Belmont Stakes Goes to Union Rags

The roller coater ride known as the Triple Crown took plenty of dips and curves prior to its end. As the racing world waited for I’ll Have Another to join the pantheon of racing greats who had captured the Crown, the racing gods were brewing their own concoction.

When a news conference was called by Doug O’Neill, the trainer of I’ll Have Another, rumors were flying that something was amiss with the horse. And so on Friday morning, O’Neill told the media world what we all feared, that I’ll Have Another had been injured and that his bid for the Crown was off. Even worse, I’ll Have Another was retired into stud thus preventing him from reaching his full potential and helping him establish a reputation of being one of the greats.

But the Belmont Stakes is in New York and the show must go on with or without a potential Triple Crown winner. The field left seemed like one that would compromise an overnight stakes with only a couple of Graded Stakes winners. With favoritism being vied between Dullahan, who had never won on dirt, and Union Rags who had disappointed in his last couple of races, the race seemed to be anticlimactic after the last three weeks of buildup. Yet, the race itself turned out to be anything but dull.

Paynter took from the bell and tried to take the race to the rest of them from the onset. After a few longshots took a run at Paynter, who had ran 4th to I’ll Have Another in the Santa Anita Derby, Paynter still had plenty as the filed turned for home. It was at this time that another longshot Atigun made a bold move to the outside of Paynter while Union Rags, the eventual second betting choice was right behind Paynter with no room to run. As Atigun attacked from the outside, Mike Smith riding Paynter shifted out one path from the rail to engage the oncoming challenge. This was all the room needed by Union Rags as he squeezed through the tight opening to challenge for the lead.

Paynter had withstood the challenge from Atigun who was now battling but keeping pace with the leader, but Union Rags was the new challenger. For the last furlong the two thoroughbreds and jockeys engaged in a furious stretch battle. Paynter trying to hold on while Union Rags trying to get by his stubborn foe. It wasn’t until the last few hundred yards that Union Rags put his nose in front and inched away from Paynter for the victory.

It may not be the Belmont Stakes that we were all expecting but nevertheless there was a thrilling stretch run. Congratulations to the connections of Union Rags and another tough loss by the Zayat Stables and Bob Baffert who finished second in all the Triple Crown races.

A Few Notes:

Had Mike Smith not left the rail open for Union Rags to get through, Michael Matz, trainer of Union Rags may have had to fire another top class jockey after another poor ride,; I wonder how Julien Leparoux feels after being replaced from Union Rags and seeing that horse win the Belmont since it was his bold move on Atigun that forced Mike Smith to engage and move off the rail; Bob Baffert should replace Mike Smith as his go to jockey after three crushing defeats. I am not saying he should kiss and make up with Martin Garcia but how about letting Rafael Bejarano or Joe Talamo take a swing because the way Talamo rode Blueskiesrainbow in the Santa Anita Derby I feel that he could have gotten the job done with either Paynter or Bodmeister