Two Dollars Versus California Chrome

There is nothing more exciting than standing in the midst of madness on Belmont Stakes Day with the possibility of a triple crown winner coming home to the joyous crowd. I have stood and watched on a few occasions hoping to see history made. I saw Chris Antley jumping off Charismatic and holding his leg while Lemon Drop Kid and Jose Santos celebrated with his brother-in-law Herberto Castillo Jr. who rode Vision and Verse to second place. Both Jose Santos and his brother-in-law weren't thinking about history when they ran down Charismatic in the stretch. They were thinking of winning an American Classic and collecting that hefty pay day. Jose Santos would feel the sting of defeat four years later when Empire Maker and Jerry Bailey ripped the triple crown from New Yorkers and played a funny joke on them. I watched that mud fest and was thoroughly entertained. Of all the Belmont Stakes I have watched over the years, Real Quiet and his defeat was the most enjoyable and continues to rank as one of the best races I have witnessed in person. Turning for home my friends and I shouted at the top of our lungs as the horse gasped down the stretch. Kent Desormeaux, the jockey on Real Quiet did everything he could to get the horse to the wire. He shook the reins vigorously, and later when I watched the replay on television you could hear him shouting at the horse to keep him going. Victory Gallop came under Gary Stevens and gave the full house at Belmont Park the saddest ending to any story. It was a great race and one I have watched repeatedly. I saw Smarty Jones mugged in the stretch by Birdstone in 2004. I played Birdstone that day and while the wet New Yorkers were saddened by the defeat, I got in my car with my cashed ticked and got out of Long Island a happy New Yorker.  War Emblem was another triple crown chance that I had the privilege to see in person. The horse didn't show up that day. He lost all chances when the gate flew open and he stumbled, and a charge trained by Ken Mcpeek named Sarava stole the show.

The Belmont Stakes can be a good return on your hard earned two dollars. When War Emblem failed to win the Belmont Stakes, my best buddy shouted with happiness because he had his two dollars across the board on Sarava. How did he come up with Sarava is still a mystery! I believe he plucked it out of the air though he claims good handicapping. We will forever disagree, and what was important was that he cashed and we celebrated. Playing the favorite in the Belmont Stakes is suicide, and that is why no matter who lines up against California Chrome this year, I will be looking for a 
profit on my dollars.

There are those who think it is wrong to root against California Chrome in the Belmont Stakes. They believe that if you are against the horse then you are not for the sport or you don't love the sport as much as they do. California Chrome has proven to me that he is a beast of a horse. He has in his arsenal the weapons necessary to win the triple crown. He has natural speed which allows him to stay out of trouble and get in the game early. He is a versatile horse who can stalk the lead or take them all the way if he desires. The Chrome has that burst of acceleration which enables him to separate from others when the real running begins. These qualities may prove too much for his competitors come June 7th, but the race is not run on paper but on dirt. Ask Big Brown if he agrees!

If the triple crown was a forgone conclusion and everyone wants a triple crown winner, then the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes would only have one horse. That isn't the case this year or in the past. Trainers and owners want that prestige, and if it comes at the expense of a possible triple crown winner then so be it.

 I thought I had the right horse in the Preakness, but Ride On Curlin couldn't get to him before the wire. Come June 7th my two dollars will comb through all the angles possible for a horse player. I will look at training over the Belmont strip, and observe which jockeys and trainers are heating up during the week of June 7th. I will pay close attention to the words leaving trainers' lips over the next coming weeks, especially those escaping from Art Sherman's mouth. Then I will check if Nick Zito decides to run something at the last minute. Zito is New York's version of Wayne Lukas. He will walk his barn area until he finds someone COMMENDABLE to run. Have anyone seen Spot lately on the track?

We all want to see a triple crown winner in our lifetime. When California Chrome hits the Belmont dirt on June 7th, and the starter lifts the latch and send them on their way, make that loud New York noise, however, invest your two dollars elsewhere. This is New York and anything can happen in a New York minute.