Former Belmont Stakes Winners - Where Are They Now?
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
The media and fan hype is in full swing.
Cameras and reporters record every ear twitch of CALIFORNIA CHROME and sides are
being taken. Can he or can’t he? We
haven’t seen this much attention paid to the Belmont Stakes since 2012 when the
Triple Crown was on the line and I’ll Have Another was injured just days before
the race. While we impatiently await
Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, let’s take a look at past contenders.
The Belmont Stakes has long been anointed
as the true test of champions. This is true for the colts whose Triple Crown
chances hang on the outcome of the Belmont Stakes, but what about the years
when there is no title on the line? Victors who have prevailed in the grueling
1 ½ mile test and have proved their mettle at stud include the great Seattle
Slew and his son Chef-de-race and sire of sires A.P. Indy, Victory Gallop, Lemon
Drop Kid, Affirmed, Easy Goer, and the list goes on. This millennium, the Belmont Stakes has been
a footnote for most years. It hasn't
been kind to the majority of the last 14 winners.
2000 - The millennium started off with a
flying horse. Kentucky Derby hero
Fusaichi Pegasus was upset in the Preakness by Red Bullet. With no Triple Crown on the line, Neither
Fusaichi Pegasus or Red Bullet bothered to contest the Belmont Stakes. The
favorite's role in the Belmont was left to the late-running Aptitude, who had
placed second in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness. Aptitude made
his customary late charge, but COMMENDABLE, under a crafty ride by Pat
Day had opened up a little too much ground.
Commendable had only a maiden win to his name and was 17th in
the Kentucky Derby before his fifteen minutes of fame in the Belmont Stakes.
That was his last victory, although Commendable went on to place third in the
Travers and second in the Super Derby.
Commendable stands in Korea for a private fee.
2001 –POINT GIVEN was a true champ on the track. His only out
of the money finish was a mysterious fifth place in the Kentucky Derby. Despite
his poor showing in the Derby, Point Given got his revenge in the Preakness and
left no doubt who the best three year old was after a 12 ¼ length romp in the Belmont Stakes. The Chestnut son of Derby/Belmont hero
Thunder Gulch went on to victories in the Haskell and Travers Stakes, earning
Championship Three Year Old honors by a walkover. The big red horse stands for
$10,000 in Kentucky. His offspring are hardy types that stick around on the
track. He’s sired two champions from ten racing crops.
2002 – After free-running War Emblem ate
dirt coming out of the starting gate of the Belmont, it was anybody's
race. SARAVA, the second longest
shot in the field, shocked racegoers with a ½ length victory over the more
experienced Medaglia D' Oro. Sarava
didn't hit the board in eight subsequent starts. Retired from a mediocre career
at stud, Sarava can be found greeting admirers at Old Friends in Kentucky.
2003 – EMPIRE MAKER,
the blue-blooded favorite for the Kentucky Derby, was upstaged in that race by
a scrappy little gelding named Funny Cide. To be fair, Empire Maker was nursing
a bruised hoof that day. After sitting
out the Preakness which Funny Cide won, Empire Maker took his revenge, spoiling
Funny Cide's Triple Crown bid by ¾ length. In the final start of his career,
Empire Maker finished second in the Jim Dandy Stakes. After siring 11 Grade 1 winners in the US
including Champion Royal Delta, Empire Maker is now enjoying a successful stud
career in Japan.
2004 – BIRDSTONE finished off of the board in his
prep for the Kentucky Derby and was eighth behind the popular Smarty Jones in
the run for the roses. A small-statured horse, Birdstone was withheld from the
Preakness and pointed towards the Belmont Stakes. Triple Crown hysteria was at its peak in days
leading up to the Belmont Stakes. The undefeated Smarty Jones was just a
formality away from being crowned as the next Triple Crown champ. Unfortunately during the all of the hoopla,
someone forgot to give Smarty's jock a riding lesson at Belmont Park. Moving too soon in the race sealed Smarty's
fate and the little-known, well-bred Birdstone mowed down a staggering,
leg-weary Smarty Jones, denying the favorite the crown by a length. Proving he was no flash in the pan, Birdstone
earned the Travers' trophy before finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup
Classic. Standing for $10,000 in Kentucky, Birdstone’s most notable year as a
sire was in 2009, when two of his sons, Mine that Bird Summer Bird won the
Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Birdstone has sired two champions in seven racing
crops.
