May 31, 2009

The other day Jess Jackson, owner of Preakness-winner Rachel Alexandra, decided against running his super-filly in the Belmont Stakes on June 6.  That decision freed up Rachel’s Preakness-winning rider, Calvin Borel, to accept a Belmont assignment to ride Mine That Bird, the horse that he rode to victory in the Kentucky Derby on May 2.

Shorty after this decision was announced I received a call from my sister-in-law.  We’ve been close friends for decades despite the fact that at the outset of almost any discussion we almost always have opposite opinions.  (If you’re lucky you have a friend or relative just like Susie!)

Susie started the conversation with, “So, Paul, if Borel wins the Belmont on Mine That Bird, did he win the Triple Crown?” “Certainly,” I said. She fired back “Nohedidn’t!”  And away we went!

I said, “Well, if Borel wins the Belmont he would then have the money and the trophies awarded to the rider of the winner of each of the three races, and since those three races are what we refer to as The Triple Crown, well, he’d surely be a Triple Crown Winner.” 

“Nohewouldn’t!”

And on and on we went, finally coming to…..no resolution.  The usual.

So would he?

Know what’s so special about this?  Susie is only marginally interested in Thoroughbred racing, and if not for my involvement I don’t think she’d care much about it at all.  Yet here she was, vehemently defending her position that a jockey who rode to victory in the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont – on different horses – was not a ‘legitimate’ Triple Crown Winner.

But here’s the best part:  According to Susie, people all over the place are talking about this, including a whole bunch of folks who would otherwise be mostly uninterested in our amazing sport.

If Borel does win the Belmont he’ll own one of the most unique records in all of sports, not just Thoroughbred racing.  Like Don Larsen’s perfect World Series game, Woody Stephens winning five consecutive Belmonts, and Tiger Woods’  four consecutive majors.  How cool would that be?  The chatter will last for months!!!

Is this great for racing, or what?

Paul H. Rothfuss