CHALLENGERS LINE UP FOR BELMONT.Byline: Kevin Modesti Daily News Staff Writer When Real Quiet's van arrives at Belmont Park Noun 1. Belmont Park - a racetrack for thoroughbred racing in Elmont on Long Island; site of the Belmont Stakes Belmont Elmont - a town on Long Island in New York; site of Belmont Park in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of on Wednesday, the colt might find as many as 11 opponents and 1-1/2 miles of mud standing between him and thoroughbred history. At least eight challengers have been lined up, which is more than any the 11 Triple Crown winners faced in their Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes Oldest of the three U.S. horse races that constitute the Triple Crown. The Belmont originated in 1867 and is named after August Belmont (see Belmont family). The stakes is held in early June at Belmont Park, near Garden City, Long Island; the course is 1.5 mi (2,400 m). victory. The eagerness of rival owners to take on the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner confirms the obvious, that not everybody sees Real Quiet as a great horse worthy of mention alongside Count Fleet, Citation and Secretariat. The debate promises to dominate this week leading up to Saturday's Belmont Stakes: Is Real Quiet somehow unworthy of a Triple Crown because of his 4-for-14 record and the fact that injuries to some other top 3 year olds have simplified his task? Real Quiet is scheduled to put in his last serious, 5-furlong workout this morning at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and fly and van to Belmont on Wednesday morning along with owner Mike Pegram, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Kent Desormeaux. The weather was pleasant on Long Island on Monday. Thunderstorms thunderstorms a storm characterized by thunder and lightning caused by strong rising air currents; identified as agents of animal disease because of their involvement causing (1) spasmodic colic; (2) lightning strike; (3) injuries of cattle acquired in stampedes initiated by storms. are predicted today and Wednesday. The long-range forecast for Saturday has partial cloudiness and temperatures in the 80s - but the skies can change quickly on the Atlantic coast. The weather could be a factor, because Real Quiet ran the worst race of his career on a mucky surface at Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is a horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the in Albany, Calif., in January. Desormeaux said Monday morning he's having trouble sleeping. Not only would Real Quiet become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed 20 years ago, his team would divide a $5 million bonus from Visa for sweeping the three races. Including the winner's share of the $500,000-added Belmont purse, the California-based horse could earn the biggest racing payday. ``I'm so anxious for the race - to find my destiny, so to speak,'' said Desormeaux, 28, from his home in Bradbury. ``I'll definitely have the weight of history on my shoulders. But I feel very fortunate just to be the lucky pilot in the saddle with the opportunity.'' The field and post positions will be set Thursday morning. As of Monday, eight horses were on the ``probable'' list. They included five horses Real Quiet has already defeated - Derby and Preakness runnerup Victory Gallop (Gary Stevens riding), Classic Cat (John Velazquez), Hot Wells (Calvin Borel), Parade Ground (Pat Day) and Basic Trainee (Joe Bravo); and three new challengers - Yarrow yarrow, a plant of the genus Achillea, perennial herbs of the family Asteraceae (aster family), native to north temperate regions. Several species are cultivated as ornamentals for their flat-topped clusters of flowers and scented foliage. Brae brae n. Scots A hillside; a slope. [Middle English bra, from Old Norse br (Jerry Bailey), Thomas Jo (Chris McCarron) and Raffie's Majesty (Jorge Chavez). Officially dropping off the list Monday was Silver Launch, who came out of a Sunday workout with an ankle chip that will require surgery. Three other horses are listed as ``possible'' starters: Grand Slam (rider undetermined), who recovered from a nasty injury at age 2 to win the Peter Pan at Belmont nine days ago; Hanuman Hanuman Monkey god of Hindu mythology, a central figure in the Ramayana. He was a guardian spirit, the offspring of a nymph and the wind god. His great heroic exploit was recovering Rama's wife, Sita, from captivity by the demon Ravana. Highway (Jose Santos), who was seventh in the Derby; and lightly raced Limit Out (Jean-Luc Samyn). Grand Slam trainer D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. might wait as late as Wednesday before announcing a decision. Hanuman Highway trainer Kathy Walsh plans to make up her mind today. Limit Out trainer Allen Jerkens is aiming for Wednesday. The 11 Triple Crown winners faced as many as seven and as few as two horses in the Belmont. By contrast, of the 13 Triple Crown hopefuls who were tripped up in the Belmont, seven were up against eight or more horses. ``Every night, I find myself wondering how the race is going to be run,'' Desormeaux said. ``(But) it's hard to dream about the race when you don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. who the players are yet.'' |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion