Belmont Stakes, Epsom Derby

I am still running on an adrenaline high, so I can only imagine how the Zayat family, Bob Baffert and his stable, and Victor Espinoza's family feel.  What a fantastic 6 June!  A new Triple Crown winner after 37 years of trying...  I remember, after the many years of drought, when Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973 - the previous Triple Crown winner was in 1948, 8 years before I was born.  Then Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown, and then Affirmed defeated Alydar in all three race to win in 1978.  I remember people saying that the Triple Crown was "too easy" to win.  Before yesterday, people were saying the Triple Crown was too hard to win, and were talking about trying to change the races and the set-ups to make it easier to win all three races.  I think that is stupid.  These races have a good, long history (for America) and changing the races, the timing, the distances, would definitely take away the mystique and stamina that these twelve champions have shown - it would cheapen the Triple Crown title.
   The 236th Epsom Derby was run yesterday in England.  There were twelve colts entered in the race - they ran 1.5 miles, plus 30 feet, on a grass course.  Golden Hind won easily, at betting odds of 13 to 8.  He ran the course in 2 minutes 32 .32 seconds - and defeated stablemate Jack Hobbs.  Storm the Stars was third, and Giovanni Canaletto ran fourth.  Golden Hind was supplemented to the Derby, at an entrance fee of 75,000 pounds.  He has never lost a race, and jockey Frankie Dettori and he seemed to work extremely well together.  Maybe we'll see this combination in the two other English Triple Crown races....
   American Pharoah, a three year old bay colt, bred in Kentucky; sired by Pioneerof the Nile, and out of  the mare Littleprincessemma.  I have tried to not like this colt.  He is a slightly darker bay than my TB/AQHA colt was, and they shared the same bloodlines.  Pharoah has the same calm, quiet demeanor as Court Jester did - but, then, of course, Pharoah wears earplugs when he leaves the barn to keep the crowd noise from disturbing him...  CJ was just downright inquisitive and wanted to be the center of attention.  Both he, and his sire, would grab their halters and blankets and toss them at people, begging for love and attention.  Spoiled? Yes.  Great athletes?  Both were.  Looking at American Pharoah is like looking at a muscular Court Jester for me.   It makes me love him to pieces.
   American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes yesterday, covering the 1.5 miles on the dirt track (known as Big Sandy) in 2 minutes 26.65 seconds.  He won pulling away, under a hand ride by jockey Victor Espinoza.  The winning margin was 5 1/2 lengths.  Frosted ran second, 2 lengths ahead of Keen Ice, who crossed the finish line a neck in front of Mubtaahij.  The last half of the field, in order of finish, were Frammento, Madefromlucky, Tale of Verve, and Materiality.   American Pharoah's time for the race was 1/5 second faster than Affirmed's winning time in in 1978.  With a small field, and with Pharoah the betting favorite, the returns on $2 bets were small - $3.50  to win for Pharoah; $3.50 to place for Frosted; $4.60 to show for Keen Ice.  The perfecta paid $13.60, the trifecta paid $109.50, and the superfecta paid $570.00
   In regards to the time the race took to run:  Secretariat still holds the track record and stakes record for 1.5 miles.  Secretariat's time was 2 minutes 24 seconds flat (1973).  Easy Goer, in 1989, has the second fastest Belmont time, with 2 minutes 16 seconds flat.  A. P. Indy is in third place with 2 minutes 26.13 seconds.  Risen Star won in 2 minutes 26.4 seconds.  Gallant Man places fifth on the list, with 2 minutes 26.6 seconds.  Then come yesterday's performance by American Pharoah - he ran the sixth fastest Belmont in 2 minutes 26.65 seconds.  And please note that the first and sixth horses on this list are the only two Triple Crown winners....
   Has American Pharoah lived up to all the media hyperbole surrounding him?  I say, "Yes!"

Will American Pharoah Win the Belmont Stakes?

