, 1964, and Bill Hartack was the winning jockey.

Having won the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier, Northern Dancer captured the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

Unfortunately for Northern Dancer and Bill Hartack, the Canadian-born bay stallion finished third – behind Quadrangle and Roman Brother – at the Belmont Stakes three weeks later.

There has not been a Triple Crown winner in the last 37 years – not since Steve Cauthen rode Affirmed to victories in the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont way back in 1978.

That same day at Colt Stadium in Houston, Ray Culp (1-3) took the mound versus Turk Farrell (4-1).

Turk Farrell was a former Phillies closer who picked up 38 saves over four seasons in Philadelphia while also winning 10 games in two different seasons.

In 1963, he went 14-13 for a bad Colts team after being converted into a starter. Off to a good start this season, he already had two wins over the Cardinals and one each against the Dodgers and Giants.

Ray Culp was struggling so far with a 5.63 ERA.

The first inning was scoreless.

With one out in the top of the second, John Herrnstein got his seventh double of the season and moved to third when Tony Gonzalez grounded out. Clay Dalrymple tripled to put the Phillies on top 1-0.

The game moved to the bottom of the third with no change in score.

In the Colts half of the third, Eddie Kasko reached first on Richie Allen’s error, moved to second when Nellie Fox sacrificed, and scored on Al Spangler’s triple to tie the game 1-1.

That left Al Spangler on third and nobody out.

Spangler scored to make it 2-1 on Walt Bond’s sacrifice fly.

The game moved to the bottom of the fifth.

Turk Farrell led off with a single and moved to second on Eddie Kasko’s bunt. After Nellie Fox flew out to center for the second out, Al Spangler singled. Turk Farrell advanced to third, took a wide turn toward home, but hit the brakes. From rightfield, Johnny Callison threw a strike to the plate that would’ve nailed Farrell. Spangler moved up to second on the throw to the plate.

With runners on second and third and two outs, Walt Bond made it three RBIs on the day – and 14 on the season – with a two-run single that made it 4-1 Colts.

Gene Mauch replaced Culp with Ed Roebuck (1-0). Unscored-upon in his seven outings since joining the Phillies, Roebuck kept it that way by retiring Bob Aspromonte to end the inning.

Richie Allen led off the top of the sixth by drawing a walk. Johnny Callison singled and Allen moved around to third to put runners at first and third with nobody out. Allen scored to trim the lead to 4-2 when Wes Covington hit into a force-out.

In the bottom of the sixth, Gene Mauch called on Dallas Green (1-0) to replace Roebuck. Green had yet to give up a run in six outings that spanned 11 innings.

Green held the Colts at bay, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh.

Jack Baldschun (1-0) replaced Green and pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth. The game moved to the top of the ninth with the score still 4-2 and Turk Farrell still on the mound.

Wes Covington led off with a single and advanced to second when John Herrnstein grounded out weakly to first. Tony Gonzalez singled and Covington scored to cut Houston’s lead to 4-3. It was Gonzalez’ team-leading 16th RBI.

With left-hander Clay Dalrymple due up next, Colts manager Harry Craft brought in lefty Hal Woodeshick to replace Farrell. A six-year veteran, mostly in the American League, Woodeshick was claimed in the expansion draft in 1961. His overall record was 34-43.

The Colts used him as a starter in 1962 and he started 26 games, going 5-16 with a 4.39 ERA. In 1963, the Colts used him out of the bullpen and he responded in a positive way. He went 11-9 with a 1.97 ERA.

Gene Mauch countered by sending Danny Cater to pinch-hit for Dalrymple. The rookie was hitting .385 ─ and was 1-for-1 as a pinch-hitter.

But Woodeshick saved the day for Houston by getting Cater to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

Turk Farrell (5-1) beat his old mates and Woodeshick picked up his seventh save. Ray Culp (1-4) was tagged with the loss.

Later that night in San Francisco, the last-place Mets tried to make it two in a row over the Giants. In fact, the Mets scored four runs off of Giants ace Juan Marichal (6-0) to force a 4-4 game into extra innings. Marichal lasted for 12 innings and only two of the runs he allowed were earned.

The game lasted for 15 innings. The Giants pulled it out on Jim Davenport’s walk-off, two-run home run to make the final score 6-4.

Gaylord Perry (2-0) picked up the win in relief while Galen Cisco (1-3) took the loss.

(Excerpted from 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant by Barry Bowe.)