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Triple Crown Dreams Often Dashed At Belmont


First Posted: 05/20/2012 3:25 pm Updated: 05/20/2012 10:51 pm

-- Since Affirmed last won horse racing's Triple Crown in 1978, 11 3-year-olds have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness - but fallen short in the Belmont Stakes. I'll Have Another will try to snap that streak on June 9.

A look at how the last 11 thoroughbreds with a chance to win the Triple Crown ran at Belmont:

(All Captions Via AP)

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  • Big Brown - 2008

    Big Brown finishes last to Da' Tara, the longest shot on the board. Big Brown fails to respond when jockey Kent Desormeaux asks for more speed in the last turn. At that point, Desormeaux eases him up.

  • Smarty Jones - 2004

    Smarty Jones extends his lead approaching the quarter pole and maintains a clear lead inside the furlong marker. Fights gamely into the deep stretch then yields grudgingly to finish second, a length behind Birdstone.

  • Funny Cide - 2003

    Funny Cide leads to the far turn, relinquishes the lead to Empire Maker at the three-sixteenths pole, battles along the inside to the top of the stretch then weakens, finishing third, five lengths back.

  • War Emblem - 2002

    War Emblem stumbles badly out of the gate then bumps Magic Weisner at the start in an 11-horse field. Takes brief lead nearing the half-mile pole. Remains a factor to the turn but gives way, finishing eighth, 19 1/2 lengths back.

  • Charismatic - 1999

    Charismatic takes the lead briefly at the turn but Lemon Drop Kid and Vision and Verse fly by him on the outside and he finishes third, 1 1/2 lengths back.

  • Real Quiet - 1998

    Four lengths ahead with an eighth-mile remaining, Real Quiet is nipped by a nose at the wire by Victory Gallop in a nine-horse field.

  • Silver Charm - 1997

    Silver Charm fails to hold off Touch Gold in the final eighth-mile and finishes second, three-quarters of a length back, in a seven-horse field.

  • Sunday Silence - 1989

    Sunday Silence can't match Easy Goer in the final quarter-mile and finishes second, eight lengths back in a 10-horse field.

  • Alysheba - 1987

    Checked sharply on the final turn, Alysheba finishes fourth, 14 lengths behind winner Bet Twice in a 10-horse field.

  • Pleasant Colony - 1981

    Pleasant Colony, never better than third, finishes a little more than 1 1/2 lengths behind Summing, with Highland Blade second in an 11-horse field.

  • Spectacular Bid - 1979

    The 1-5 favorite, Spectacular Bid leads with a quarter-mile left, but weakens to finish third in an eight-horse field, 3 1/4 lengths behind Coastal and another head behind Golden Act.

FOLLOW HUFFPOST SPORTS

-- Since Affirmed last won horse racing's Triple Crown in 1978, 11 3-year-olds have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness - but fallen short in the Belmont Stakes. I'll Have Another will try ...
-- Since Affirmed last won horse racing's Triple Crown in 1978, 11 3-year-olds have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness - but fallen short in the Belmont Stakes. I'll Have Another will try ...
-- Since Affirmed last won horse racing's Triple Crown in 1978, 11 3-year-olds have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness - but fallen short in the Belmont Stakes. I'll Have Another will try ...
-- Since Affirmed last won horse racing's Triple Crown in 1978, 11 3-year-olds have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness - but fallen short in the Belmont Stakes. I'll Have Another will try ...
Filed by Michael Klopman  |  Report Corrections
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
headhuntnyc
Bassets are the best!!
02:35 PM on 05/22/2012
Really an absolutely moronic headline. And a nothing story to follow-up. Lazy.

How about: The History of Dashed Dreams at Belmont and then a story about some the most famous "almost did it" horses.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
olitenup
11:48 AM on 05/22/2012
I really don't care who wins as long as the horses and the jocks have safe trip and the horses arrive back at the barns healthy and well.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
clearthinker16
reads, investigates and thinks before making stupi
04:13 PM on 05/20/2012
what a dumb title and statement. of course they would be dashed here it is the last race of three.
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08:48 PM on 05/21/2012
Beat me to it. But it's a way to cash in on the story and get suckers like me to click. Wonder how many impressions HuffPo just generated.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Sachem515
Facts aren't negotiable
09:15 AM on 05/22/2012
NFL championship dreams often go unfulfilled at Super Bowl!