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Tonalist spoils California Chrome's bid for the Triple Crown
Yahoo ^ | 6-7-14 | Jay Hart

Posted on 06/07/2014 4:14:03 PM PDT by kingattax

The longest wait in sports is not over.

California Chrome's bid to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978 fell short in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

After winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes by a length and a half, the mile-and-a-half Belmont proved to be too much for Chrome, who finished fourth to winner Tonalist.

And with that, the longest drought in Triple Crown history continues.

Since Affirmed's sweep 36 years ago, 13 horses now have gone to Belmont Park with the Derby and Preakness in hand only to falter somehow, some way. Real Quiet was nipped at the wire in 1998; War Emblem stumbled out of the gate in 2002; Smarty Jones faltered down the stretch in '04; and I'll Have Another was scratched with an injury the day before the race in '12.

Now add Chrome's fade down the stretch to the list.

Still, it was an impressive run for Chrome, especially considering the horse's backstory: a modest pedigree, blue-collar owners, 77-year-old trainer who'd never sniffed a Triple Crown start until now and jockey who was believed to be past his prime.

(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: belmont; californiachrome; secretariat; soreloser; tonalist; triplecrown
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To: discostu

I just view the screen where they give the odds, colors and horses names. They name them again as they get in the gate.


81 posted on 06/07/2014 5:26:59 PM PDT by morphing libertarian ( On to impeachment and removal (IRS, Taliban, Fast and furious, VA, Benghazi)!!!)
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To: freekitty

Upon his death, Secretariat’s heart was measured to be twice the size of a normal horses heart.


82 posted on 06/07/2014 5:33:42 PM PDT by shotgun
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To: Beowulf9; Vaquero; ponygirl; discostu; crusty old prospector
(1) Each race has its own standards. It is tougher to get into the Derby than either of the Stakes, but that is more of a counterargument to closing the field than otherwise.

(2) Since the Triple Crown existed it has been two weeks between the Preakness and the Derby and three weeks between the Preakness and the Belmont. That is sufficient time to rest between races for a healthy animal. Men, who are weaker animals than horses, win multiple grueling track events within days at the Olympics and other world class meets. Often one competitor's third event is another's first event. The "fresh competitors are cheating" argument is a pathetic argument for sore losers.

(3) The rules of Belmont were bent to allow CC's special breathe-right strip and he still lost. The horse simply was not good enough, period.

(4) If the essential elements of the race are altered - timing, distance, qualifying - then no future TC winner is comparable to the past. If they are changed to pacify a crybaby like Coburn, it would be a real shame: destroying a tradition to curry favor with a whiner.

83 posted on 06/07/2014 5:46:08 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: morphing libertarian
20 Things That Have Happened Since The Chicago Cubs Last Won The World Series.

It has been quite a while.

84 posted on 06/07/2014 5:48:38 PM PDT by Defiant (Let the Tea Party win, and we will declare peace on the American people and go home.)
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To: kingattax

Secretariat was one of the two best horses of the twentieth century. It’s interesting, however, to compare his times and performances to the other star of the century, Man O’ War, who raced without many of the advantages in training, veterinary care, and farriery the other Big Red had in modern times.

Don’t forget that Thoroughbred racing has gone on for more than 300 years. How do we compare a Secretariat to, say, Eclipse?


85 posted on 06/07/2014 5:49:15 PM PDT by ottbmare (the OTTB mare, now a proud Marine Mom)
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To: wideawake

Three weeks is more than enough time for a horse to recover from a hard race.

That is a ridiculous argument for him to have made. Chromie came in as fresh as the any of the others but the distance killed him as it has so many others.


86 posted on 06/07/2014 5:53:39 PM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: Defiant

Nice link


87 posted on 06/07/2014 5:55:51 PM PDT by morphing libertarian ( On to impeachment and removal (IRS, Taliban, Fast and furious, VA, Benghazi)!!!)
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To: kingattax

Wonder if he got “paid” anything for that tactical mistake. That was the conversation at my house. Lots of money bet on CC. Follow the $, always.


