2009 Belmont Stakes

And we're on the final stretch. The 2009 Triple Crown winds to its conclusion this Saturday with the Belmont Stakes and even though we’ll have to wait till next year to look for a Triple Crown contender, this year’s final race offers plenty of intriguing storylines:

1. Noticeably absent in the Stakes lineup is fan favorite Rachel Alexandra. In a move that was predicted by my cabbie shortly after the Preakness, Jess Jackson, Rachel Alexandra’s owner and the Kendall Jackson wine guy (yes, it bears repeating), has opted to give the filly some much needed rest after her big Preakness and Kentucky Oaks wins, which suggests that she may figure prominently at Saratoga or the Breeders Cup. She did have to do a little work while on vacation, however, as she was recently photographed by acclaimed fashion photographer Steven Klein and will be featured in the August issue of Vogue.


2. With Rachel Alexandra out of the lineup, our favorite camera-loving jockey, Calvin Borel, will be back at the helm of Mine That Bird. And with the Derby winner’s 2-1 odds as of Wednesday morning, it is distinctly possible that Borel could become the first jockey to achieve a single year Triple Crown. The only other non-horse participant to accomplish such a feat was trainer Wayne Lukas who scored a Triple Crown in 1995 with Timber Country and Thunder Gulch. If Mine That Bird pulls off the win, he’ll join a distinguished list of horses including Funny Cide, Smarty Jones and Big Brown who won two of three races.


3. Finally, there’s Luv Gov. Marylou Whitney, the colt’s owner, has gone on the record saying the name is not a specific reference to any amorous governors (and there are a few to choose from), but that has not taken away from the drama that will emerge if the 20-1 longshot pulls off the upset. As is Triple Crown tradition, the home state’s governor normally presents the trophy to the winning owner and we all can’t help but wonder about the jokes/NY Post headlines that will emerge from Spitzer-successor Governor Patterson presenting Luv Gov with the grand prize. Personally, we’d put our money on that.

And all of that is before we even get to the race. The 1.5 mile race is considered to be the true test of a racing champion and over 20 horses have come into Belmont two and a half minutes away from infamy and failed. As with so many things in life, the Belmont is about experience, stamina and making sure you finish first.

We’ll definitely be watching.

Why We're Watching

Where We're Watching