Posted on 05/16/2015 2:55:40 PM PDT by ETL
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1./ |
American Pharoah | 3/C | L | Victor Espinoza | 126 | Bob Baffert | 4/5 |
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2./ |
Dortmund | 3/C | L | Martin Garcia | 126 | Bob Baffert | 7/2 |
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3./ |
Mr Z. | 3/C | L | Corey Nakatani | 126 | D. Wayne Lukas | 20/1 |
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4./ |
Danzig Moon | 3/C | L | Julien Leparoux | 126 | Mark Casse | 15/1 |
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5./ |
Tale of Verve | 3/C | L | Joel Rosario | 126 | Dallas Stewart | 30/1 |
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6./ |
Bodhisattva | 3/C | L | Trevor McCarthy | 126 | Jose Corrales | 20/1 |
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7./ |
Divining Rod | 3/C | L | Javier Castellano | 126 | Arnaud Delacour | 12/1 |
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8./ |
Firing Line | 3/C | L | Gary Stevens | 126 | Simon Callaghan | 4/1 |
Arrggahhh...Wish the 7 horse would have hung on for 2nd. I did have the 1-5 exacta though. Made about $70 on the day.
Yes, it's a new strategy in recent years. To purposely sit out one or both of the first two legs of the TC to focus on taking the Belmont. It's one of the main reasons it's especially hard to win the TC today.
There’s really nothing new about it the strategy. What’s really happened is that the east coast horse owners have no interest in the TC. They’re professionals, horses for them are investments, they run them for profit, and they have no need to join the circus that is the Derby, they tend to run at the Peter Pan instead (last weekend). Meanwhile there’s a bunch of west coast owners that THINK they want the TC but are unwilling to do what it takes to properly prepare their horses (no horse has ever won the TC that didn’t previously win at Belmont). They’ve taken over the Derby, making it an over crowded field none of the pros want to race at. And the basically nobody but the Derby winner cares about the Preakness anymore, so they win that one easily. Then lose to the pros at Belmont.
There of course hasn’t been a TC winner since Affirmed in 1978. Before that, Seattle Slew in ‘77, and the great Secretariat in ‘73. What a decade for racing! Not to leave out the sensational filly Ruffian, and incredible gelding Forego!
When I was a teen in the 70s I worked in the stables at Belmont, and was lucky enough to be around many of the superstar horses, jockeys and trainers of the time. Got to see Ruffian pass by our barn every morning on her way to work out. Went to Frank Whitely’s barn one day to ask to see her up close. After “interrogating” me for a few minutes, he took me to see her. I learned later that he had a great sense of humor and liked to fool around like that.
Not spoiler. Profit. They don’t really care about the TC, they care about making money. They aren’t interested in the glitz and glam like the owners that have taken over the Derby. Their horses are investments, they race them in a way to maximize profits, which means avoiding the idiocy that has become the Derby and go ahead and race at Belmont because it’s a big money race in their own area. It’s the difference between the part of the country where horse racing is a hobby and where it’s a business. The hobbyists have taken over the Derby and Preakness, the business men still run Belmont.
I’ve been to the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore a dozen times or more.
Never saw a Horse.
Too many people, huh?
Most of them there don’t give a rat’s you-know-what for racing. It’s a “spring break” like event for them. A lot of attention-seeking types, and other assorted morons, also.
It means “Enlightened Being” in Buddhism.
Apparently, enlightenment is not good for racehorses. He was last.
So here we are again. American Pharoah becomes the 35th horse to win the Derby and the Preakness. Congratulations.
Of the prior 34, only 11 have gone on to win the Belmont Stakes, the mile-and-a-half test of champions, and thus win the Triple Crown. American Pharoah will be the third horse in four years in this position. thirteen before him have tried since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown in 1978.
He ran an impressive race, won by 7 lengths, and has great long strides. But there will be a lot of fresh horses at Belmont Park waiting to take him down. California Chrome couldn’t manage it last year, with the same jockey.
Can Pharoah do it? We’ll see in three weeks.
Only went for the party in the in-field.
“American Pharaoh one amazing horse. Triple crown winner? I think we may have one.”
We’ve heard that one before...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3290609/posts?page=18#18
Whoops. Sorry. Hope I didn’t offend you. :)
No offense taken.
That was a long time ago.
I used to have a bumper sticker that said “Been to the Preakness *X times, and have never seen a horse”.
It’s a local joke.
I guess I missed that. Life circumstances, heh. Thank you.
How long must we wait for a new triple crown? When I was younger, we had 3 in just a few years. My kids have never seen one.
We must be due one soon.
Very insightful post. I just researched all the Preakness winners since 1999 that had a chance to win the Triple Crown and that finished the Belmont Stakes lost to horses at Belmont that did not run in the Preakness that year.
Summary:
1999 Charismatic 3rd to Lemon Drop Kid
2002 War Emblem 8th to Sarava
2003 Funny Cide 3rd to Empire Maker
2004 Smarty Jones 2nd to Birdstone
2014 California Chrome 4th to Tonalist
I’m guessing we should be looking at this type of horse to defeat American Pharoah at Belmont this year.
Two down, one more to go. Sloppy track, quite a horse. Since Affirmed, it’s been almost 40 years, the longest Triple Crown dry spell by more than a few, uh, lengths.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing
American Pharoah wins rain-soaked Preakness Stakes
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/the-turnstile/preakness-stakes-220633895.html
Preakness Stakes 2015 results: Full finishing order
http://www.sbnation.com/2015/5/16/8616075/2015-preakness-results-finishing-order
BTW, *this* is how a thoroughbred wins the Belmont Stakes:
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