88 posted on 06/07/2014 5:57:07 PM PDT by gatorhead
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To: gatorhead

There’s always lots of money bet on the horse that won the first two. But the vast majority of it is “souvenir betting” (people place the bet to have the slip and intend to keep the slip if the horse wins rather than cash it in). Remember it’s para-mutual betting the payouts are structured specifically to make sure no matter who wins the house wins. Smart money was never on Chrome, he showed no ability to make the distance, the field was catching up to him at both previous races, he’d never won at Belmont before. For the people who paid attention this was one of the least anticipated “almost” Crowns ever because they all knew he really didn’t have a chance.


89 posted on 06/07/2014 6:01:33 PM PDT by discostu (Ladies and gentlemen watch Ruth!)
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To: DanielRedfoot

You summed up the whole situation perfectly. Costas continues his quest to enrage all sports fans.


90 posted on 06/07/2014 6:01:51 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

Hah! And the guy next to her trying to keep a straight face as he watched an idiot betray his true colors on national TV.


91 posted on 06/07/2014 6:03:05 PM PDT by wideawake
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To: wideawake
Coburn will publicly complain whenever he has an audience:

California Chrome's part-owner Steve Coburn takes shot at Churchill Downs

92 posted on 06/07/2014 6:41:44 PM PDT by NautiNurse (Obama sends U.S. Marines to pick up his dog & basketballs. Benghazi? Nope.)
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To: discostu

Gotcha. Thanks for the enlightenment. Don’t know much about high profile horse racing.


93 posted on 06/07/2014 6:50:57 PM PDT by gatorhead
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To: FreeReign

There where only three horses that all three races, Cali Chrome, Ride on Curlin. and General A Rod, as for the winner of this race the last time it ran a race and won was at this very track and that was on May 10th... So yeah the “sore loser” as some call him has a point it is cowardly to pick and choose your races only to be the spoiler...

If the NBA was like this and the Heat and the Spurs had to play 20 games in the playoffs and all of a sudden the NBA put in a fresh team and let them play all of the games at their home court playing the tired team and surprise the spurs or the Heat lose well all heck would break loose.....


94 posted on 06/07/2014 7:05:00 PM PDT by truegris (***The teleprompter is smarter then him***)
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To: morphing libertarian

The Sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home, it’s summer, the people are Gay.....

Not that there’s anything wrong with that


95 posted on 06/07/2014 7:13:29 PM PDT by DanielRedfoot (Creepy Ass Cracker)
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To: kingattax

It would have been nice for the industry to have another Triple Crown winner. However, in races such as these, the handicapper looks for gifts and a Castellano/Pletcher horse going off at 28-to-1 was a gimme.


96 posted on 06/07/2014 7:17:26 PM PDT by ConservativeStatement ("World Peace 1.20.09.")
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To: Beowulf9

And if that happens, we’ll end up with 3 horses at the Belmont and an easier win for the TC.


97 posted on 06/07/2014 7:18:16 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: truegris
There where only three horses that all three races, Cali Chrome, Ride on Curlin. and General A Rod, as for the winner of this race the last time it ran a race and won was at this very track and that was on May 10th... So yeah the “sore loser” as some call him has a point it is cowardly to pick and choose your races only to be the spoiler...

So then Tonalist chose to race on May 10th and California Chrome chose to race on May 17th

Why is that a problem?

98 posted on 06/07/2014 7:18:33 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: the OlLine Rebel
And if that happens, we’ll end up with 3 horses at the Belmont and an easier win for the TC.

Then nobody will care about the TC.

99 posted on 06/07/2014 7:19:33 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Ouchthatonehurt

Yup, gotta love it.

He said “I don’t care”.

He was right about Pimlico vs. Churchill, and it needed to be said. But even back then he was complaining about horses not exclusive to the crown events. That struck me as poor sportsmanship even then.


100 posted on 06/07/2014 7:20:49 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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