Last Saturday (yes I know I’m pretty late on this one) the Belmont Stakes was run without the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, I’ll Have Another. The horse was withdrwan from the Belmont the day before it was run, because of swelling in his left front tendon, which was the beginning of tendonitis. What a shame for I’ll Have Another, his owner, trainer, jockey, and the rest of the horse racing world.
Not since Affirmed in 1978, has a horse won the Triple Crown in horse racing. Ironically, Affirmed barely defeated Alydar in all 3 races, as I’ll Have Another did with Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. It looked as if the similar scenario was playing out, until both Bodemeister and I’ll Have Another were withdrawn from the race.
Union Rags won the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes in an exciting race, just overtaking Paynter along the rail. All 3 races were great races, but a Triple Crown winner would have been better to draw more interest to the sport. Now for the 34th consecutive year, there was no horse to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
The crowd size and television ratings were up for a non-Triple Crown Belmont Stakes, but it did look like a Triple Crown race until last Friday. How many people bought their tickets and made reservations, when they thought they might be seeing a Triple Crown winner, long before the withdrawal of I’ll Have Another? Tens of thousands I’m sure. So while an increase in the crowd and the ratings is encouraging, it is also misleading, comparing them to other non-Triple Crown Belmont Stakes. Maybe next year we will finally have another Triple Crown winner in horse racing…
