Joe Soriano
O.J. LewisTriple Crown threat?
May 18th 2008 09:30
The day belonged to Big Brown. He knew what he was there to do, and he delivered.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux had to do little to help Big Brown win Saturday’s Preakness in a landslide. About the only work Kent did was angle the horse to the rail early, then to the outside on the back stretch to keep him in position.
No whip. Didn’t need it. Near the end of the back stretch Desormeaux let the reins out slightly as Big Brown moved to the outside. Then as they came out of the turn and into the home stretch, he was already in the lead. No one was catching him.
Big Brown jumped out early and it looked like he was going to lead the pack. But I don’t think they expected Riley Tucker and Gayegos to get in front. Then Big Brown finds his position on the rail and suddenly is sort of in that danger zone -- behind a lead horse and with horses to your outside. The issue being, sometimes that can be a trap. If those two horses pace together it could be a nightmare if you stay crowded.
Big Brown checked to see if he could get in front of Riley Tucker, but Tucker kept pace, so Desormeaux let him go and pulled Big Brown to third. So as that happened, he pulled Big Brown outside to keep dirt out of his face. And so when Gayegos and Riley Ticker tired, Big Brown was on the outside. The trailing horses are suddenly making their move, but are met by the leading trio, and almost all of the trailers have to check up. Desormeaux seizes the opportunity to let Big Brown go. The rest is history.
Is it time to get out the triple crown? Not yet. Big Brown was superb again Saturday, just as he was in Kentucky and everywhere he’s started. So yeah the triple crown talk will start. But remember Smarty Jones? Smarty was the undefeated horse set to win the title crown in 1994 until a horse named Birdstone shocks everyone and edges him in the Belmont.
There’s two horses to watch to spoil the triple crown. The first was a tough luck horse in Saturday’s Preakness and may not even try for the Belmont. It was Kentucky Bear who stumbled at the start, and has the best charge of the back of the pack horses Saturday, but also had the rail. When the frontrunners tired, Kentucky Bear had actually moved into fourth, but on the rail had to check up, couldn’t go further inside, had a pack of horses on his outside, so he checked up, practically fell to last, and resurged to finish 6th. Had he not been trapped, he may have made the Preakness fairly interesting.
The second is the Japanese horse Casino Drive, which was built for the Belmont’s 1.5 mile course.
We’ll all learn more about this horse down the road.
Horses that have won both the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes
XX denotes Triple Crown Winners
Jockey Kent Desormeaux had to do little to help Big Brown win Saturday’s Preakness in a landslide. About the only work Kent did was angle the horse to the rail early, then to the outside on the back stretch to keep him in position.
No whip. Didn’t need it. Near the end of the back stretch Desormeaux let the reins out slightly as Big Brown moved to the outside. Then as they came out of the turn and into the home stretch, he was already in the lead. No one was catching him.
Big Brown jumped out early and it looked like he was going to lead the pack. But I don’t think they expected Riley Tucker and Gayegos to get in front. Then Big Brown finds his position on the rail and suddenly is sort of in that danger zone -- behind a lead horse and with horses to your outside. The issue being, sometimes that can be a trap. If those two horses pace together it could be a nightmare if you stay crowded.
The Belmont Stakes is the last obstacle for Big Brown and the triple crown.
There’s two horses to watch to spoil the triple crown. The first was a tough luck horse in Saturday’s Preakness and may not even try for the Belmont. It was Kentucky Bear who stumbled at the start, and has the best charge of the back of the pack horses Saturday, but also had the rail. When the frontrunners tired, Kentucky Bear had actually moved into fourth, but on the rail had to check up, couldn’t go further inside, had a pack of horses on his outside, so he checked up, practically fell to last, and resurged to finish 6th. Had he not been trapped, he may have made the Preakness fairly interesting.
The second is the Japanese horse Casino Drive, which was built for the Belmont’s 1.5 mile course.
We’ll all learn more about this horse down the road.
Horses that have won both the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness Stakes
XX denotes Triple Crown Winners
| Year | Kentucky Derby | Preakness | Belmont |
| 2008 | Big Brown | Big Brown | - |
| 2004 | Smarty Jones | Smarty Jones | Birdstone |
| 2003 | Funny Cide | Funny Cide | Empire Maker |
| 2002 | War Emblem | War Emblem | Sarava |
| 1999 | Charismatic | Charismatic | Lemon Drop Kid |
| 1998 | Real Quiet | Real Quiet | Victory Gallop |
| 1997 | Silver Charm | Silver Charm | Touch Gold |
| 1989 | Sunday Silence | Sunday Silence | Easy Goer |
| 1987 | Alysheba | Alysheba | Bet Twice |
| 1981 | Pleasant Colony | Pleasant Coloney | Summing |
| 1979 | Spectacular Bid | Spectacular Bid | Coastal |
| 1978 XX | Affirmed | Affirmed | Affirmed |
| 1977 XX | Seattle Slew | Seattle Slew | Seattle Slew |
| 1973 XX | Secretariat | Secretariat | Secretariat |
| 1971 | Canonero II | Canonero II | Pass Catcher |
| 1969 | Majestic Prince | Majestic Prince | Arts and Letters |
| 1968 | Forward Pass | Forward Pass | Stage Door Johnny |
| 1966 | Kauai King | Kauai King | Amberoid |
| 1964 | Northern Dancer | Northern Dancer | Quadrangle |
| 1961 | Carry Back | Carry Back | Sherluck |
| 1958 | Tim Tam | Tim Tam | Cavan |
| 1948 XX | Citation | Citation | Citation |
| 1946 XX | Assault | Assault | Assault |
| 1944 | Pensive | Pensive | Bounding Home |
| 1943 XX | Count Fleet | Count Fleet | Count Fleet |
| 1941 XX | Whirlaway | Whirlaway | Whirlaway |
| 1937 XX | War Admiral | War Admiral | War Admiral |
| 1936 | Bold Venture | Bold Venture | Granville |
| 1935 XX | Omaha | Omaha | Omaha |
| 1932 | Burgoo King | Burgoo King | Faireno |
| 1930 XX | Gallant Fox | Gallant Fox | Gallant Fox |
| 1919 XX | Sir Barton | Sir Barton | Sir Barton |
| 53 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
