NEWS
VIDEO - Large Derby field makes Triple Crown competition more taxing
Posted: Thursday, June 03, 2010 11:00 AM
For video of trainer Kiaran McLaughlin talking about the Triple Crown schedule, click here.
by Frank Angst
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito believes the large Kentucky Derby (G1) fields in recent years have led to the lack of horses competing in all three Triple Crown races.
There will not be a single horse to compete in all three classics this season. Only four of the 12 horses entered in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes (G1) have raced in either the Derby or the Preakness Stakes (G1).
“I think it starts with the 20 horses in the Derby. When you look at that race over the years, there weren’t that many horses until recently,” Zito said. “Then you look at the prep races and those are all big races with big fields now. People just fire away.”
Trainer Steve Margolis, who will saddle Stay Put in the Belmont, said following the aggressive approach to land a Derby spot, horsemen pick their spots after the first Saturday in May. Stay Put is one of eight Belmont entrants making their first classic start.
“I think owners and trainers are a little more conservative with running their horses,” Margolis said.
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has had three different horses come up short in the final leg of the Triple Crown after winning the Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1), noted how taxing the series is on horses.
“When those horses come up short, I felt bad about a lot of things but I really felt bad for the horses,” Baffert said. “We ask a lot out of them.”
This is the first year since 2006 that at least one horse has not competed in all three races. Last year Mine That Bird won the Derby, finished second in the Preakness, and was third in the Belmont.
Zito said even though it would make Saturday’s race tougher for him to win, he would have like to have seen Derby winner Super Saver or Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky entered in the Belmont.
“It’s sad, you’d love to see the Derby winner or the Preakness winner but they didn’t think Super Saver would be able to run back and Bob [Baffert] thought the mile-and-a-half would be too long for Lookin At Lucky,” Zito said. “It’s like an All-Star game, you want the stars there.”
First Dude is the only starter wheeling back in three weeks. Trainer Dale Romans believes the Preakness runner-up is an old-style horse who can handle the quick turnaround.
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times
