Belmont History: Woody's Ghost

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From followhorseracing.com: Refracted in the glow of history, it is one of sport's greatest achievements. From 1982 thru 1986 trainer Woody Stephens won an astounding five consecutive Belmont Stakes (G1). Conquistador Cielo began the Belmont run, followed by Caveat and then Swale, who collapsed and died outside his barn at Belmont Park one week later. In 1985, Creme Fraiche was the first gelding to win the 1 1/2-mile classic, and Danzig Connection completed the unprecedented streak.

Stephens trained five disparately different horses that won over the longest distance—a grueling 1 ½ miles—that the three-year olds would be asked to run in their careers. Toss in the luck of the draw and races over surfaces listed as sloppy, fast, fast, muddy and sloppy. Remarkably, only one of the five horses went off as the favorite.

It's a monster conquest for the ages.

In the days after Danzig's Connection's triumph, the New York Racing Association presented Stephens with a wristwatch to commemorate his one-man era. He loved the watch. He also loved to use it to needle trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a younger rival who was Stephens' match in swagger, competitive fire and ego.

http://www.followhorseracing.com/en/the-latest/news-stories/2012/5/31/belmont-history-woodys-ghost/




" The buildings get a lot taller once you cross the Hudson River."

— Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens, recollecting memories of taking horses to New York’s Belmont Park to pursue its intimidating Belmont Stakes.

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1. A Remarkable Life: Sir Barton

In the southwest corner of the foaling barn, colt No. 187-16 took the first shaky strides of a most remarkable life. He was chestnut; a large, irregular white blaze set off his face. Two hours past midnight at his birth, he looked like a fine one to John Madden, owner of Hamburg Farm in the Bluegrass.

Every racing fan knows the story: how No. 187-16, later named Sir Barton, grew up to become the first winner of the Triple Crown: the series that actually did not acquire its catchy name until sometime after Sir Barton’s winning races in the 1919 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.

Had Sir Barton not raced in Man o’ War’s shadow he might be recalled today as one of the truly great ones. Nonetheless he bears a distinction no other horse can claim, as the first winner of the Triple Crown. No more than 10 others have won this elusive series.

http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/a-remarkable-life.aspx

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3. Video of Sir Barton

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2. Colin -- 1908 Belmont hero

From brisnet.com: On the eve of Saturday's Belmont S. (G1), we honor the unbeaten Colin, who rose above a host of trying circumstances to maintain his perfect record in the 1908 edition of this oldest American classic. Often ranked in the highest echelon of our sport's heroes, in the rarified company of such legends as Man o' War and Citation, Colin overcame unsoundness, illness and man's poor judgment to retire with a perfect 15-for-15 mark. Nor did his travails end at stud, for he was neglected abroad and plagued by poor fertility at home, but he still found a way to exert a lingering influence. On the track as well as in the breeding shed, Colin defied the odds and escaped the laws of probability.

A true celebrity in his time, Colin was mobbed by enthusiastic fans and marveled at by horsemen and turf writers alike. He had "it," that "electrifying effect on racing men," as Abram Hewitt expressed it. "The blood surges, and the pulses quicken at the very sight of such Olympians on the track." Hewitt recalled that he had "listened to old-time horsemen talk about him with an other-world expression on their faces."

The brown (a few later sources say bay) colt with an elegant stripe on his face and three white socks hardly aroused that kind of reaction as a yearling -- quite the opposite, with his ugly, enlarged hock a cause for grave concern. In fact, his owner/breeder, Wall Street wizard James R. Keene, doubted that the colt would stand up to serious training. That early misgiving must have been profoundly disappointing, as the youngster was one of only 25 (some say 27) foals sired by the 1901 Belmont hero Commando, who died tragically after a few seasons at stud, eerily like his own brilliant but ill-fated sire, Domino. Moreover, Keene had bought the colt's dam, dual English stakes winner *Pastorella (Springfield), for the sales-topping sum of $10,000 at Marcus Daly's dispersal in 1901. Might Keene have feared that this deformity was the latest blow to Domino's star-crossed line?

Despite the inauspicious lump on his hock, the well bred Colin was given his chance in the early trials in company with the other Keene fledglings. He seized it with alacrity, flashing dazzling speed along with that indefinable touch of class. Trainer James Rowe Sr. was suitably impressed. The future Hall of Fame horseman had been a leading rider in the 1870s with two Belmonts on his resume as a jockey and, as a trainer, he would ultimately win eight more. He had already conditioned a host of champions, led by the once-beaten Sysonby. Very much a hands-on trainer, he was well known for lavishing personal attention on his horses, so much so that he literally traveled in the same railroad car with them.

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/static.cgi?page=historical_cameos_5

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4. The Fox of Belair - Gallant Fox

Last edited Fri Jun 8, 2012, 02:28 AM - Edit history (1)

from bloodhorse.com: Gallant Fox, magnificent son of Sir Gallahad III, property of William Woodward, proved his superiority and his rightful claim to championship of the 3-year-olds when, at Belmont Park, June 7, he added the famous Belmont Stakes to his Wood Memorial, Preakness Stakes, and Kentucky Derby victories. Ridden by Earl Sande, who has piloted him in all of his starts this season, Gallant Fox finished the one mile and one-half three lengths in front of H.P. Whitney's Whichone, his challeger. James Butler's Questionnaire was third, three lengths back of the Whitney colt and 20 lengths in front of Walter J. Salmon's Swinfield. The fractional time for the distance was :23 4-5, :37 2-5, :50 1-2, 1:03 3-5, 1:16, 1:28 3-5, 1:41, 1:54, 2:07, 2:31 3-5. The weather was rainy, but the track was considered good. The net value to the winner was $66,040, the greatest amount the event has ever been worth.

