UNADILLA, N.Y. -- Spectacular Bid, a steel gray colt whose drive to win the Triple Crown in 1979 was derailed by a safety pin on the day of the Belmont Stakes, died at 27.

He died of a heart attack Monday at Milfer Farm in upstate New York.

The thoroughbred will be buried at the farm in Unadilla, 65 miles southeast of Syracuse, according to a spokesman for the farm, where Spectacular Bid still stood at stud.

The death came two days after Funny Cide failed in a bid to win the Triple Crown.

Bred by Mrs. William Jason and Mrs. William Gilmore, Spectacular Bid, whose sire was Bold Bidder and dam was Spectacular, was foaled Feb. 17, 1976. Purchased as a yearling for $37,000 by Harry and Teresa Meyerhoff, "Bid," as he was nicknamed, was spectacular from the moment he entered a starting gate.

He won 26 of 30 career starts -- he also finished second twice, third once and was fourth in the Tyro Stakes at Monmouth in the third race of his career -- and earned $2,781,607 and three Eclipse Awards. He was voted champion 2-year-old colt, champion 3-year-old colt, and champion older horse in successive years (1978-80).

Groomed throughout his career by Charlie Bettis and carrying the colors of Hawksworth Farm, Spectacular Bid went to post for the first time on June 30, 1978. He ran just two-fifths of a second off the Pimlico track record for 5½ furlongs and three weeks later came back in an allowance at the same distance, this time equaling the track record.

Bid won five more stakes that year on his way to being named the top 2-year-old colt.

Carrying a five-race win streak into his 3-year-old season, Spectacular Bid reeled off five more wins and entered the Triple Crown series undefeated for the season.

Spectacular Bid went up on the tote board as the Kentucky Derby favorite at Churchill Downs. As he walked the horse to the paddock area, trainer Grover "Buddy" Delp was so convinced he had a sure thing that he shouted to nearby fans, "Go bet! Go bet!"

When Spectacular Bid came on in the stretch to overtake General Assembly, it didn't seem like that big a deal. He was the favorite. He won the race. That's what was supposed to happen, according to the handicappers.

Two decades worth of beaten Derby favorites that followed, however, made the accomplishment more noteworthy.

"He was the greatest horse that ever looked through a bridle," Delp said. "The only two horses that I believe would have given him a run were Citation and Secretariat."

Both, coincidentally, were Triple Crown winners, just like Affirmed and Seattle Slew in the two years before Spectacular Bid. Affirmed died in 2001; Seattle Slew died in 2002.

Spectacular Bid looked like he might become the third straight colt to sweep the Triple Crown after taking the Preakness despite a tough trip two weeks later.

The chart for the race said he was bumped at the start and outrun early. No problem. Spectacular Bid simply went wide outside and by the time he hit the stretch, he was in command.

Poised for the defining moment of his career, Bid ran a puzzling third in the Belmont under teenage jockey Ronnie Franklin, losing to Coastal and Golden Act. After the race, Delp said there was a reason for his colt's loss -- a safety pin had been found stuck in a hoof the morning of the race.

The safety pin caused an infection serious enough to threaten Bid's life, and the hoof had to be drilled, putting him out of action.