Monday, June 9, 2008

D'oh!!!

And yet again, our Triple Crown dreams have been dashed! Just like Funnycide and Smarty Jones before him, Big Brown didn't pull through, thus losing the Belmont Stakes and sending the Triple Crown trophy back under lock and key. It's been 30 years since Affirmed won all three races, and now we'll have to wait another year, and perhaps a lifetime, until another horse does.

Beat by the long-shot, Da' Tara, Big Brown just didn't seem like he was in the mood for racing...I'm sure his trainer and owners were thrilled about his lack of interest in getting it done on race day. Big Brown's jockey pulled him out toward the end of the race, since the horse wasn't responding. Considering Eight Belle's fall and death earlier this spring at the Kentucky Derby, I suppose it was wise to not push him too hard. Needless to say, we were a stunned audience, as the first Triple Crown hopeful in history finished last. As far as we've heard, there's been no explanation so far for his strange behavior on Saturday.

There have been 43 horses who won two out of the three Triple Crown races and only 20 who won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to fail in the Belmont Stakes. It's the longest of all three races and evidently is a challenge that seems unbeatable these days. Next year it will happen though. I can hope for a Triple Crown winner and a Cubs World Series Championship while I still live and breath......except this year, the Cubs will win for sure.

3 comments:

Amy and Andrew said...

It's humbling (and rather amusing) to think that despite all the training, coaching, encouraging and strategizing one does, it all comes down to whether or not the horse feels like running. And Saturday, Big Brown just didn't feel like it. Too bad for all the people who pinned their wallets to something that, in the end, is really up to the horse.

Josh By Himself said...

I usually end up letting horses make most of my financial decisions. At least I give them some say in the matter.

Carol said...

your blog is fancy. you'll have to teach me the ways of blogging. :)