By Michael A. Riley
The Belmont Stakes: “The Test of the Champion.” An arduous 12-furlong journey around the track often referred to as “Big Sandy.” That is no relation to the super storm/hurricane that swept through the area just over seven months ago named Sandy. No, this racing oval is called “Big Sandy” because it is large, and the surface is comprised mostly of sand. It is deep. The circumference of the track is one and one-half miles, the largest of its kind in North America. It is unforgiving. Championships are won or lost on it.
Fourteen horses are set to take the stage on Saturday to determine who will have their name forever enshrined in a list that includes some of the greatest horses of all time. Icons such as Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Citation and Sir Barton all won Triple Crowns when they completed the three-race sweep by winning The Belmont. But many spoilers have derailed the attempts of the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness from having their names placed on that very list. Birdstone ran past Smarty Jones in the final furlongs in 2004 to the shock of the nation. In 1998, Victory Gallop caught Real Quiet in the last inch of the race in what some say is the most dramatic finish in the history of racing. And who could forget when the unheralded Coastal raced up the rail past the seeming invincible Spectacular Bid in 1979? The crowd went silent. I know that for a fact, because I was there in ’79. This year, we don’t have the drama of a potential Triple Crown winner, but it will be an exciting race nonetheless. The Test of Champions.
In my Preakness post, I hinted that Orb – winner of the Kentucky Derby- had no chance, barring a miracle, to win the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Firstly, I did not like the fact he was drawn inside along the rail. His trainer, Shug McGaughey, said as much, as it was the worst part of the track. While true, he also had a group of horses moving over toward him just after the start with more speed than he possesses, and they ultimately blocked him in when he needed every bit of running room to make his powerful, late run that scintillated the racing world when he won the Derby in style. Additionally, McGaughey rarely brings his horses back to a race a mere two weeks after such a demanding performance as Orb put into the Derby. No, he is patient, and justifiably so. Orb will go on the long list of Derby winners who were thought to have the talent, speed and class to win the three race series, but now running for that all-to-forgotten title of Derby-Belmont winner.
Oxbow shocked many three weeks ago in Baltimore when he led wire-to-wire under a textbook ride by Hall-Of-Fame jockey Gary Stevens. The moderate pace Stevens established allowed his horse to have enough energy nearing the wire to hold off the surge of the closers like Orb, which was not the case in the Derby two weeks earlier. The pace in the Derby was quick. Oxbow actually ran a huge race in Louisville and was fried in the final furlongs. That pace essentially helped a closer like Orb as the front-runners were cooked. Many people mistakenly believe that the Belmont Stakes in Belmont Park give every runner a chance to secure the position that the rider determines is the best. There can be no excuses (well, except if the horse is too slow).
Something to take note of is that we have a forecast for rain on Friday and Saturday. Some think the sloppy track in Louisville helped Orb to win the Kentucky Derby. I disagree. He was simply the best horse on that day. My selections for the race that will follow this post will take this into account, but here’s a hint: I don’t like Orb.
A crowd of around 80,000 New Yorkers and from around the world are expected to attend the race. The buzz before post time is like no other. The field of 14 (as of this writing) will assemble in the starting gate directly in front of the grandstand. When the last gate closes and they are ready for their journey into the history books, the building seems to shake. The bell rings! The latches are sprung! A roar emits from the crowd that is louder and more palpable than any sound you have heard. I get chills just thinking about it.
A champion will be covered with a blanket of white carnations as the winner of the 145th Belmont Stakes. I hope to see you there!
**For Michael’s predictions on today’s race, read Handicapping the 2013 Belmont Stakes.
