Finishing The Triple Crown

Finishing The Triple Crown

Insight and commentary on the world of thoroughbred horse racing.

Thoughts and opinions about the fascinating sport of thoroughbred horse racing from a racing insider.

Triple Tough

I attended my second Preakness on Saturday and, based on what I’ve seen in my brief history there, I can’t believe I haven’t made the effort to go more often. My first was in 2005 watching the Afleet Alex miracle. And now this year’s battle royale between Curlin and Street Sense.

I lucked into great (and free) seats both years not to mention access to the Preakness after party just outside the Pimlico stakes barn. On the way back to the party this year two main topics of debate emerged: did Calvin Borel’s ‘look back’ cost Street Sense a second Triple Crown jewel? And: will we ever see another Triple Crown winner? My stance on those questions was and is ‘no’ and ‘no’.

It sure didn’t look good, Calvin looking back like that at the charging Curlin, but Street Sense lost absolutely no momentum when he did. The main point is that Street Sense didn’t lose the Preakness. Curlin won it. He confirmed that he’s a special horse and that this is a special group of three-year-olds. If any jockey hurt his horse’s chances in the Preakness it was Mario Pino on Hard Spun. There was no reason to go after suicidally dueling longshots Xchanger and Flying First Class so early.

It’s usually folly to say ‘never’ in horse racing, but I’ve seen the Triple Crown lost in so many different ways over the past 25 years, that I have a hard time believing I’ll ever see a horse win all three races. The game has fundamentally changed in some major ways since 1978. Horses are trained to give singular peak efforts nowadays, and that leaves them vulnerable in their next starts, especially on short rest. Not only has the training game changed over the past several decades, the breeding game has changed too. I subscribe to the theory that while the thoroughbred has all but reached its evolutionary limit, more and more horses are being produced that can approach that highest threshold. So with those two factors combined, more and more good horses being trained for singular top performances, I just can’t see one single horse wining the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in a five week span. If they ever put an extra week between the Derby and Preakness, then maybe. But even that’s a big maybe.

I’ve chronicled my co-worker Leif’s instant attachment to Curlin after his big maiden win just a few months ago at Gulfstream. After that heart stopping stretch run on Saturday, I thought Leif’s heart actually did stop. He fell to the ground like he had just touched by a Pentecostal minister. Got to love that enthusiasm. And his mojo apparently carried over the after party. The girlfriend of a certain turf writer paid Leif a little too much attention, raising the ire of the apparently really insecure certain turf writer.

Like Street Sense, I’d have to call myself questionable for the Belmont. This Triple Crown, it’s a tough grind - all the planning, all the traveling, all the drinking, all the late nights. I hate to think how much I’ve spent on alcohol (even with all the free stuff) and how little I actually slept on Derby and Preakness weekends this year. I’ve done all three races only once and, to be honest, I didn’t hold up very well. On Derby Eve, 2005, I was out until 5 a.m.. After the 2005 Preakness, I ran even harder, and got back to the hotel well after first light on Sunday. But after the 2005 Belmont, I was ko’d by a splitting headache at 10 p.m.. Yes folks, this Triple Crown thing is a tough grind, on both horses and humans.

Matt O'Neil has been a racing enthusiast since the mid-1980's. He is a freelance writer and thoroughbred marketing consultant and editor of the breeding journal Owner-Breeder International. Contact Matt O'Neil