Belmont Bound

The days are long at Belmont,
Speed they never learn,
And it's many a day since Man o' War
Has looped the upper turn.

Here I am, back to quoting poetry, but it fits, because apparently I'm going to New York. I've been to two Breeder's Cups in my day, but I've never seen a single leg of the Triple Crown while it was happenening. And, though I hesitate to say it becuase of my great fear of hubris, I do actually think it's happening...this year. Oh, yes, we've had close calls in the past, quite a few, in fact, in the last decade. Some, I knew wouldn't make it. When Real Quiet was making his run, I kept pointing at the horse perpetually in his shadow (Victory Gallop) and saying, "Watch that guy, he's gonna nip him in the end." Nip him in the end he did, though just barely. Same with Funny Cide, I really just didn't have any confidence in him. Smarty Jones I thought had a good chance, as good a chance as any I had ever seen. Charismatic was the first horse who ever broke my heart, breaking down in the stretch of that unforgiving mile and a half monster.

But Big Brown...I remember the first Derby edition of the BloodHorse I ever owned had a journalist recapping his favorite Kentucky Derbies. I don't remember the journalist, but I remember what he said about the Triple Crown. He said he thought Secretariat could do it, but he knew Seattle Slew would. At first I took that as him saying he thought Seattle Slew was the better horse, but now looking at it, I think it was really a comment on the various fields they faced. Secretariat knocked heads with Sham (who apart from his disadtrous Triple Crown defeats, was a darn good horse!), Forego (three time Horse of the Year), the persistent Our Native, the speedsters Angle Light and Ecol Etage, and Royal and Regal. Who did Slew face? Quality, yes, but not that kind of quality. And that's why the author thought Secretariat would win, but knew Slew would. It wasn't that the latter was better, just comparatively more dominant in his generation.

And that is Big Brown to a 'T'.

I didn't get to see much of the race, or even the pre-race coverage on Saturday. I was busy being a hostess. But, I did manage to take a few moments out from manning the stove to stand next to a TV turned to the race, and I caught it from about the beginning of the final turn on. I almost immediately was able to pick out Big Brown's now familiar silks. I saw him there, three wide around the curve, and I thought to myself, "Dear God, that horse is loafing." Well, it was either that or he was completely exhausted and being eased by Kent Desormaux, which I thought was highly unlikely. And so, as the field whipped into the straight away I found myself menatlly whispering, "Now. Now, is the time. Go right now!"

He heard me. He went. Race over. All that was left was to lean in close to the screen to hear the final order of finish. Back to the kitchen for the majority of the night. Excitement over.


But then, really, the excitement is just beginning.

1. Big Brown- 1st
2. Gayego- 10th
3. Hey Byrn- 6th
4. Icabad Crane- 3rd

In other news

-My husband kept talking about this race they were showing on Today at Pimlico while I was busy baking. It was an impressive showing in the Peter Pan Stakes by a horse named Casino Drive, who I think you've heard me mention before. Currently, he's being touted as perhaps the last, best hope for knocking some sense into Big Brown. I'm not holding my breath. His jockey was quoted as saying that you often see a horse ship from overseas like that (Casino Drive had just come from Japan the week before his race) and then not do quite as well after they've had a rest. Mind you, his jockey may be biased, as he's got a different horse he'll be riding in the Belmont (cough, Big Brown).

-Okay, so one of my friends recently emailed me saying she heard that Big Brown was doped up during the Derby and was supposed to have been disqualified and now she's all mad because she doesn't think that it's fair he wasn't. To all of you out there in internets land- Big Brown tested clean for all illegal substances after the race. Yes there was some questions because his trainer is scum. We admit that, but that has no effect on how great his horse may be. No, there was nothing untoward. No, Eight Belles hadn't been given anything either. No, it is not the fault of her jockey/trainer/owner that she broke down. It was an awful accident.