Off Track Betting Belmont

NEW YORK - The Triple Crown won't be on the line in the Belmont Stakes, but the "Test of the Champion" is shaping up as one of the better showdowns in recent years: Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo vs. Preakness winner Afleet Alex.And if you're looking for an edge, history says go with Afleet Alex. In four of the last five Belmonts featuring winners of the first two legs of the Triple Crown, it's been the Preakness winner who's come out on top."Whatever happens, it will be a great race," Afleet Alex trainer Tim Ritchey said. "And that's what horse racing needs."What racing really wants is its first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978. This year, though, Giacomo vs. Afleet Alex after three straight failed Triple tries - and six in the past eight years - could be an exciting diversion.Last year, after Birdstone beat Smarty Jones by a length in the Belmont in front of a record crowd of 120,139, even winning owner Marylou Whitney, trainer Nick Zito and jockey Edgar Prado apologized for spoiling Smarty's Triple party. Two years ago, it was Empire Maker over Funny Cide, and in 2002 it was War Emblem stumbling at the start and finishing eighth."We have every expectation that this will be another sensational Belmont Stakes day in every category," New York Racing Association vice president Bill Nader said.Don't expect a record crowd, but 73,857 turned out for the 2001 Belmont, when Preakness winner Point Given defeated Derby winner Monarchos. In the other matchups in which the Preakness winner beat the Derby winner, it was Tabasco Cat over Go for Gin (1994), Hansel over Strike the Gold (1991) and Risen Star over Winning Colors (1988). In 1993, Colonial Affair beat Derby winner Sea Hero (seventh) and Preakness winner Prairie Bayou broke down during the race.Afleet Alex, ridden by Jeremy Rose, is the likely favorite in what is shaping up as a nine-horse field. The colt with seven victories in 11 starts was expected to arrive at Belmont Park from Pimlico during the weekend.Giacomo, who will be ridden by Mike Smith, has just two victories in nine starts. The gray colt has been training at Hollywood Park in California, and is expected to arrive in New York on Wednesday.Trainer John Shirreffs said Giacomo came out of the Preakness in fine shape, and the colt enjoyed returning to his home base for a few weeks."We wouldn't get on the plane and go back to New York unless we felt the horse was doing really well," Shirreffs said. "So it forces you to look at the condition of the horse very closely. ... He's held his weight, he's eating well and he's traveling well on the racetrack. From what we can see, he looks very good."Scrappy T, who nearly knocked Afleet Alex off his feet at the top of the stretch in the Preakness, appears headed to the 1 1/2-mile Belmont. The Preakness runner-up will be ridden again by Ramon Dominguez, whose left-handed whip startled Scrappy T and caused him to veer into Afleet Alex's path."We've already shown we can match up with them," Scrappy T trainer Robert Bailes said of Afleet Alex and Giacomo. "The question is whether my horse can go a mile-and-a-half."Also set for the Belmont are two 3-year-olds trained by Nick Zito, Andromeda's Hero and Pinpoint; Lone Star Derby winner Southern Africa, and Chekhov. Possibles include Sort It Out, Reverberate and A.P. Arrow.Ritchey seems excited about a race that features a 50-1 Derby winner in Giacomo against his colt, who is coming off a remarkable athletic performance. The trainer is predicting a big crowd for the rubber match."Certainly, this race has gotten a lot of publicity," Ritchey said. "A big crowd? It wouldn't surprise me - it depends on the day, too. But I think anyone who's a fan of horse racing will look forward to seeing the Belmont to see just what's going to happen."Afleet Alex will spend his week at Belmont with a few two-a-day gallops as the colt tunes up for the longest race of his career."Horses in this country don't normally run that distance, so it's different," Ritchey said. "The rider has to be a lot more patient in the race and your horse has to be able to relax - and I feel I have both. I have a rider who was very patient in the Preakness and my horse will rate and relax as long as you want him to do until you ask him to run. So I don't think the distance will be a problem."Ritchey would like to see Afleet Alex stalk the pace and make his patented run in the final three eighths of a mile. Shirreffs believes Giacomo is at his best in longer races."He has a nice long stride, he covers the ground well, he relaxes behind horses and next to horses," Shirreffs said. "And he seems to be always coming at the end."So there's no Triple try this year. A little rivalry, though, may be a good thing.