Personally, I hope that American Pharoah will prevail over the seven other contestants.  Why?  Because American thoroughbred racing needs a boost, which it would get, if American Pharoah can win the Triple Crown Championship.  Plus, I really like this colt's breeding. and I like his connections - his owners, trainer, and jockey.  He is also a very good-looking colt - nice, calm eye, good head, great confirmation - and, apparently, he loves to run and win.  I try not to like the betting favorite in any of the Triple Crown races - the last horse I was completely crazy over was Sunday Silence in 1989 - he won the Derby and the Preakness, battling Easy Goer, but Easy Goer won the Belmont.  (Then, again, I was present when Sunday Silence defeated Easy Goer in the Breeders Cup Classic that same year....  Talk about a thrill!)
   Some horses have certain affinities to certain tracks and certain states - Easy Goer never won a race outside of New York state.  American Pharoah has won on tracks in California, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Maryland.  But the Belmont track is huge.  One circuit covers the mile and a half length of the Belmont Stakes race.  Will American Pharoah like the footing?  Will the air and humidity affect him?  His buddy, Smokey (the AQHA registered This Whiz Shines, a horse bred for reining), travels with him, and NBC commentator Donna Brothers usually rides Smokey in her interviews with jockeys after the Triple Crown races.
   The length of the race is the biggest test, as well as staying out of racing trouble.  I want American Pharoah to win.  But none of these colts has raced further than 1.25 miles - that extra quarter mile will be the telling factor.  American Pharoah's pedigree says he should be able to run that distance; so does Frammento's and Frosted's pedigrees.  And Frammento and Frosted like to run at Belmont Park.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens - and, as always, I'll pray that there are no injuries to horses or riders.
    The Epsom Derby is also being run today, across the pond.  Their post time is 4:30 GMT today, which means 10:30 MDT.  I'll be eagerly awaiting the results from Epsom Downs - will Golden Horn remain undefeated?  That would mean Frankie Dettori will win another Derby.   There are twelve horses running in today's Derby....  Again, it's up to racing luck.

The Ponies, Belmont Coverage, Epsom Derby

The Chincoteague High School Ponies baseball team did something great this year - they played their entire schedule and were undefeated.  They were named the Region 41 Baseball Champions.  Yesterday, the team started in the Play-Offs - and they defeated the Middlesex Chargers by a score of 8 to 4 in the East Regional Division.  Way to go, young men!!  I'll definitely be yelling, "Go Ponies!"
   NBC has announced their coverage of the Belmont Stakes weekend.  On Friday, the NBC Sports Network will have a program beginning  at 3:30 EDT - I'm not sure if there will be live racing coverage from Belmont Park, or if it will be looking at (a) previous Triple Crown winners or (b) the 13 colts that have won both the Derby and the Preakness, but not the Belmont, since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown  in 1978.  There are two interesting stakes race at Belmont on Friday - the New York Stakes, for fillies and mares age 4 and up, which is 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf track; and the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes being run for horses four and up, covering 2 miles on the turf.  The girls' race has 8 entries, while the 2 mile race has 11 contestants.
    On Saturday, there will be 10 graded stakes races at Belmont, including the Belmont Stakes.  There are two Invitational races, plus the Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a one mile distance - the female portion of the Triple Crown races.  NBC Sports Network will begin coverage at 2:30 EDT; then NBC will take over coverage from 4:30 until 7 p.m. (EDT); with NBC Sports Network providing another 30 minutes of coverage after the race, from 7 until 7:30.  All of the other stakes races look intriguing…  I just hope for zero injuries.
   The draw for Belmont post positions will take place today.  I'll write about them tomorrow, but it looks like a ten horse field.  American Pharoah is the betting favorite, and, if he wins the Belmont on Saturday, will be the 12th Triple Crown winner in America.
   At 4:30 p.m., Greenwich Mean Time, the Epsom Derby will be run in England.  There are 15 entries, and the last betting odds I saw ran from 3 to 2, to 250 to 1….  Wow.   Here are the runners, listed alphabetically, with their odds behind their names:  Best of Times 66 to 1; Carbon Dating  250 to 1; Elm Park  7 to 1; Epicuris  25 to 1; Giovanni Canaletto  7 to 1; Golden Horn  3 to 2; Hans Holbein  12 to 1; Jack Hobbs  11 to 2; Killimanjaro  20 to 1; Moheet  40 to 1;  Rocky Rider  100 to 1;  Rogue Runner  100 to 1; Storm the Stars  25 to 1;  Success Days  16 to 1; and Zawraq  6 to 1.
    Happy betting!