Excitement was high as the four were paraded to the post, and, although it was raining, many risked a drenching and crowded along the rail to see the starting. The Woodward colt had first position, Swinfield next, and then Whichone and Questionnaire. There was a false start, for which Gallant Fox was responsible, but Sande had him under entire control and returned him to the post without any trouble.

When the barrier went up Sande at once sent the son of Sir Gallahad III to the front and he led all the way. Questionnaire raced after him and then Swinfield. Workman had Whichone in last place. The Woodward colt had a lead of two lengths before the run to the backstretch had been completed, but he was galloping under restraint. After they turned out of the backstretch Workman made his move on Whichone, and he went along smoothly until he was in contention. Gallant Fox continued to gallop along like a piece of machinery, and when the Whitney colt seemed a possible menace, Sande urged his mount slightly and the colt moved away gamely, until at the end he was three lengths clear and racing along easily.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/9706/triple-crown-heroes-gallant-fox#ixzz1wkp58WSl

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5. Tabasco Cat kicks up the heat

Last edited Sat Aug 4, 2012, 08:49 PM - Edit history (1)

from latimes.com: With an eighth of a mile to go in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, Go For Gin and his jockey, Chris McCarron, appeared on their way to a repeat of their victory in the Kentucky Derby five weeks before.

McCarron, who had Go For Gin far off the fence, looked to his left to see who might be challenging from the inside. But the trouble wasn't to McCarron's left, it was on the outside where Tabasco Cat was getting a patient ride from Pat Day.

Later, McCarron watched tape of the 126th Belmont in the jockeys' quarters. When Tabasco Cat caught Go For Gin, McCarron shook his head and said: "He showed some terrific acceleration. My horse cut sharply at the quarter pole. I thought we were going to win it. Even when the other horse collared us, my horse never quit."

Day, who won his first Belmont with Easy Goer in 1989, didn't start whipping Tabasco Cat until they had passed Go For Gin. He hit him three times from the left side, then seven more times right-handed before they reached the wire. Tabasco Cat tends to loaf once he makes the lead.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-06-12/sports/sp-3293_1_tabasco-cat

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6. The top 3 winning trainers of the Belmont Stakes

James Rowe (8) http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horse-trainers-view.asp?varID=52
George Kinney (1883)
Panique (1884)
Commando (1901)
Delhi (1904)
Peter Pan (1907)
Colin (1908)
Sweep (1910)
Prince Eugene(1913)

Sam Hildreth (7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Hildreth
Jean Bereaud (1899)
Joe Madden (1909)
Friar Rock (1916)
Hourless (1917)
Grey Lag (1921)
Zev (1923)
Mad Play (1924)

"Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons (6) http://fitzbook.com/1966March13NYTimes.pdf
Gallant Fox (1930) Triple Crown Winner
Faireno (1932)
Omaha (1935) Triple Crown Winner
Granville (1936)
Johnstown (1939)
Nashua (1955)

Video of 1935 Triple Crown winner Omaha

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7. Triple Crown Newsreel: War Admiral, 1937

From paulickreport.com: It may have been his famous match-race loss to Seabiscuit that most people remember today, but War Admiral was one of the greatest U.S. racehorses in history. He won 21 of his 26 career starts and became the nation's fourth Triple Crown winner in 1937.

While the movie, Seabiscuit, portrayed War Admiral as this towering figure, the son of Man o' War was actually quite small - just over 15 hands. He was notoriously a bad actor in the starting gate, which nearly cost him his Triple Crown when he stumbled at the start of the Belmont and sliced off about a quarter-inch of his heel.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/triple-crown-newsreel-war-admiral-1937/

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8. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I wanted Smarty Jones to win..."

From onlineathens.com: Smarty Jones lost his Triple Crown bid and his perfect record when Birdstone ran him down near the finish of Saturday's thrilling Belmont Stakes, toppling his chance to end a record 26-year drought without a winner of thoroughbred racing's most coveted prize.

The little red chestnut was poised to become the 12th Triple Crown champion when he turned for home, but Birdstone came flying down the stretch and took the lead inside the 16th pole to win by a length.

That move dashed yet another Triple Crown hopeful's attempt to do what no horse has managed since Affirmed in 1978.

A record, raucous crowd of 120,139 filled Belmont Park hoping to see the popular 3-year-old Pennsylvania-bred run into history. Instead, this crowd, like many others, left disappointed and wondering when another Triple champion might grace this track.

http://onlineathens.com/stories/060604/spo_20040606099.shtml

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9. 1920 Belmont Stakes: Son of Fair Play establishes new American record

From the DRF online searchable archives: http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1920s;cc=drf1920s;rgn=headlines;idno=drf1920061301;didno=drf1920061301;view=pdf;seq=1;node=drf1920061301:1

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11. 1988 Belmont: "Your daddy jumped out of you today."