Cash is King Stable's Afleet Alex, winner of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), breezed five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 at Pimlico Wednesday in preparation for the June 11 Belmont Stakes (gr. I). At this point, the colt is expected to arrive in New York on Saturday. The son of was clocked in fractions of :14, :26 2/5, :38, and :49 4/5 for the half mile. He was caught galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 2/5, pulling up seven panels in 1:29. "He came out of it well and cooled out perfect," trainer Tim Ritchey said. "We scoped him 45 minutes after the work and he scoped clean as can be. Our plan was to start out easy and let him finish strong. It was a maintenance breeze to make sure everything's good with him. After watching that and how he came back, I think we are in good shape." Ritchey had originally planned on vanning to Belmont last Saturday, but decided against it after a suspected case of strangles was discovered. "I'd like to have gotten him to Belmont earlier, because, just like I did here, I wanted to get him over that track as many times as possible," Ritchey said. "But with the suspected strangles there, I was unable to. I didn't want to put his health at risk and would never do that. It's actually been very good at Pimlico, because we're the only ones in the whole barn. It's laid back and he's been able to relax, more so than if he had been at Belmont with all the media attention. "We just have to work with what we've got. Hopefully, I'll be able to ship on Saturday. From what they tell me, it should be OK. I'll train him Saturday morning, get him all done up, then we'll ship there and arrive about 4 or 5 o'clock. They're just waiting for the tests to come back on some horses who were in the same barn as the horse with the suspected case of strangles. From what they're telling me, they're going to put all the horses shipping in for the Belmont in one barn all by themselves, so everybody is away from everybody else. They've been cleaning the barn and disinfecting everything from top to bottom, so I'm sure they'll have everything under control." Afleet Alex and jockey Jeremy Rose narrowly escaped disaster in the Preakness after clipping heels with Scrappy T at the head of the stretch and almost going down. Alex made an amazing recovery, and without missing a beat, went on to score an impressive 4 3/4-length victory. "He'll live in history after that race and he deserves it," said Rose. "That race will be shown for two decades. I don't know how to explain it. There was an unbelievable amount of fear. Obviously we wanted to get come back on our feet and not get run over by anyone. He lost maybe a half-length on Scrappy T and that's it. It was one of those things that you had to be on his back to understand how scary it is." The Belmont at this point looks to be a showdown between Afleet Alex and Kentucky Derby (gr. I) Giacomo, with several others with solid credentials also pointing for the 1 1/2-mile race. "None of them really scare me," Rose said. "All are very nice horses, very accomplished horses. They have to be to run in this race, but as long as Alex is under me, he does the talking. He just does what he does and pretty much silences everybody, especially after the Preakness. Now they are saying he can't go a mile and a half. Do you think it would have mattered in that race? If it were a mile and a half, how many more would we have won by?"

Host of contenders likely to challenge Giacomo, Afleet Alex in Belmont
The Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 11 at Belmont Park should generate plenty of buzz with the anticipated rematch of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Giacomo and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Afleet Alex. However, racing fans should not expect to see a small field. Several runners could use the Peter Pan Stakes (G2) as a prep race for the Belmont and at least eight other horses are being considered for the final jewel of the 2005 Triple Crown.Saturday's convincing Peter Pan winner Oratory, who took over easily when called upon to win by 4 3/4 lengths, could certainly justify a spot in the Belmont Stakes starting gate. The Peter Pan has consistently produced at least one starter for the Belmont, including five winners since 1975. Lemon Drop Kid in 1999 was the last Peter Pan winner to emerge victorious in the Belmont Stakes. Runner-up Reverberate, third-place finisher Golden Man, and fourth-place finisher Chekhov were also being considered prior to the Peter Pan.According to Andrew Byrnes, the New York Racing Association Stakes coordinator, other horses under consideration for the Belmont are Preakness runner-up Scrappy T, Andromeda's Hero, Southern Africa, Pinpoint, Buzzard's Bay, Sort It Out, A.P. Arrow, and Watchmon.

