In six days, the world will know whether or not there is a new Triple Crown Champion in the United States. It would be nice. The last Triple Crown winner was chestnut, Florida-bred Affirmed in 1978, which was 37 years ago. In those 37 years, there have been 13 colts who won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but could not win the one-and-a-half mile Belmont Stakes in New York. American Pharoah is the current champion-in-waiting, and I would positively love it, if he wins. He has the Hyperion breeding that I love very much. And Fred Hooper was a Florida breeder, who started combining the Hyperion lines - my love to you and Hoop Jr., sir.
It seems that there will be nine opponents facing American Pahroah in the Belmont - and he has raced against eight of them in either the Derby or the Preakness. The lone new horse next Saturday will be The Truth Or Else, whom American Pharaoh defeated earlier in the year. Of course, American Pharaoh is the betting favorite. Here are the names of the other contenders: Frosted, Tale of Verve, Carpe Diem, Frammento, Materiality, Madefromlucky, Keen Ice, Mubtaahij, and The Truth Or Else. Post positions will be drawn on Wednesday for the race on 6 June.
The other horses, who have achieved winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but not the Belmont (since 1978) are: 1979 - Spectacular Bid, 1981 - Pleasant Colony, 1987 - Alysheba, 1989 - Sunday Silence, 1997 - Silver Charm, 1998 - Real Quiet, 1999 - Charismatic, 2002 - War Emblem, 2003 - Funny Cide, 2004 - Smarty Jones, 2008 - Big Brown, 2012 - I'll Have Another (did not compete in the Belmont), and 2014 - California Chrome.
Speaking of California Chrome, his owners have him stabled at Royal Ascot, where he is scheduled to run in the Prince of Wales Stakes on 17 June. Jockey Frankie Dettori took Chrome out for a spin the other day, to see if he'd like to race him. I heaven't yet heard Frankie's decision.
Also, Zenyatta, the Queen of Racing, is back in foal. She has produced two colts and a filly, Cozmic One and Ziconic, and the ill-fated Z Princess, who died from a paddock accident at the age of one. She wasn't bred last year; but this year, she was bred back to War Front, who sired her last foal, the filly. According to the veterinarians, she is now 40 days pregnant. Hip, hip, hooray!
Besides the Belmont Stakes, the Epsom Derby is being run on 6 June, in England. Their Derby race is 12 furlongs, plus 30 feet (1.5 miles plus 30 feet) - or 30 feet further than the Belmont Stakes; and their colts carry 126 pounds. There are 17 colts that are currently registered for the run. Alphabetically, they are: Best of Times, Carbon Dating, Elm Park, Epicuris, Giovanni Canaletto, Gleneagles, Golden Horn, Great Glen, Hans Holbein, Jack Hobbs, Kilimanjaro, Moheet, Prince Gagarin, Rocky Rider, Rogue Runner, Storm the Stars, and Zawraq. At the moment, Golden Horn is the betting favorite.
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