2005 – AFLEET ALEX
finished off of the board only once leading up to the Triple Crown and many
thought he had a chance to win it. In a
race filed with blistering early fractions, the Derby collapsed and two long
shots, Giacamo and Closing Argument arose from the mud to take the first two
positions. Afleet Alex finished a strong third.
The nimble colt avoided disaster in winning the Preakness Stakes and
showed his true class by beating Belmont Stakes rivals by seven lengths.
Unfortunately, the red colt was retired due to injury after the race. Afleet
Alex finished off of the board only once in his 12 start racing career.
Currently, Afleet Alex is at stud in Kentucky for $12,500. He’s produced two
champions from six racing crops.
2006 – The Belmont Stakes was an
afterthought after the gallant Barbaro was injured at the start of the
Preakness stakes. A forgettable field of colts gathered for the Belmont Stakes,
which lacked the heroic Derby winner and the sensational new face of Preakness
winner Bernardini. The Wood Memorial winner Bob And John (who was 17th
in the Derby) was made the tepid favorite.
The extremely well-bred JAZIL, fourth in the Derby, made a
last-to-first run to capture the carnations from Bluegrass Cat. After the
Belmont, Jazil placed in two optional claimers and finished off of the board in
a Group 3 race. The well-bred stallion is standing in Kentucky for $4,000 and
shuttling to South America. He's sired one champion (VEN) and three graded
stakes winners from four racing crops.
2007 – As memorable as her half brother
Jazil was forgettable, RAGS TO RICHES
made history as the first filly to win the race since 1905. The large chestnut with a distinctive white
face entered the Belmont Stakes with a four race win-streak under her girth,
including a 4 ½ length romp in the Kentucky Oaks. In what would become one of
the epic Belmont Battles in history, Rags to Riches stuck her head in front of
Preakness hero Curlin at 1 ¼ mile pole. The two chestnuts fought it out to the
finish. The stubborn filly refused to let the gallant colt past, and beat him
by a head. Rags to Riches raced only once more, finishing second in the Gazelle
(G-1). Her nemesis Curlin went on to be a two-time Horse of the Year and sire
of this year's Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice. Rags to Riches bore three
named foals. Only one, Admirer, her 2010 bay colt by Henrythenavagator, made it
to the races. He was unplaced in his only start.
2008 – This was supposed to be the year of
Brown. Big Brown, the Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. Crank up the Triple Crown media circus. Fans
either loved Big Brown or considered him a fraud because his controversial
trainer admitted to giving the horse steroids.
While on the drug, Big Brown was clearly superior to the Kentucky Derby
and Preakness fields. Taken off of steroids before the Belmont Stakes plus
fighting a quarter crack, Big Brown floundered in the beginning stages of the
Belmont and was pulled up by his jockey.
As media and fans watched in disbelief, DA' TARA, an unheralded
son of Tiznow, stole the race by five lengths while the other jockeys were
either taking a nap or looking around for Big Brown. Da' Tara never visited the
winner's circle again but hit the board five more times in optional claiming
races. In 2010 he sold for $180K as a racing or stallion prospect and
eventually wound up at stud in South America.
2009 – SUMMER BIRD fit the mold of
the typical modern Belmont Stakes winner. He had a single win to his name and
finished off of the board in the Kentucky Derby, although he did place in the
Arkansas Derby. He skipped the Preakness
and recorded a 2 ¾ length victory in the Belmont. Meanwhile, the Kentucky Derby
hero Mine That Bird, tired from being beaten up on by Rachel Alexandra in the
Preakness, and given a poorly over-confident ride by Calvin Borel, finished
third. Summer Bird stepped it up during
the summer, finishing second in the Haskell, earning a victory in the Travers
and Jockey Gold Cup, then placing fourth behind Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup
Classic. Summer Bird's exploits earned
him top three year old honors. He started his stud career in Kentucky for
$15,000, but was sold to Japan. Unfortunately, the young stallion died of colic
last year. His first crop are 2014 two
year olds.