A suspected case of strangles will prevent Preakness (gr. I) winner Afleet Alex, the leader of the 3-year-old division and likely favorite for the 137th Belmont Stakes (gr. I) on June 11, from arriving at Belmont Park on Saturday as was previously scheduled. The suspected but unconfirmed case of strangles forced the quarantine of barn 60 at Belmont Park May 27 and the isolation of the filly, Lady Libby. Results of the tests, sent by overnight mail to the University of Illinois and to a local lab over the holiday weekend, will not be available until early next week. Afleet Alex, owned by Cash is King Stable LLC, was slated to work at Belmont Tuesday morning. Instead, he will work at Pimlico, weather permitting. "He might go six furlongs, but I'm not really sure of the distance yet," said trainer Tim Ritchey, who turned 54 Friday. "Mike Lakow (NYRA racing secretary) called me right away about the suspected strangles case, (for) which I am very appreciative. I can't take a shot shipping into New York right now with this horse and expose him to something. I talked to the people at Pimlico, and we'll stay here at least until Tuesday. By that time, NYRA will hopefully know what they are dealing with and have control of the situation." The Tuesday breeze will be Afleet Alex's first workout since his memorable Preakness victory May 21 when he overcame a heel-clipping incident at the top of the stretch to win the second leg of the Triple Crown by 4 ¾ lengths over Scrappy T. He has been jogging since Wednesday.

Although the race is still three weeks away and the picture could change, the 137th renewal of the Belmont Stakes June 11 could serve as a rubber match between longshot Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Giacomo and the courageous Preakness (gr. I) winner Afleet Alex.The last time a Kentucky Derby winner hooked up with the Preakness winner in the Belmont Stakes was June 9, 2001. While Derby winner monarchos finished third, Preakness winner point given cruised to victory over A P Valentine before a Belmont crowd of 73,857.According to the New York Racing Association, those two may be joined by any number of new contenders, with the top finishers from Belmont's May 28, $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) at nine furlongs likely to return in the Belmont Stakes. Chekhov, Golden Man, Mr Sword, Oratory, Reverberate, Robador, Saint Anddan and Survivalist, and possibly Better than Bonds and Confederation are expected to run in the Peter Pan.NYRA reports that Andromeda's Hero and A.P. Arrow, nominated to the Peter Pan, may wait for the Belmont Stakes. Pinpoint, who won Saturday's Sir Barton at Pimlico, and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Buzzards Bay, fifth in the Kentucky Derby, is also likely for the Belmont. Scrappy T, the Preakness runner-up, is questionable for the Belmont Stakes at this point.In addition to Point Given, other horses to complete the Preakness/Belmont Stakes double are Cloverbrook (1877), Duke of Magenta (1878), Grenada (1880), Saunterer (1881), Belmar (1895), Man o'War (1920), Pillory (1922), Bimelech (1940), Capot (1949), Native Dancer (1953), Nashua (1955), Damascus (1967), Little Current (1974), Risen Star (1988), Hansel (1991) and Tabasco Cat (1994) as.Giacomo is out to become the 12th horse to complete the Kentucky Derby-Belmont Stakes Double, hoping to join Zev (1923), Twenty Grand (1931), Johnstown (1939), Shut Out (1942), Middleground (1950), Needles (1956), Chateaugay (1963), Riva Ridge (1972), Bold Forbes (1976), Swale (1984) (1995).ESPN will provide undercard coverage on Belmont Stakes Day from 3 p.m., - 5:30 p.m. Eastern. NBC will then take over from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern, with the Belmont Stakes scheduled as race 11 (6:38 p.m. Eastern) of a 13-race card

5/24/2005
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Rose Has Sights Set on Winning