From sportsillustrated.cnn.com: It was nearly time for dinner last Saturday night at Belmont Park, and Risen Star, looking restless and ravenous, stood at the door of his stall waiting for room service to bring him his oats and sweet feed. Harold Joseph, his 34-year-old groom, knelt at the colt's front legs, pinning on the last of his protective bandages. Just three hours earlier this giant son of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat had crushed five other horses in the 1�-mile Belmont Stakes, winning by 14� lengths in the sensational time of 2:26[2/5]. What's more, he did it in the bold, swashbuckling style reminiscent of the old man himself when, 15 years ago. Secretariat won that Belmont by a record 31 lengths.

Joseph got to his feet and stepped back to admire his handiwork. "His daddy jumped out of him today!" said the groom. "He run the second fastest Belmont of all time. Second only to his daddy's 2:24 flat. Oooo! Man, I'm tellin' you! This colt told us all today: 'I'm the force to be reckoned with now. You've got to beat me.' "

Indeed, Risen Star is the best American 3-year-old to be seen at this time of year since Conquistador Cielo smashed the field in the 1982 Belmont Stakes. In Saturday's performance, Star, as his handlers like to call him, revealed himself not only as the top 3-year-old but also as one of the nation's most gifted racehorses of any age. They had not run even five eighths of a mile at Belmont when it became patently clear—in the easy, rolling drumbeat of his stride—that no other horse had the stuff to reckon with Risen Star over 12 furlongs.

In the end, Risen Star ran as he pleased and finished the race with a last, dramatic flourish, rushing home alone through a final quarter mile in a daunting 24[4/5] seconds, a fifth of a second faster than Secretariat's final Belmont split. The victory, coming three weeks after he had won the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after he had finished third in the Kentucky Derby, earned him a purse of $303,720 plus the $1 million bonus given to the horse with the best record in the Triple Crown races.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067449/1/index.htm

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12. 1941 - The Devil's Red and Blue

Whirlaway already had quite a following by the time his 3-year-old season got underway. Trained by the legendary father-son duo of Ben and Jimmy Jones, "Mr. Longtail" had scored victories in the 1940 Hopeful Stakes and Breeders' Futurity on his way to being named co-champion 2-year-old (along with Our Boots).

Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, Whirlaway was a high-strung, temperamental colt that often tested his trainer's patience. Ben Jones spent countless hours with Whirlaway, teaching him to relax and getting him used to a routine. Regardless of Jones often calling the colt a 'knucklehead', Whirlaway rewarded his trainer's patience and dedication by becoming racing's fifth Triple Crown winner in 1941.

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/triple-crown-newsreel-whirlaway-1941/

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13. 1943 - "When that leggy brown colt wants to run, he can just about fly."

From drf.com: He was the wartime Triple Crown winner. His career lasted barely one year to the day. He was brave beyond words, and, as far as Johnny Longden is concerned, Count Fleet was the best horse there ever was.

http://www.drf.com/news/triple-crown-winners-count-fleet

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14. 1946 - The Club-Footed Comet

From king-ranch.com: The story of ASSAULT, with the breeding of a champion in his bloodlines, is one that epitomizes the heart and courage of a great racehorse. By BOLD VENTURE and out of Igual, he became the greatest of King Ranch's major stakes winners, completing a racing career that brought eighteen victories and total earnings of $674,720. Health problems plagued him throughout his racing years. Not only did he suffer from kidney, splint bone, wrenched ankle, bad knee and bleeding problems; he overcame a major injury sustained as a foal, having stepped on what was believed to have been a surveyor's stake, which caused the foot to become infected and the damaged hoof to be cut almost entirely away. He wore a special shoe on that foot for the rest of his life and limped at a walk or a trot, but at a gallop he ran perfectly: hence the nickname "The Club-Footed Comet." It is incorrect to say that he was club-footed; when he was in a standing position, the misshapen foot showed no discernible defect.

http://www.king-ranch.com/horses.html

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15. The 1950's and 60's: Native Dancer, Tim Tam and Carry Back

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16. Belmont winning fillies

The first running of the Belmont Stakes in 1867 was won by the HOF filly Ruthless: http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horses-view.asp?varID=129


Ruthless

The filly Tanya won the 1905 edition: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B05E7DB173DE733A25756C2A9639C946497D6CF


Tanya

From bloodhorse.com: In spite of stumbling out of the gate, Rags to Riches won the battle of the sexes Saturday in the $1 million Belmont Stakes (gr. I), winning a furious stretch duel with Preakness Stakes (gr. I) (VIDEO) winner Curlin.

The pace of the 1 1/2-mile race was extremely slow but that did not distract from the drama of the final leg of the Triple Crown. Rags to Riches came on the outside out of the turn under John Velazquez, caught Curlin and Robby Albarado and proved best in a stirring stretch run.

Rags to Riches became only the third filly to win the Belmont and the first since 1905. She also gave trainer Todd Pletcher his first win in a Triple Crown race in his 29th try.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/39308/filly-power-rags-to-riches-makes-belmont-history#ixzz1ws6KR6Ev

Rags To Riches

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17. 1979 - Coastal?

From drf.com: Spectacular Bid should have lost the 1979 Florida Derby after a weird, wide trip, but he didn’t. He could have lost the 1980 Strub Stakes when Flying Paster ran the race of his life, but he didn’t. And if he’d made one mistake in the 1980 Haskell Handicap he would have lost to champion mare Glorious Song. But he didn’t.

