The title “Triple Crown winner” rings sweetly in the ears of racing fans. But Sir Barton, the first to earn the title after winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes in 1919, wasn’t actually called that until 1930.

Sir Barton was the son of Star Shoot (who also sired the indomitable Grey Lag) and a mare named Lady Sterling. He was foaled at John Madden’s Hamburg Place. Madden, unimpressed with the colt’s tepid 2-year-old season, sold Sir Barton to Canadian sportsman and impressive owner J. K. L. Ross. … Read More >

Ernie Munick catches up with Hall of Fame jockey Jacinto Vasquez, the rider of such greats as Ruffian and Genuine Risk, on Alumni Day at Churchill Downs earlier in the year. Vasquez shares his thoughts on Ruffian as a 3-year-old, what he thinks got Genuine Risk beaten in the Belmont, and Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta.

Next up Ernie discusses impressive young riders and Alysheba with Chris McCarron.

Elsewhere of Interest

YouTube: Ruffian 1975 Acorn Stakes
YouTube: Ruffian 1975 Mother Goose Stakes
YouTube: … Read More >

Ernie Munick catches up with Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte on Alumni Day at Churchill Downs earlier in the year. Turcotte discusses who he thinks was the best horse besides Secretariat, breaking records and what he thinks prompted Secretariat’s historical performance on Belmont day 1973.

In upcoming renditions, Ernie discusses the whip, impressive young riders and Alysheba with Chris McCarron and the greatest fillies of all time with Jacinto Vasquez.

Elsewhere of Interest

Hello Race Fans: Top Five Favorite Belmont Stakes
YouTube: … Read More >

Two hours after winning the Belmont Stakes, Summer Bird was in his stall, taking in the small crowd gathered in front to admire him.

There was trainer Tim Ice, asking people to keep it down — “The horse is starting to get worked up” — and owner Dr. K. K. Jayaraman, beaming at every congratulations offered. Jockey Kent Desormeaux swept in, accompanied by his family, to shake hands and stroke the winner’s nose. Summer Bird turned and posed — snap, flash, went a camera — turned again and … Read More >

6:55 p.m. update: The finish …
Triple Crown season came to an end almost as surprising as its beginning, with 11-1 Summer Bird — the other ‘Bird — pulling away to a 2 3/4-length win in the Belmont. Dunkirk, the unexpected pacesetter, was game to the end, finishing second, a neck in front of Mine That Bird, who had taken the lead in the mid-stretch and seemed on his way to victory. “He run a great race, he just got beat,” said trainer Chip Woolley. “You have to accept that and go on.”

5:10 p.m. update: Love for Better Talk Now …
It … Read More >

Post positions and morning line for the Saturday, June 6, 2009 Belmont Stakes:

PP	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	ML
1	Chocolate Candy	Garrett Gomez	Jerry Hollendorfer	10-1
2	Dunkirk	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	4-1
3	Mr. Hot Stuff	Edgar Prado	Eoin Harty	15-1
4	Summer Bird	Kent Desormeaux	Tim Ice	12-1
5	Luv Gov	Miguel Mena	D. Wayne Lukas	20-1
6	Charitable Man	Alan Garcia	Kiaran McLaughlin	3-1
7	Mine That Bird	Calvin Borel	Bennie “Chip” Woolley	2-1
8	Flying Private	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	12-1
9	Miner’s Escape	Jose Lezcano	Nick Zito	15-1
10	Brave Victory	Rajiv Maragh	Nick Zito	15-1

Summer Bird will start with blinkers on for … Read More >

The Animal Planet Hypothesis, which places the show “Jockeys” behind much of this week’s Derby intrigue — including a $93 bomb on Oaks Day, the scratching of I Want Revenge and the victory by Mine That Bird — gathered strength Saturday night when word came up through reliable channels that the cable network had actively lobbied trainer Bennie Woolley to put rider Chantal Sutherland on the back of the far-fetched winner.

Sutherland was a featured performer on the show in its first season, and she might have gotten the mount had Square Eddie not been pulled out of the race. When … Read More >

It’s not surprising the bad and weird news the morning of the Kentucky Derby would come from trainer Jeff Mullins and IEAH. We don’t need to rehash the firestorm and skullduggery that surrounded Big Brown last year, or the stunning news that Mullins was blowing a syringe full of a drug sold under the name “Air Power” into the mouth of a horse in the detention barn the day of the Wood Memorial.

If anyone was going to scratch out of the Derby, it was likely favorite I Want Revenge.

A wise and veteran New York scribe, upon hearing the news said, … Read More >

The longer Oaks Day goes, the lengthier the span of time between races. When the seventh race lazed into view — around 1:40 p.m. — there were 30 minutes to post, and it was time to fidget then time to ramble.

Rich swells from Millionaires Row, the exclusive boxes on the sixth floor, slid into the Media Only elevator before the door closed wielding attractive cocktails and an inflated sense of entitlement. When the door opened, it was upon a rolling, shifting sea of humanity.

The grandstand ground floor felt too crowded, not Who-concert-in-Cincinnati crowded, but bad enough, with betting lines … Read More >

No surprise when the media is treated like dogs, but today we actually looked like mangy mongrels after tramping through the Churchill barn area all morning as monsoon-strength rains passed through, courtesy of a laughing God.

Who needs this? Why couldn’t all the panicky newspapers commit a final mercy killing and lay off the rest of us so we could stay home, sleep in and stay dry?

Did the late entry of Atomic Rain have anything to do with this ? More importantly, why doesn’t Kelly Breen, in his first Kentucky Derby with that horse and West Side Bernie, like us?

“We’d been … Read More >