Horses - Thoroughbreds in Particular

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.

Belmont Stakes, Epsom Derby

It's a wet, soggy three-day weekend and I'm at home.  This is the first time in 5 years that I haven't been house-sitting on this weekend; seems strange.  But that's OK - I have plenty to do to get ready to move.  This is also the weekend of the Boulder Creek Festival, and Monday will see the running of the Bolder Boulder 10 K race, right in front of my apartment building.  Brother-in-law Jim is supposed to be running this year, but between the weather and Kathy's illness, I don't know if he'll actually participate or not.
   It's now two weeks to the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown horse races.  This race is run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, over a dirt track with all of the three-year-old entrants carrying 126 pounds for a mile and a half.  For the majority of these horses, this will be the longest race they will ever run in their entire life.  Originally, horse racing consisted of races that were between four and six miles long.  There were so many entrants (as horses didn't begin to race until they were 4 or 5 years old) that the races were run in heats, and the horse that was declared the winner of the race ended up running that distance two or three times in one day.  It was a matter of stamina over the long haul.  Today's horses are bred for their quickness at much shorter distances.  Ah, for the "good old days" of 350 years ago....
  American Pharoah is back at Churchill Downs, and is training there for the Belmont Stakes.   It looks like Frosted will be joining him in the starting gate, as well as previous contestants Carpe Diem, Tale of Verve, Frammento, Keen Ice, Madefromlucky, Materiality, and Mubtaahij. Two new runners look to be Conquest Curlinate and War Story.  I will be very happy if we can celebrate a twelfth Triple Crown Champion this year.  And - if you're interested in the breeding of American Pharoah, check out this article in The Blood Horse, "Hail Hooper, Hyperion":   http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/91940/hail-hooper-hyperion
   At Belmont, it seems that Ziconic, Zenyatta's second foal, has a liking for the flashy Spanish Walk that was his mother's trademark:

And in England, the Epsom Derby will be run on 6 June at Epsom Downs.  There are currently 16 horses entered,, and the early betting favorite, Golden Horn, will have to be a supplemental entry at a cost of 75,000 pounds, if he is to participate.  Another possible supplemental entry could be the filly Found.  These 16 colts, in no particular order, are currently pre-entered: (1) Moheet, (2) Carbon Dating, (3) Best of Times, (4) Storm the Stars, (5) Pour Moi, (6) Epicuris, (7) Prince Gagarin, (8) Great Glen, (9) Elm Park, (10) Giovanni Canaletto, (11) Rogue Runner, (12) Zawraq, (13) Gleneagles, (14) Hans Holbein, (15) Kilimanjaro, and (16) Jack Hobbs.  The Epsom Derby covers 12 furlongs plus 10 yards, or 1.5 miles and 10 yards, The colts are all assigned 9 stone, or 126 pounds.

A Quiet Sunday

In yesterday's Epsom Derby, the favorite, Australia won over the mile-and-a-half course; Tonalist won the Belmont, and the betting favorite California Chrome finished in a dead heat (with Wicked Strong) for fourth place. I was interested by Ride On Curlin, who had finished second in the Derby, but finished last in the Belmont, some 87 lengths behind the winner.  Ride On Curlin bled during the race, and was eased in the stretch.  And it seems that California Chrome "grabbed" his right fore coming out of the starting gate.  Grabbed means that his hind foot over-stepped his front foot, and the sharp edged racing shoe cut into the heel of his front hoof.  But, according to Victor Espinoza, Chrome's jockey, he (the horse) just wasn't his usual self when they broke from the gate - and he had nothing left for the last 5/8 of the race...  That's one of the main reasons that Triple Crown champions are so difficult to breed.
    Anyway, I just decided to put up some photos, and shut my mouth:

Asian Trangopan

St. Magdalena, Italy under the Dolomites

Evelyn, my grand-niece at the Butterfly Pavilion

Lenticular clouds over the Sandwich Islands

Black squirrel

200 year old Swedish hutch

Two Doughnut Shop Visits

My sister, niece, and grandniece leave for Rapid City, South Dakota this morning - they're driving up to collect Jim and bring him home, as well as making a quick visit to see Kent, Jim's brother.  Kent is still recovering from his second brain tumor surgery at the Mayo Clinic - he traveled home in a stretcher in an ambulance, and Jim drove the family behind the carrier.  This is certainly taking a toll on the Snow family, and I feel for all of them.
   In any event, that means that I'm staying with Rosie, but am taking care of Boo, also.  Once I leave my kits this morning, I'll pick Boo up and take her to Rosie's for the rest of the weekend.  Lovey and Nedi are running in and out this morning - I've been returning home early in the morning, and letting the kits go out and play well before our neighbors' normal rising hours.  We've been having afternoon and evening thunderstorms each night, and have had plenty of tornadoes in the state, but none near us.
   The big sports question today is whether California Chrome will become the twelfth Triple Crown champion in America.  I hope that he will, but the odds are against it.  He faces ten rivals, and each trainer will give their jockey individual riding instructions.  Luckily, Belmont Park has that huge one-and-a-half-mile oval, so there won't be a bumpy sprint for the lead before the first turn, as there would be at either Churchill Downs or Pimlico.  But California Chrome is breaking from the second spot in the gate, and might be crowded toward the inside.  Then, too, this is the first, and probably only time these horses will race at this distance - American horses are bred more for speed than for stamina.  The jockeys' experience will play a large role in the race - and the horses' own breeding and training.
  And, with today's running of the Belmont Stakes, England will be watching their Epsom Derby, run at a mile-and-a-half on turf, at Epsom Downs.  There are 16 horses entered in the Derby, and the early betting favorite is a colt named Australia.
   Yesterday was National Doughnut Day.  After doing some shopping with my friend Beatrice, she suggested we stop at a doughnut shop she adores - Lamarr's.  I'd never heard of, or eaten at, a Lamarr's before, so I said OK...  We stepped into the store at 2:19 in the afternoon.  There was only one person visible behind the counter, and there were no doughnuts or food-stuffs visible.  A group of four had stepped into the shop ahead of us, two adults and two children - and I was amazed (actually, appalled) by the way the woman snarled at the people in front of us and pretty much threw a bag of doughnuts at them.  As we stepped up to the counter, the lady (?) looked at us and said, "How many of ya?"  Before we could say anything in response, such as, "We'd like to buy a dozen doughnuts," she grabbed two things that looked like apple fritters and threw them in a bag, which she tossed over the counter at us.  Be said, "We'd like to buy..." and the woman cut her off, saying, "Can't you see I'm out of everything?"  And then she started muttering about "National Doughnut Day" under her breath... She followed us to the front door and locked it behind us.  (The shop hours were posted as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.)  Needless to say, I was reeling from my huge dose of customer appreciation at Lamarr's.  We drove back to Boulder, and I parked at Dunkin' Doughnuts...  It was like walking into a stirred up anthill - but, even though were were a lot of customers in line at the counter, and lots of folks arriving and departing at the "Pick Up" counter, the 6 ladies working behind the counter were smiling and laughing, and were extremely courteous.  The shift leader's name was Sarah, and I complimented her on her service and smiles, even though it was so incredibly busy.  She was very happy with our comments....

Miscellany

Greg and Carolyn Remling (with Odie) appear at Piper Pride Day at the Humane Society's new shelter, All for  Paws Boutique at the Indian River Mall, Vero Beach, Florida.  The Remlings and Piper Aircraft, Inc. are huge supporters of the Humane Society; Greg is holding a new pamphlet, Economic Hardship Affects Pets, Too.

 

Camelot winning the 2012 Epsom Derby

 

Tim Tebow's muscular back (wearing Jockey, of course)