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Another chance at history, another horse who seemed worthy, a few story lines (both good and bad) to accompany the tale and here we are again. And now on Sunday afternoon, here we are again, indeed. The Triple Crown goes unclaimed, the nation exits our stadium until next time, while the rest of us, the diehards, remain seated for the next pitch.
To the general population, this is like loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, down by three runs with a full count – and you strike out. It’s like driving the entire length of the field, making miraculous catches and effective jukes, only to miss the field goal. It’s missing the free throw or lipping-out the tap-in putt. No matter how you slice it – it stinks.
As I write this, there are horses entering the track in Chicago, a field is in the paddock in Kentucky while our first race replay finishes-up. My favorite saying in life so appropriately applies, “Life is a continuous series of post times.” Yes, racing will survive, racing does go on, we will live to see another shot at history, there will be another superstar.
Mixed emotions are the theme this Sunday afternoon. Decompression is in order, the anti-climatic atmosphere is paralyzing.
When they left the gate for the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes, all looked okay. Big Brown broke well, he was in stride, into the bit and doing his usual gallop towards the leaders. And then suddenly, in a move which should have landed the #1 spot in Sportscenter’s Top 10 Play of the Day, Alan Garcia moved Da’ Tara to the lead and the rail. Desormeaux reacted and tried to move outside, but there sat Tale of Ekati, an effective placement by jockey Eibar Coa. Sorry Kent, this is horse racing, and they’re here to win too.
Big Brown’s customary style is to sit outside, letting his long and fluid stride find a rhythm. He would sit with the cruise control on until it was time to press the gas. When Desourmeaux pressed the gas, the response is usually instant. But not in this Belmont, not today.
Blaming the result on the jockey is a convenient and habitual response too often utilized by horseplayers and racing fans alike. If Desourmeaux instead put his horse into the race sooner, we’d be talking about how he burned-up a Triple Crown chance against a hopeless 38-1 speedball.
Simply put, it was not their day.
Perhaps it was the quarter crack, the fresher competition, the third race in six weeks or the distance. Maybe it was the heat, the track or the weight of the world. Whatever the reason, it was not meant to be.
The lack of a Triple Crown winner is often chalked-up to just how difficult the task is, which is accurate. However, when you take a 30,000 foot look at horse racing, one could muster-up a few other opinions. From 1941 to 1978, a span of 37 years, there were seven winners of the Triple Crown. In our current trend, of just 30 years, there have been none.
Racing is changing, for better or for worse. The debate is raged by columnists and turf writers daily. Big Brown joins the list of almosts, could have beens and what ifs, while racing continues on its merry way. The more than 94,000 fans at Belmont Park prove there is a spark and racing’s match needs to find it.
We cannot just stumble onto it by way of the Triple Crown. If anything it proves that finding it is even more elusive than finding our next Secretariat or Affirmed. Unfortunately, Big Brown was not it.
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To the general population, this is like loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, down by three runs with a full count – and you strike out. It’s like driving the entire length of the field, making miraculous catches and effective jukes, only to miss the field goal. It’s missing the free throw or lipping-out the tap-in putt. No matter how you slice it – it stinks.
As I write this, there are horses entering the track in Chicago, a field is in the paddock in Kentucky while our first race replay finishes-up. My favorite saying in life so appropriately applies, “Life is a continuous series of post times.” Yes, racing will survive, racing does go on, we will live to see another shot at history, there will be another superstar.
Mixed emotions are the theme this Sunday afternoon. Decompression is in order, the anti-climatic atmosphere is paralyzing.
When they left the gate for the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes, all looked okay. Big Brown broke well, he was in stride, into the bit and doing his usual gallop towards the leaders. And then suddenly, in a move which should have landed the #1 spot in Sportscenter’s Top 10 Play of the Day, Alan Garcia moved Da’ Tara to the lead and the rail. Desormeaux reacted and tried to move outside, but there sat Tale of Ekati, an effective placement by jockey Eibar Coa. Sorry Kent, this is horse racing, and they’re here to win too.
Big Brown’s customary style is to sit outside, letting his long and fluid stride find a rhythm. He would sit with the cruise control on until it was time to press the gas. When Desourmeaux pressed the gas, the response is usually instant. But not in this Belmont, not today.
Blaming the result on the jockey is a convenient and habitual response too often utilized by horseplayers and racing fans alike. If Desourmeaux instead put his horse into the race sooner, we’d be talking about how he burned-up a Triple Crown chance against a hopeless 38-1 speedball.
Simply put, it was not their day.
Perhaps it was the quarter crack, the fresher competition, the third race in six weeks or the distance. Maybe it was the heat, the track or the weight of the world. Whatever the reason, it was not meant to be.
The lack of a Triple Crown winner is often chalked-up to just how difficult the task is, which is accurate. However, when you take a 30,000 foot look at horse racing, one could muster-up a few other opinions. From 1941 to 1978, a span of 37 years, there were seven winners of the Triple Crown. In our current trend, of just 30 years, there have been none.
Racing is changing, for better or for worse. The debate is raged by columnists and turf writers daily. Big Brown joins the list of almosts, could have beens and what ifs, while racing continues on its merry way. The more than 94,000 fans at Belmont Park prove there is a spark and racing’s match needs to find it.
We cannot just stumble onto it by way of the Triple Crown. If anything it proves that finding it is even more elusive than finding our next Secretariat or Affirmed. Unfortunately, Big Brown was not it.
Discuss
Add this link to...
Tell a friend
Bury
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