140th Belmont Stakes

So it comes down to this, if you're interested in horse racing only for the Triple Crown, as I am. Apparently Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown has a great chance to break the 30 year drought of Triple Crown winning horses. According to the odds, his closest rival, Casino Drive, has pulled out of the race today due to an injury.

One and a half miles is a great distance for a horse to run and fittingly, if he can win this will have a well deserved spot in Triple Crown racing history. Especially if he can win this race going away, as he did in the first two jewels.

I'm hoping Big Brown can win. What a great story that would be. Of course I'll update this post sometime after the race with the results.


140^th Belmont Stakes
at Belmont Park, NY
(1.5 miles, Post time sometime around 6:05 PM)

Post Horse ML Odds

1. Big Brown 2-5
2. Guadalcanal 50-1
3. Macho Again 20-1
4. Denis of Cork 12-1 ***Place***
5. Casino Drive 7-2 *withdrawn*
6. Da'Tara 30-1 ****WIN****
7. Tale of Ekati 20-1
8. Anak Nakal 30-1 **Show**
9. Ready's Echo 30-1 **Show**
10. Icabad Crane 20-1

Big Brown couldn't deliver the goods today, finishing last in the Belmont Stakes. Da'Tara was your winner by 5 1/4 lengths in a really anticlimactic race. Denis of Cork came in second and both Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo finished in a dead heat for third.

I actually like the fact that Big Brown finished last. Jockey Kent Desormeaux realized the horse didn't have it and rather than push, he eased up and just let Big Brown jog to the finish.

Now the questions that will linger will be if Big Brown's cracked hoof had something to do with his performance or not. According to this article, the answer is no.

Now we can effectively ignore horse racing until the first Saturday of May 2009, when we see which horse will try to snap the 31 year drought of Triple Crown winners.

PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images (top) and UPI (bottom).