It took a lot to beat Spectacular Bid. In a run of 26 races, from the end of his 2-year-old season to the fall at age 4, he lost just twice – by three-quarters of a length to the older Affirmed in the 1979 Jockey Club Cold Cup and in the 1979 Belmont Stakes, with the Triple Crown on the line.

Which is why it remains farfetched to this day to believe that the penetration of a safety pin into the frog of a hoof on the morning of the race may have compromised such a winning machine, as was suggested later by Spectacular Bid’s trainer, Bud Delp. Anyway, it was impossible to test Delp’s thesis, even in retrospect, since his 19-year-old jockey, Ronnie Franklin, insisted on sending Spectacular Bid running freely down the Belmont backstretch after longshot Gallant Best before fading to third behind victorious Coastal.

Depending on when you asked, Delp had a variety of answers for the defeat. In the immediate aftermath of the race, as reported by William Leggett in Sports Illustrated, Delp said, “Ronnie rode him good. . . . The horse just ran out of gas.”

http://www.drf.com/news/triple-crown-near-misses-spectacular-bid-1979

I will go to my grave believing that The Bid was the greatest horse that ever looked through a bridle. He overcame every bad decision Delp and Franklin made with him except in the Belmont. My eyes misted up watching this race again. That horse should have never been beaten.

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18. 1948 - Big Cy

From Unofficial Thoroughbred Hall of Fame: Citation's three-year-old debut came in a six furlong allowance race for three year olds and up at Hialeah. Also making his season debut was the previous year's Horse of the Year, Armed, whom Citation beat by a length. The two were also entered in the Seminole Handicap, and once again the younger horse prevailed. Citation's victories over Armed prompted Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons to utter the praise, "Up to this point Citation's done more than any horse I ever saw. And I saw Man o' War." Rarely did a three-year-old challenge, let alone defeat, older horses so early in the season.

After Citation's success in the Derby Trial Stakes, only four stables were brave enough to send out horses against the powerful Calumet entry. The only question seemed to be which set of red and blue silks would prevail. Rumors flew that Coaltown would beat Citation, but since the two colts were coupled, those beliefs were worthless at the betting windows. Win bets only were accepted at Churchill Downs when Citation met his stablemate in the Kentucky Derby. At the half mile, Coaltown led by six, but Citation, with Eddie Arcaro in the irons, moved past him with ease for a three and a half length victory.

The Big Cy was equally impressive in winning the Preakness Stakes, leading from wire to wire and cantering to a five and a half length score over Vulcan's Forge. The Big Cy's pre-Belmont Stakes workout consisted of an eleven length romp of triumph in the Jersey Stakes, which surprisingly failed to scare off the competition. The Bull Lea colt's stamina was questioned, and doubts persisted even as Citation led the field into Belmont's great homestretch. Then Citation made his move, and all hope of upset faded as he opened his lead to eight lengths, tying Count Fleet's stakes record of 2:28 1/5. Citation had easily swept the 1948 Triple Crown, his winning margins in the three races totaling seventeen lengths.

http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/citation.html

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19. 1915 - The Finn beats Pebbles

From DRF's online searchable archives: http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1910s;cc=drf1910s;rgn=full%20text;idno=drf1915060601;didno=drf1915060601;view=pdf;seq=1;node=drf1915060601%3A1

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20. 1972 - "On a clear day Riva Ridge ran forever..."

From the SI Vault: It is nearly a quarter of a century since Citation won the last Triple Crown. With every year that passes, people wonder if winning the Triple Crown is still possible. Well, it is according to Citation's trainer, Jimmy Jones. What one needs he says is 1) the best colt, 2) a sound one and 3) one that will run on any kind of track, come hell or high water. The water was what did Riva Ridge in.

After his seven-length victory in last week's Belmont Stakes, no one any longer could doubt that Mrs. Penny Tweedy's bay is by far the best of the classic colts. He had looked it in the Kentucky Derby, running away with that by more than three lengths, but then came the rains and the Preakness, and Riva slogged home fourth. If the track at Pimlico had only been dry, there is every likelihood that the colt would have outdistanced his rivals as he now has done in the other two Triple Crown events.

On the day of the Preakness, Lucien Laurin, Riva's trainer, steadfastly maintained that the sloppy surface would not bother his colt, and even after the result proved conclusively that it did, Laurin, in his disappointment and frustration, blamed his jockey, Ron Turcotte, for the dismal performance. As congenial as he is, Laurin occasionally talks too much after thinking too little, especially at times when one of his horses has lost. He was soon apologizing to Turcotte for the blast, and as a demonstration of faith in his fellow Canadian, Laurin put the jockey back on Riva in the Belmont. "If I really had meant what I said about Ron in my flare-up following the Preakness," the trainer explained, "do you think I would be riding him back in the big one?"

The Belmont was held before 54,634 people. Over 82,000 had crowded into the racetrack for the 1971 running, which featured the unsuccessful Canonero II. Though he obviously does not have the charisma of the Venezuelan horse, Riva Ridge has a more impressive record. He now has 11 victories in 15 lifetime starts and earnings exceeding $800,000. Curiously, the son of First Landing has never finished second or third; he either wins or finishes fourth or worse. But more significant, at least from Laurin's point of view prior to the Belmont, was that "once Riva Ridge has taken a clear lead in any race he has ever been in, he has never been beaten."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086211/index.htm

The great Riva Ridge was the horse that got me interested in horse racing. - tgs

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21. 2005 - Alex's Lemonade Stand

From NBC Sports: This ride was as smooth and impressive as his Preakness win was harrowing.

