BELMONTstakes Pharoah goes for the Crown Saturday at Belmont by ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@queenscourier.com/@robbpoz Having won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, American Pharoah already proved himself a champion thoroughbred; the only question left is whether he is a racing legend. It will be answered on Saturday, June 6, at Belmont Park, when American Pharoah goes to the post in the Belmont Stakes as the 14th horse since 1979 with a chance to sweep all three legs of the Triple Crown. American Pharoah comes to Belmont on a six-race winning streak and off a Preakness win in which he went wire-to-wire amid a torrential rainstorm. Standing between him and the Triple Crown is a trip around the daunting 12-furlong circuit of Belmont’s main track and seven challengers, each of whom did not race in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Pharoah’s jockey and trainer have been in this spot before: Victor Espinoza and Bob Baffert brought War Emblem to Belmont in 2012 with a chance at a Triple Crown, only to see the colt stumble badly out of the gate and finish eighth. Last year, Espinoza rode C a l i f o r n i a Chrome to a Triple Crown bid, but the colt finished fourth in the Belmont. Baffert came up short in two previous Triple Crown chances with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998 — the latter of which lost the Belmont by a nose. The seven horses looking to spoil American Pharoah’s Triple Crown quest include Frosted, Keen Ice, Materiality, Mubtaahij and Frammento, each of whom last raced in the Kentucky Derby; Tale of Verve, Preakness Stakes runner-up; and Madefromlucky, winner of the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont. As with any Triple Crown berth, a huge crowd is expected at Belmont Park on June 6. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) capped the maximum attendance at 90,000; last year’s Belmont Stakes drew over 100,000 but the cap aims to make patrons more comfortable and reduce overcrowding issues. Last year’s event also ended on a sour note offtrack due to problems with departing trains at the Belmont Park Long Island Rail Road station that left some patrons waiting hours after the final race to leave. The LIRR and NYRA spent $5 million to build two new concrete platforms and make other improvements to the station to better accommodate the thousands expected to travel to and from Belmont by rail Saturday. Additionally, the NYRA scheduled a post-race Goo Goo Dolls concert to ease the crowd’s departure and reduce train and road congestion. The $1.5 million Belmont Stakes highlights a championship 13-race card that includes nine other stakes races including the $1.25 million Metropolitan Mile for older horses, the $1 million Manhattan Stakes for older turf horses and the $1 million Ogden Phipps Handicap for older fillies and mares. The first post is 11:30 a.m.; NBC will carry the Belmont Stakes live with coverage beginning at 4 p.m. Belmont heartbreakers American Pharoah is the seventh horse in the 21st century to enter the Belmont Stakes with a chance to win the Triple Crown. Five of the hopefuls failed in their bids, while another never made it to the starting gate due to injury. Here’s a look back at the most recent spoiled Triple Crowns: War Emblem (2002): The first time trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza teamed up on a Triple Crown hopeful in the Belmont, it ended miserably. War Emblem went wire-to-wire to win the Kentucky Derby and repeated his success in the Preakness Stakes, but stumbled badly coming out of the Belmont gate before a record 102,000 crowd. Espinoza managed to stay on War Emblem, but the colt finished eighth behind the winner Sarava, a 70-1 longshot. Funny Cide (2003): One of racing’s best Cinderella stories, the New York-bred gelding upset a star-studded Kentucky Derby field, then romped by nine lengths in the Preakness Stakes for trainer Barclay Tagg and jockey Jose Santos. Tackling a sloppy racetrack in the Belmont Stakes, Funny Cide went to the lead early, but faded away as Empire Maker came on to get the lead and the victory. Smarty Jones (2004): With a record 120,000 reported in attendance, Smarty Jones seemed like a superhorse going into the Belmont Stakes, having won all his career starts and coming off a 12-length victory in the Preakness. Trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott, the colt went to the lead almost right out of the start, set swift fractions and turned for home in front. But Smarty ran out of gas 100 yards from the wire, giving way to the winner Birdstone. Big Brown (2008): After convincingly winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Big Brown seemed like a lock to win the Crown. Trained by Richard Dutrow and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Big Brown turned into a big disappointment on Belmont Stakes Day, losing a shoe coming out of the gate and eventually being eased with a hoof injury at the quarter-pole. Da Tara, a 37-1 longshot, won the Belmont Stakes wire-to-wire. I’ll Have Another (2012): Trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, I’ll Have Another made it to the winner’s circle on Belmont Stakes Day — but only for a retirement ceremony, as he was scratched the previous day due to a leg tendon injury. Union Rags won an otherwise anticlimatic Belmont Stakes before a crowd of over 80,000. California Chrome (2014): Purchased for just $17,000, the chestnut colt dominated the California prep races for trainer Art Sherman and jockey Victor Espinoza. Chrome then captured the nation’s attention in winning the Derby and Preakness. But like so many others before him, Chrome didn’t fire in the Belmont and wound up tied for fourth. After the race, one of Chrome’s co-owners, Steve Coburn, famously griped on national television about the winner, Tonalist, who did not run in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes. Photo via New York Racing Association American Pharoah, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Victor Espinoza. Photo courtesy New York Racing Association Tonalist hit the wire first in the 2014 Belmont Stakes, denying California Chrome the Triple Crown.
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