2010 – DROSSELMEYER
took an unconventional route to the Belmont Stakes. He started out on the Triple
Crown trail, but didn't earn enough money to join the Kentucky Derby field. Instead, Drosselmeyer went with Plan
“B.” He prepped with a second place
finish in the Dwyer before beating a full field of runners in the Belmont
Stakes. Neither the Derby winner Super Saver nor the Preakness hero Lookin' At
Lucky showed up for the Belmont party and Drosselmeyer recorded one of the
slowest Belmont Stakes since 1995. Given
the rest of the year off, Drosselmeyer returned for his four year old campaign,
topping it off with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Drosselmeyer is standing at stud in Kentucky
for $15,000. His offspring are 2014 yearlings.
2011 – Similar to Drosselmeyer, RULER ON ICE
skipped the first two legs of the Triple Crown.
He was largely ignored by the betting public, as the hype surrounded the
rubber match between Derby champ Animal Kingdom and Preakness spoiler Shackleford. All except four of the 12 entrants in the
Belmont Stakes had competed in the Kentucky Derby. The expected match race was
not to be. Ruler On Ice sat behind the pace setting Shackleford, took over in
the stretch and held of Stay Thirsty. Animal Kingdom had a nightmare trip and
finished sixth. A gelding, Ruler on Ice
is still racing. He hit the board in the Haskell, Travers and 2011 Breeders'
Cup Classic, but has returned to the winners' circle only once, in an optional
claimer. Ruler On Ice was second in a listed stake at Monmouth Park, but has
finish fifth in his last three starts at Belmont, PARX and Penn National. Ruler On Ice is currently breezing at
Monmouth Park. He appears to have lost
some of the luster of his earlier years.
2012 – The massive, popular UNION RAGS
just couldn't get things to go his way. He lost Juvenile Championship honors by
a neck and as the second choice betting favorite in the Kentucky Derby. Both
times everything went against him. Following the trend of previous Belmont
winners, Union Rags skipped the Preakness Stakes to rest up for the
Belmont. Triple Crown fever was at full
throttle after I'll Have Another captured the Derby/Preakness. The temperature
dropped to freezing levels when it was announced that I'll Have Another was
retired before the Belmont Stakes. Despite the let-down, the magnificent field
of the Belmont Stakes put on a great show.
It appeared that the lightly raced, but talented Paynter would lead them
a merry chase from gate to wire, but it was Union Rags' day to shine, as he got
up in the deep stretch to beat Paynter by a neck. Unfortunately, Union Rags'
best race was also his last. Union Rags stood his first year at stud in 2013 in
Kentucky.
2013 – The Belmont Stakes lost some luster
after the Kentucky Derby winner Orb was defeated by the longshot Oxbow in the
Preakness. Both colts were set for a
rematch in the Belmont Stakes. Meanwhile PALACE MALICE had finished twelfth
in the Kentucky Derby after a disastrous experiment with blinkers. Sent to the Belmont at a largely ignored
13-1, the son of Curlin beat Oxbow and Orb by 3 ¼ lengths. Proving his Classic
victory was no fluke, Palace Malice won the Jim Dandy and was second in the
Jockey Club Gold Cup. This year, Palace Malice is undefeated in three starts,
Gulfstream Park Handicap (G-2), New Orleans Handicap (G-2) and Winchester
Stakes (G-3).
So what does this brief history lesson
teach us? The Belmont Champions are a mixed bag at
stud. Those who are well-bred and showed their talent before the Belmont Stakes
have gone on to average careers at stud while the rest faded into obscurity
after their 2 ½ minutes in the spotlight.
Because of the same foot problem that took him out of the Kentucky Derby last weekend, Rodríguez will not...
Trainer Kenny McPeek said Friday that if he could run back 2024, he would not have raced his...
Hurley’s was a great old bar in Manhattan. At 49th Street and Sixth Avenue, it stood as a...
Coming back from a bone bruising that cost her a chance to race in the Grade 1 Kentucky...
Hong Kong racing from Sha Tin is overnight beginning Saturday at 1 a.m. EDT, Friday at 10 p.m....