Jeremy Rose had one unprintable word pop into his mind aboard Afleet Alex when the horse was on the verge of crumpling to the dirt after his frightening collision with Scrappy T in the Preakness Stakes.
Before Rose had time to consider any other words you can only think on television, he yanked the horse from the mane, restored balance and somehow turned a scare into a remarkable victory.
When Rose finally got a chance to watch the replay, the jockey truly realized how close the race came to disaster.
"We were real close to hitting the ground hard," Rose said Monday from his home track of Delaware Park. "I knew we clipped heels hard. I knew we were right at the edge of where you hit the ground. It's a lot more dramatic when you see it in slow motion how close his head actually got."
How close? Trainer Tim Ritchey guessed Afleet Alex's nose was about 4 inches from the ground.
"No horse is supposed to do that in any race, let alone a great one of Preakness caliber," Rose said. "You're not supposed to jump up and, especially, keep running like that."
While Afleet Alex will rest at Pimlico a few more days before heading to New York for the Belmont Stakes on June 11, Rose was back at work Sunday and Monday with mounts at Delaware Park.
The location changed, but the result sure didn't Rose was a winner Monday aboard another Ritchey trained horse, Characterize.
"It seems we're on a roll right now," said Rose after two mounts on a rainy, gloomy Monday. "It just seems we're very fortunate right now. All the horses in Tim's barn are running real well."
Rose has as much to do with the success as anyone, right now. He's been nearly flawless on the horse and has Afleet Alex positioned as the favorite in the Belmont. Afleet Alex finished third in the Kentucky Derby, beaten in the final strides by 50-1 long shot Giacomo.
If Alex held on, a shot at the Triple Crown would have been on the line in the Belmont. Instead, Rose will have to settle for a chance at winning the final two legs of the Triple Crown.

NEW YORK - Bellamy Road has not been ruled out of the Belmont Stakes, although it's unlikely that the beaten Kentucky Derby favorite owned by Yankees boss George Steinbrenner will be healthy enough to run in the final leg of the Triple Crown. Edward Sexton, who runs Steinbrenner's Kinsman Farm in Ocala, Fla., said Wednesday that Bellamy Road's popped splint in his left front leg was "a very minute injury" and the 3-year-old colt would resume light training in two weeks."He'll be back in full training in three to four weeks," Sexton said. "The Belmont is looking doubtful, but we'll just have to see what happens."On Tuesday, trainer Nick Zito told the Web sites of The Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse that Bellamy Road would miss the Preakness on May 21 and the Belmont on June 11, then be pointed to the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 27.The Preakness is definitely out, with Sexton saying the report "was blown out of proportion."The injury is not serious. It's just bad timing," Sexton said in a telephone interview. "We could run him in the Preakness and Belmont, but he'd never race again. This is not about greed. We have to stop. The horse comes first and you have to admire Mr. Steinbrenner for that. He took it like a man."After Bellamy Road finished seventh in Saturday's Derby as the 5-2 favorite, the injury was discovered Tuesday at Churchill Downs. A popped splint is a racing term for inflammation of the tissue covering a splint bone — a small bone between the ankle and knee.If Bellamy Road misses the Belmont, Sexton said the son of Concerto would be pointed to a schedule that includes a prep race or two before the Travers, followed by the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct. 1, and the Breeders' Cup Classic on Oct. 29, both at Belmont Park.Giacomo scored the second biggest upset in Derby history with his victory at odds of 50-1. Sexton said the injury affected Bellamy Road's performance."The horse that was supposed to win the Derby didn't win," Sexton said. "If the horse (Bellamy Road) was 100 percent, there would have been the right winner. He's a super horse. He's a champion, and he'll be back, bigger, better and bolder."Bellamy Road wasn't the only top Derby horse injured in the race. Bandini, who finished 19th as the 6-1 third choice, sustained a chipped right ankle and will undergo surgery. The Blue Grass Stakes winner was shipped to Ashford Stud in Lexington, Ky., after the race."Hopefully, we'll have him back in the fall of year," trainer Todd Pletcher said.