NEWS

Racing News

Industry News

Most Popular Stories

Most E-mailed Stories

Road to the Triple Crown:
Flying Private set for third classic

Posted: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 3:48 PM

FLYING PRIVATE

Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo

by Frank Angst

Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas appreciates the accomplishment Flying Private will complete simply by starting in the $1-million Belmont Stakes (G1) Saturday.

Mine That Bird and Flying Private are the only two three-year-olds expected to start in all three of this year's Triple Crown races. While Mine That Bird enters off a victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and a runner-up finish in the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1), Lukas also sees reason for optimism with his horse.

After finishing fifth in the Arkansas Derby (G2) (video) and last in the Kentucky Derby (video), Flying Private delivered a solid performance in the Preakness, finishing fourth (video).

"He bumped with Mine That Bird in the stretch," Lukas said. "If not for that, I think he would have finished even better, as would have Mine That Bird."

By Fusaichi Pegasus, Lukas said Flying Private typically carries a lot of weight and can handle, and in fact thrive, through a busy racing schedule. Flying Private will make his 13th career start in the Belmont.

With Lukas and owners Robert Baker and William Mack, Flying Private has connections who believe in racing often. The two owners and trainer teamed to send out Proud Citizen in all three Triple Crown races in 2002, including a runner-up Derby finish.

When Lukas finds a horse capable of starting in all three races, he is not afraid to pull the trigger. But the four-time Belmont winner believes the Triple Crown races should be spread out.

Lukas said the Derby should remain on the first Saturday in May, with the Preakness on Memorial Day weekend, and the Belmont around the July 4 holiday.

"That way, I think we could keep the fields together and develop a fan base," said Lukas, noting fans have a difficult time getting behind the new shooters from one race to the next. "It's a problem not keeping more of these horses together."

He said more spacing between races would give trainers a chance to commit more horses to all three races.

"I think when you're training horses, time is your ally," Lukas said.

He added that because many horses are scrambling for graded stakes earnings to make the Derby field, the three races at long distances during a five-week stretch is just the end of an already grueling road.

"Usually, you're talking about four or five races run together," Lukas said. "It's really a four- or five-race series."

Lukas also will saddle Luv Gov, who enters off an eighth-place Preakness finish. If both horses start, they will be Lukas's 20th and 21st Belmont starters, although he has not had a starter in the race since A. P. Arrow finished fifth in 2005.

"We're taking a shot with Luv Gov. Honestly, we're taking a big shot," Lukas said. "He is by Ten Most Wanted, who I think liked this type of distance."

Frank Angst is senior writer for THOROUGHBRED TIMES

Taxing Triple Crown
A look at field sizes for recent editions of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes reveals that few horses start in all three classics. Below are the field sizes for recent classics with the number of horses that have started in the Derby and Preakness, followed by the number of horses that have competed in all three classics