Belmont Stakes 2015: Triple Crown Misses

American Pharoah is the fourteenth horse to make a run at the Triple Crown since Affirmed last won it in 1978.  Racing fans have had to get used to Triple Crown disappointment over the years. Those Belmont Stakes losses have included amazing finishes and remarkable stories.

How well do you know the previous thirteen Triple Crown near misses? See if you can match up the horse with his year and his race recap. To find the answers and the full recaps with the all the information included, scroll down past the video of one of the greatest Belmont Stakes finishes.

The Years: 1979, 1981, 1987, 1989, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2014.

The Horses:  Alysheba, Big Brown, California Chrome, Charismatic, Funny Cide, I’ll Have Another, Pleasant Colony, Real Quiet, Silver Charm, Smarty Jones, Spectacular Bid, Sunday Silence, War Emblem

The Recaps:

1) This horse was soundly defeated by the second place finisher from the Derby and Preakness. Some blamed the loss on the fact that he was not allowed to run on Lasix, which at the time was not permitted in New York.

2) Many experts thought that this horse was very likely to win the Triple Crown but he never got to run in the Belmont. The day before the race he was scratched due to tendonitis.

3) This horse from the west coast was defeated by the east coast star that had he had beaten in the first two jewels of the Triple Crown. The west coast jockey, who had called him “overrated” after the Preakness, sang the New Yorker’s praises after the Belmont.

4) The shocking defeat of “The best horse to ever look through a bridle” was blamed on a young rider that chased the fast early fractions of a longshot. Later it was learned that the horse stepped on a safety pin the morning of the Belmont.

5) On a wet and chilly afternoon this gelding went right to the lead in moderate fractions but could not hold off the strong closing move of the Kentucky Derby second place finisher.

6) This defeat came by the narrowest of margins in a head-bobbing finish made famous by the track announcer’s call, “A picture is worth a thousand words, but this photo is worth $5 million!”

7) The Belmont was the only race that this horse would ever lose, and to this day people are still not sure why he never finished the race. It might have been the 95 degree heat, the loss of anabolic steroids, or ongoing foot problems.

8) After his Belmont loss the rider of this gray horse said that the race was his best effort of the Triple Crown and that, “No one should ever have any doubt how hard it is to win the Triple Crown.”

9) On the Derby trail that year his brash trainer predicted that his horse would win the Triple Crown. Several tough races prior to the Belmont had taken their toll and after the race the trainer’s excuse was, “The horse needed a break.”

10) The owner of this fourth place Belmont finisher gave losing the Triple Crown a whole new meaning when he went on a rant on national television right after the finish. The horse fought hard down the stretch after he badly grabbed a quarter at the start. 

11) This was one of the most emotional Triple Crown defeats. After finishing third the Belmont favorite stood on the track with his tearful jockey cradling his fractured left front leg.

12) This Pennsylvania-bred entered the Belmont unbeaten in eight starts. He was on the lead before a crowd of 120,000 and fought off the pressure of two horses, but in the end finished a length behind the winner. After the race the winning jockey said, “I’m sorry, but I had to do my job.”

13) When this frontrunner broke so badly that he went down to his knees, all chance for a Triple Crown was lost. The result was an eighth place finish behind a 70-1 winner.

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The Full Recaps:

1979: The shocking defeat of “The best horse to ever look through a bridle” was blamed on 19-year-old jockey Ronnie Franklin who chased the fast early fractions of a longshot. Later it was learned that Spectacular Bid had stepped on a safety pin the morning of the Belmont.

1981: On the Derby trail that year, Pleasant Colony’s brash trainer, Johnny Campo predicted that his horse would win the Triple Crown. Several tough races prior to the Belmont took their toll and after the race Campo’s excuse was, “The horse needed a break.”

1987: Alysheba was soundly defeated by Bet Twice, the second place finisher from the Derby and Preakness. Some blamed the loss on the fact that Alysheba was not allowed to run on Lasix, which at the time was not permitted in New York.

1989: Sunday Silence from the west coast was defeated by the east coast star, Easy Goer, who had he had beaten in the first two jewels of the Triple Crown. Sunday Silence’s jockey Pat Valenzuela, who had called Easy Goer “overrated” after the Preakness, sang the New Yorker’s praises after the Belmont.

1997: After the Belmont loss Gary Stevens, the rider of Silver Charm, said that this was Silver Charm’s best effort of the Triple Crown and that, “No one should ever have any doubt how hard it is to win the Triple Crown.”

1998: Real Quiet’s defeat came by the narrowest of margins in a head-bobbing finish made famous by the track announcer, Tom Durkin’s call, “A picture is worth a thousand words, but this photo is worth $5 million!”

1999: This was one of the most emotional Triple Crown defeats. After finishing third Charismatic stood on the track with his tearful jockey, Chris Antley, cradling his fractured left front leg.

2002: When frontrunner War Emblem broke so badly that he went down to his knees, all chance for a Triple Crown was lost. The result was an eighth place finish behind Sarvana, a 70-1 winner.

2003: On a wet and chilly afternoon Funny Cide went right to the lead in moderate fractions but could not hold off the strong closing move of the Kentucky Derby second place finisher, Empire Maker.

2004: Pennsylvania-bred, Smarty Jones, entered the Belmont unbeaten in eight starts. He was on the lead before a crowd of 120,000 and fought off the pressure of two horses but in the end finished a length behind the Birdstone. After the race the winning jockey Edgar Prado said, “I’m sorry, but I had to do my job.”

2008: The Belmont was the only race that Big Brown would ever lose and to this day people are still not sure why he never finished the race. It might have been the 95 degree heat, the loss of anabolic steroids, or ongoing foot problems.

2012: Many experts thought that I’ll Have Another was very likely to win the Triple Crown but he never got to run in the Belmont. The day before the race he was scratched due to tendonitis.

2014: The owner of California Chrome, fourth place Belmont finisher, gave losing the Triple Crown a whole new meaning when he went on a rant on national television right after the finish. Chrome fought hard down the stretch after he badly grabbed a quarter at the start.