Scattering rivals with a stunning move on the far turn, Afleet Alex rolled to a seven-length victory in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, the last and longest of the Triple Crown legs.

Jockey Jeremy Rose turned him loose on the turn for home and Afleet Alex responded with locomotive-like power to blow away Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and nine helpless rivals.

“He’s a beast, he’s a freak of nature, he’s made out of steel,” Rose said. “He’s the best 3-year-old in the country.”

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/8184261//

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22. 1969 - Revenge Was Sweet for Arts And Letters

From the SI Vault: Arts and Letters took over from Dike after a mile (the time: 1:40 1/5), and the race was pretty much over. Turning into the stretch Dike was still second by a length and a half and two lengths ahead of the Prince. The enormous crowd, expecting more than it was about to receive in the way of a stretch duel, rose and yelled and kept yelling. Finally, rolling on the outside, Majestic Prince passed Dike, but there was no possibility that he ever would catch the leader. (Some horsemen thought the Prince was running choppy as he tried to bear out in the stretch; if so, it is an indication that something might have been bothering him.) Arts and Letters had covered the Derby's mile-and-a-quarter distance in 2:04 2/5, and now he was in exactly the position that Burch and Baeza wanted—a quarter of a mile to go, plenty of run still left in him and the opposition struggling to catch up but nearly four lengths behind. Baeza wasn't going to blow this—and he didn't. He waited until the eighth pole, icy cool and confident, as Hartack and the Prince drew to within three lengths. Then Baeza really dropped his mount down for one final effort. Arts and Letters reacted the way a classic racer should. He drew off to win easily in 2:28 4/5, more than two seconds slower than Gallant Man's track record set in the 1957 Belmont. The Prince was two lengths in front of Dike, while behind them came Distray, Rooney's Shield and Prime Fool.

And so, once more, there is no Triple Crown winner, which, depending on how one looks at such matters, may or may not be good for racing. Winning it is not going to be any easier in the future. When Sir Barton became the first of eight to accomplish the feat in 1919, he was one of but 2,128 foals of 1916. Citation was one of 5,819 foals of 1945. Majestic Prince, Arts and Letters and Dike were just three of 20,131 foals of 1966, and the number is increasing by approximately 1,000 every year.

http://sportsillustrated.ca/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082515/index.htm

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23. 1973 - 2:24 flat

From the SI Vault: It was the greatest performance by a racehorse in this century. As Secretariat thundered down the homestretch at Belmont Park to the roar of nearly 70,000 fans, he took on legendary stature. His long stride carried him to the finish by an ever-increasing margin in poetic rhythm. And when the wire was reached, the mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes won and the ninth Triple Crown in racing history earned, the closest competitor—if he can be so called—was 31 lengths to the rear. Sham, who had lost both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness to the wonder horse by the identical margin of 2� lengths, this time finished a rubber-legged last in the field of five, outdistanced by 45 lengths. And, as if consciously seeking to silence the critics who had persistently argued that any son of Bold Ruler was suspect at classic distances, particularly over 12 furlongs, Secretariat shattered Gallant Man's track record by two and three-fifths seconds, the equivalent of 13 lengths. Along the way he also smashed the record for a mile and a quarter.

The 105th Belmont Stakes will rank among sport's most spectacular performances, right up there with Joe Louis' one-round knockout of Max Schmeling and the Olympic feats of Jessie Owens, Jean-Claude Killy and Mark Spitz. Even in horse racing, where track records are a fairly common occurrence, an animal just does not go around beating an established mark by nearly three seconds. It would be as if Joe Namath threw 10 touchdown passes in a game or Jack Nicklaus shot a 55 in the Open.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1087463/1/index.htm

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24. 1977 - The only undefeated Triple Crown winner in the history of the American Turf

From the SI Vault: Though Slew has never been ballyhooed like Secretariat, 70,229 showed up to see him win the final leg of the Triple Crown on a dank, wind-whipped day, which was more than the 67,605 Secretariat drew to the same classic in 1973.

Slew smothered the Belmont field so completely, leading from start to finish, that his seven opponents looked as if they were running in place. Run Dusty Run challenged early in the backstretch but Slew just moved out a notch. A half-mile later Sanhedrin made a bid, but for naught. Slew drew away as he headed home. A few jumps before the winning post. Jockey Jean Cruguet, once a $20-a-month bartender in the French army, stood high in his stirrups and waved his whip to the crowd in jubilation. It was a bizarre gesture, one that will be recalled whenever people talk about horses or those who ride them.

Slew won by four lengths. His trainer, 37-year-old Billy Turner, called it "the easiest race of his career." Run Dusty Run was second and Sanhedrin finished 2� lengths back in third.

The track was listed as muddy, but Belmont's racing surface dries quickly in a wind like the one that blew on Saturday. By post time the going was wet-fast. Slew handled it with ease, taking an almost casual 2:29[3/5] to roll to his triumph.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135725/index.htm

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25. 1976 - "If it had been a mile and a half and two jumps we might have lost..."

