Super Saver and jockey Calvin Borel miss the chance for a Triple Crown Winner
It has happened again. Thirty two years and counting since the last time a horse has won the Triple Crown in racing. This year Super Saver with veteran jockey Calvin Borel on board had the chance to do it but failed in the second leg, the Preakness Stakes. Lookin at Lucky who was favored in the Kentucky Derby but could not overcome a terrible post position, returned to win the Preakness Stakes. Look for the two to duel it out again in the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, on June 5th.
The last horse to capture the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978 under the direction of jockey Steve Cauthen. There have been several other horses that have come close over the years but could not complete the trifecta. The closest call was in 1999 when Charismatic won the Derby and Preakness and came within a few yards of winning the Belmont before breaking a leg. The heart break has been immortalized in the book “Three Strides Before the Wire.” Another horse that seemed on the way to a Triple Crown was Big Brown in 2008 but pulled up lame in the Belmont Stakes. Why has it been so tough for a horse to capture all three races? The experts say it could be conditioning with modern thoroughbreds needing more time between starts than the calendar for the three race showcase allows.
Now that we know no horse will capture the Triple Crown this year, the focus turns to 2011. Who are the top two year olds who will be battling it out next May and June in the Triple Crown races? The juveniles who could emerge next spring to challenge for the Kentucky Derby and the other big races are sons of great champions like Bernadini, Bluegrass Cat, and Rockport Harbor. Speed Demon is out of Bluegrass Cat and Celestial Legend who was a stakes winner herself. In his debut, Speed Demon was an impressive third at Keeneland and is a horse to watch.
The two year old who won that race in April was Wetzel is Wild who nosed out Weekend Wildcat. These two may not have the pedigree of Speed Demon but have to be considered now as possible entries in the Kentucky Derby next year. Wetzel is the son of Successful Appeal and Lady Carmen while Weekend Wildcat is out of Lion Heart and Blushing Double by Candy Stripes. They will both be worth watching (and betting) on their way to Churchill Downs next May.
Another place you may spot potential Triple Crown winners is at the 2 year old sales at Keeneland.
The market has been down a little in recent years for buying thoroughbred horses but this spring we started to see a comeback. The top price in April for a two year old was paid to purchase Wilburn who is a colt out of Bernadini and Moonlight Sonata. Bernadini has incredible blood lines with A.P. Indy as his grandfather and Seattle Slew as his great grandfather. The horse went for $625,000. The second highest price was paid for a colt out of Malibu Moon and Whirlwind Charlotte. Watch for this chestnut colt in the coming months to emerge as a Triple Crown contender because his father Malibu Moon is Bernadini's brother. He brought $575,000 at auction. His mother, Whirlwind Charlotte is the daughter of another great stakes winner, Real Quiet.
Watch for all of these great two year olds to square off in the Breeders Cup Juveniles Stakes which often is a great preview of the Triple Crown race in the following year. Past winners include Street Sense and Unbridled Song who both went on to win the Kentucky Derby.
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