From the SI Vault: Of the 11 horses entered in the Belmont on Thursday, only two—Charleston and Best Laid Plans—seemed to have enough early speed to run with Bold Forbes. On Friday Charleston went lame and was scratched. And on Saturday Best Laid Plans did not challenge until midway in the race and then fell back. Both were breaks for Bold Forbes.

The colt pounced out of the gate onto the lead as Cordero moved him wide, almost to the middle of the track. Bold Forbes stayed out there, losing distance with each stride, but not losing ground to his opposition. Barrera had hoped Cordero would cover the first half-mile in "around 47 seconds "Angel did exactly that. Laz watched the race and kept looking at the times flash on the infield tote board. He was pleased when Bold Forbes got the six furlongs in 1:11[1/5] and the mile in 1:36. "At the end of the mile," Barrera said, "I knew that we could put the beans on the fire."

Getting them to the table, however, was no easy matter. At the top of the stretch Bold Forbes had a six-length lead. Suddenly it shrank as McKenzie Bridge and Great Contractor rolled up from behind. "If it had been a mile and a half and two jumps we might have lost," Barrera said later. "But it is a mile and a half without two jumps.

"Now that the Triple Crown races are over, I can reveal a secret. We found Bold Forbes could not be rated if he was allowed to get near the rail. He needs to see other horses to stay relaxed. We were careful to keep him off the fence in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and it worked except at Pimlico. Sure, he loses ground that way, but he can be rated to some degree. It is a matter of how he was trained as a young horse.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091192/1/index.htm

[era veteran]

26. Great Post twogunsid

[twogunsid]

28. Thanks!

[twogunsid]

27. Women in the Belmont

Last edited Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:48 PM - Edit history (1)

Jockeys
Julie Crone, the all-time leading female jockey, became the first woman to win a Triple Crown race when she rode Colonial Affair to victory in the 125th running of the Belmont Stakes on June 5, 1993.

Krone is the only woman to ever ride in the Belmont. She rode four other Belmonts: Subordinated Debt was ninth in 1991; Colony Light was sixth in 1992; Star Standard was second in 1995; and South Salem was eased in 1996.



http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/womenjockeys.aspx

This year Rosie Napravnik is named to ride Five Sixteen making her only the 2nd woman to ride in the Belmont.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/horseracing/lynbrook-woman-to-ride-in-belmont-stakes-1.3761888

Trainers
Seven women have trained Belmont Stakes runners. Sarah Lundy sent Minstrel Star to an 11th-place finish in 1984. Patricia Johnson trained fourth-place Fast Account in 1985. Dianne Carpenter sent out Kingpost, who finished second to Risen Star, in 1988. Shelley Riley owned and trained Casual Lies, who finished fifth in 1992. Cynthia Reese saddled In Contention to a ninth-place finish in 1996. And, in 2002, two women were represented: Nancy Alberts owned and trained fourth-place Magic Weisner and Jennifer Leigh-Pedersen trained 11th place Artax Too.

http://www.belmont-stakes.info/womentrainers.php

[twogunsid]

29. 1978 - The Greatest Rivalry

From belmontstakes.com: Affirmed drew post three for the Belmont, Alydar post two. Cauthen’s instructions were to send Affirmed up from the start and position him inside, and all went as planned. A quarter mile into the race, Affirmed was loping along comfortably in front with Alydar back in third. The early pace was slow and Alydar’s veteran rider Jorge Velasquez went after Affirmed, bringing Alydar right alongside of him at the mile marker.

While the crowd had expected a duel, what they got was one of the greatest showdowns in racing history. The two horses matched strides from the mile pole to the top of the stretch – while Affirmed held on to a narrow advantage, Alydar kept coming, relentlessly pursuing his rival.

Because the horses were so close, Cauthen had to switch his whip from his right hand to his left and hit Affirmed on the left side. Many believe the switch may have given the colt the final encouragement he needed – Affirmed crossed the wire with a head in front of his rival.

In winning the Triple Crown, Affirmed set several records – it was the first time the Triple Crown had been won in consecutive years (Seattle Slew won it in 1977). The final time of 2:26 4/5 made it the third-fastest Belmont in history, despite the slow early going. When he started in the Belmont, Affirmed had won all six of his three-year-old starts so far – his only losses in 15 career outings to that point came as a two-year-old when he ran second to Alydar.

http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/affirmed.aspx

Link to the new Affirmed website: http://affirmedlegacy.com/

[twogunsid]

30. 1989 - The Last Great Rivalry: Easy Goer and Sunday Silence

From horseracegame.com: Though they had never met up until the Derby, it was with this race where the rivalry would begin. Passing the stands for the first time around, Sunday Silence had about a length on Easy Goer and it remained that way down the backstretch. Turning into the muddy Churchill stretch, Sunday Silence took the lead and kicked away from Easy Goer and just would not give in, winning the Derby by two lengths. It was clear that the Californian was better this day than the New Yorker. Some wondered if Easy Goer disliked the muddy surface, as he had won seven of eight races up to the Kentucky Derby except for a second place finish in the prior year’s Breeder’s Cup Juvenile, also run over a muddy Churchill Downs strip.

The Preakness, two weeks later, ended with a breathtaking stretch duel. In a race reminiscent of Alydar and Affirmed’s quarter-of-a mile head-to-head battle in the 1978 Belmont Stakes, these two great horses hooked up at the quarter pole and at that point the rest of the horses just became background scenery. They dueled head-to-head, neither one giving an inch for the entire stretch, with Sunday Silence prevailing by a nose at the wire.

The Belmont would be the race in which Easy Goer would gain his revenge. He had the advantage of having run very well over that track before. In fact, he was a perfect three-for-three in races at Belmont Park as a two-year-old. Approaching the quarter pole, Easy Goer seemed to be gliding over his favorite surface more easily than his arch-rival, took command and just drew away from Sunday Silence, who was just second best that day. He ran the Belmont in 2:26 flat, the second-fastest Belmont ever run.

They would meet one final time in the 1989 Breeder’s Cup Classic. Easy Goer broke slowly and fell far behind early as Sunday Silence stalked the pace in third. Turning for home, Easy Goer had a full 4-½ lengths to make up on his rival.

http://www.horseracegame.com/community/content/blogs/stretchrun/16-04-2011/triple-crown-flashback-sunday-silence-easy-goer-last-great-horse

[twogunsid]

31. 2008 - Big Brown eased

From nytimes.com: This was supposed to be the day a proud but tattered old sport was to be suspended in a state of pure beauty and awe. Big Brown, the undefeated colt who had crushed all comers, was supposed to run off with the Belmont Stakes and be anointed Saturday as the 12th Triple Crown champion and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

His trainer, Rick Dutrow, had said so. No, he had guaranteed it, saying last week that Big Brown’s victory here in the mile-and-a-half Test of the Champion, as the Belmont is known, was a “foregone conclusion.” It seemed his prophecy would come true Saturday morning when Casino Drive, the undefeated Japanese horse and Big Brown’s biggest competition, was scratched because of a bruise on his left hind foot.

So when Kent Desormeaux approached the final turn and asked Big Brown to engage those booster rockets that had slingshotted him to victory in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, a hot and sweaty crowd of 94,476 stood and roared, anticipating that he would swoosh past the grandstand and into immortality.

Instead, nothing happened. Big Brown spun his wheels, unable to make up a step on Da’ Tara, who had one victory in seven starts and was sent off as a seemingly impossible 38-to-1 long shot. In less than a mile, Big Brown was done, finished, through. Desormeaux eased him up, guided him outside and loped him the final half-mile home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/sports/othersports/08racing.html

[twogunsid]

32. African-Americans in the Belmont

Last edited Thu Jun 7, 2012, 11:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Belmontstakes.com: Hall of Famer Ed Brown became the first African-American jockey to win the Belmont Stakes in 1870 aboard Kingfisher. Following his riding career, Brown became a successful trainer and in 1877 he trained Kentucky Derby winner Baden Baden, who finished third in the 11th running of the Belmont Stakes that year. Born in Lexington, Ky. in 1850, Brown died of tuberculosis in Louisville on May 11, 1906.

The only African-American jockey to win the Belmont Stakes twice was Hall of Famer Willie Simms with Commanche (1893) and Henry of Navaree (1894). Simms is also known for introducing the “short” style of riding by leaning forward, crouched over the withers with his feet tucked into short stirrups. He is the only black rider to win all three Triple Crown events; he won the Kentucky Derby with Ben Brush (1896) and Plaudit (1898) and the Preakness with Sly Fox (1898). Simms’ record in the Belmont also included one second-place finish (Handspring in 1896), two thirds (Nanki Poo in 1895 and Octagon in 1897) and a fourth (Chaos in 1890).

http://www.belmontstakes.com/history/africanamericans.aspx


Willie Simms


Edward D. Brown
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horse-trainers-view.asp?varID=3

[twogunsid]

33. 1997 - Gold is better than Silver

From dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com: The 1997 Belmont Stakes provided new racing fans with something they had not been accustomed to: A Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner attempting to become just the 12th Triple Crown winner. This time, it was Bob Baffert trainee Silver Charm, who broke from post two under Gary Stevens against a field of six others, including rival Free House and Touch Gold, who may have won the Preakness three weeks before had he not stumbled out of the gate.

The race held to form from the break, as Touch Gold and Free House went for the lead, while Stevens kept Silver Charm close early, sitting second or third through the first six furlongs until jockey Chris McCarron took Touch Gold back up the backstretch and dropped him out of the lead. Turning for home, it looked as though Silver Charm had the race to himself, with Free House on the outside just making his move. That is, until McCarron sent Touch Gold wide on the far turn, prompting track announcer Tom Durkin to proclaim his return to contention with a rousing cry of "Touch Gold swings into action on the far outside!"

With one furlong to go, Stevens and Silver Charm had Free House, who eventually finished third, put away; but couldn't hold off McCarron and Touch Gold, who had enough left to pass the Derby and Preakness winner coming to the finish, eliciting another historic Durkin call. "And Touch Gold will deny him the crown by a heartbreaking half-length!"

http://dalydoseofhoops.blogspot.com/2009/06/look-back-1997-belmont-stakes.html

[twogunsid]

34. 1921 - Grey Lag

From nytimes.com: The prediction that the Rancocas Stable's Grey Lag would yet prove to be one of the best of the season's threeyear-olds was borne out at Belmont Park yesterday when this fine chestnut son of Star Shoot captured the fiftythird running of the historic Belmont Stakes at a mile and three furlongs ...

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FA0914F83D551A738DDDAB0994DE405B818EF1D3



Grey Lag's profile at the HOF website: http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/horses-view.asp?varID=85

[twogunsid]

35. 1987 - Lasix was centerpiece of controversy in Alysheba's Triple Crown bid

From thoroughbredtimes.com: In early June 1987, the name Alysheba was a nonstop sports-page headline. He had won the Kentucky Derby (G1) in dramatic fashion after being knocked to his knees midstretch, returned triumphant in the Preakness Stakes (G1), and was training boldly in quest of a Triple Crown sweep.

Alysheba was special on many levels. He possessed extraordinary talent, his pedigree was as royal as that of any king, and he was matinee idol-handsome ... an equine Clark Gable, if you will, who could take one's breath away at a glance.

But Alysheba was more than just a winning package of looks, talent, and lineage ... there was something else, something less tangible, that led the public to embrace him and sent his veteran trainer rolling out of bed extra early each morning just to be near him. To those who knew and loved Alysheba, he was Mr. Personality, a playful nipper, a screamer for mints and carrots, a quirky, sometimes goofy character who mugged for cameras, stared down impertinent reporters, and enjoyed (literally and comically) leaning his backside against the track's outer fence while observing the morning workouts like any other railbird. To fans he was that dynamic colt who pranced through post parades with the cadence of a high-level dressage horse, neck bowed to dramatic effect, performing to the crowd.

That spring, however, Alysheba was also the star of an unfolding drama, one as old as racing itself. It seems Alydar's son had won his two classics for owners Dorothy and Pam Scharbauer with more than just hay and oats in his system. Nothing sinister, mind you. Alysheba had been running on the diuretic Lasix (generically known as furosemide and now as Salix), a perfectly legal substance in Kentucky and Maryland used to control pulmonary hemorrhage. In March of 1987, he had undergone surgery to repair an entrapped epiglottis (ulcerated membrane) in his throat, after which he transformed quickly from a colt of questionable competitive desire to one of iron-clad spirit for battle. Whether this improvement was due to the surgery, the drug, neither, or both, could not be ascertained for certain, but what was known is that his journey to the Triple Crown had taken him into uncharted territory ... to New York, America's last major jurisdiction where race-day medication was verboten.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2012/06/06/lasix-was-centerpiece-of-controversy-in-alyshebas-triple-crown-bid.aspx

[twogunsid]

36. 1980's 90's and 2002 TC upsets

1981 Summing spoils Pleasant Colony's TC bid

1998 A stunning upset of Real Quiet by Victory Gallop

1999 The very talented Lemon Drop Kid wins the Belmont, ending Charismatic's valiant bid for the Triple Crown.

2002 War Emblem stumbles; Sarava surprises

For those who have followed this thread: I hope you have enjoyed it.

[twogunsid]

37. 2003 - “How can you be sad?”

From drf.com: The idea of a New York-bred horse winning New York’s most famous race was enough to keep the Belmont crowd lingering in anticipation through 10 solid hours of cool spring drizzle. Then Empire Maker came along to win the race, raining on the rest of the parade, while Funny Cide faded to third.

Still, it was Funny Cide who determined his own fate, and he ended up too keen for his own good. He had pulled hard in his work before the race and pulled hard in the race itself, despite the best efforts of Jose Santos to ration his speed. Upon their return for unsaddling, it was Funny Cide who got the cheers, Empire Maker the boos.

http://www.drf.com/news/triple-crown-near-misses-funny-cide-2003

I almost forgot that gutsy NYBred Gelding. - tgs

[twogunsid]

38. 2012 - Disappointment at Belmont; Alydar's Curse strikes again.

From drf.com: I’ll Have Another will scratch from Saturday’s Belmont Stakes due to developing tendonitis in his left foreleg, trainer Doug O’Neill said Friday.

“He’s got tendonitis in his left front tendon,” O’Neill said. “He’s not 100 percent and I ain’t taking any chances.”

O’Neill said that I’ll Have Another will be out for the remainder of the year and that his connections will huddle later in the year to decide whether to retire him or not.

O’Neill said that the I’ll Have Another will need three months “of doing absolutely nothing.”

http://www.drf.com/news/ill-have-another-scratch-belmont-stakes

[twogunsid]

40. Union Rags comes through on the rail....

All trainer Michael Matz wanted was a chance for Union Rags to show what kind of horse he is. Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park, the hard-luck colt got that chance and the result was a thrilling victory over Paynter in the 144th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes.

Coming off a troubled-trip seventh in the Kentucky Derby, Union Rags was brilliantly ridden by new jockey John Velazquez in the 1 ½-mile Belmont, which lost its marquee horse on Friday when Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another was retired with an injured tendon. In the Derby and Preakness winner's absence, the crowd of 85,811 -- the largest for a non-Triple Crown Belmont and the sixth-largest in Belmont Park history -- made Derby third-place finisher Dullahan the slight favorite in the "Test of the Champion," with Union Rags a close second choice, also at 5-2.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

39. Good stuff Sid, TY!

Bookmarked.

[bread_and_roses]

41. wonderful thread, tgs - thanks (n/t)

[twogunsid]

42. 2014 - Sour grapes leave a sour taste

[twogunsid]

43. Kick

[twogunsid]

44. 2015 Alydar's Curse broken....

[twogunsid]

45. 2018 - Baffert does it again with Justify....

....joins Seattle Slew as the only undefeated Triple Crown Champions. Promptly retired to the stud.