One week ago, I did something probably that I've haven't done in at least 25 years. I was awake for 24 hours straight from 3:30am Saturday morning until 3:30am Sunday morning anticipating the excitement of Belmont Stakes day and Super card 2014. It was without doubt, the best 10 race stakes card ever assembled by NYRA in the 28 years that I've been playing the ponies. I decided right after this super card was announced last winter that I would be attending, because it was closest to a Breeder's Cup event in New York since the last one in 2005. So, my plans to go were made long before there was any thought of a three year old possibly racing for the Triple Crown. Needless to say, I was quite psyched to heading to New York the past few weeks.
You couldn't ask for a better weather day also, with no humidity and temperatures in the low 80's. I arrived via bus at Belmont Park about an hour before the first race at 11:35am and had nice seats right at the eighth pole in the grandstand. The crowd early on in the day wasn't that bad and wagering was quite easy to place with under 10 minutes to post each race. In the first stake of the day, Kid Cruz rebounded from his non-Preakness effort to a off the pace victory in the Easy Goer Stakes. He'll be a force to be reckon with this summer in three year old stakes and possible start in the Travers at Saratoga this summer. He was the first of several good three year old runners who were on the stakes undercard. Three races later, another sharp sophomore bounced back from a bad Preakness effort and stamped himself as a top three year old sprinter. Bayern, trainer by Bob Baffert donned blinkers-on and romped in the seven furlong Woody Stephens Stakes in near track recorded time. This was an improved effort from his previous two-turn effort and may either stay sprinting or stretch back out as the racing season continues.
Fillies shined both in the Acorn Stakes & Ogden Phipps, as Sweet Reason returned to her winning ways and Close Hatches held off Princess of Sylmar in a blanket finish of older Distaff runners. It was about this time that the crowds were getting bigger and tougher to wager on the races. An added element for me was the new wagering machines at Belmont Park. It took a little getting used to, plus the fact that many patrons were wagering ahead of time for the Belmont Stakes which was two hours later. One of the main reasons for my attendance for the days races was the addition of the Metropolitan Handicap at one mile. My favorite race of all time, it was switched to the Belmont Stakes undercard from the traditional Memorial Day running. It also featured the best horse (my opinion) in training; Palace Malice. Once again he was brilliant in victory with his fourth straight graded stakes victory.
As the Belmont Stakes approached, the 102 thousand in attendance beginning to rock! I finally made it back to my seat as the post parade went pass the eighth pole. My top selection; Wicked Strong was acting up a bit with the roar of the crowd, but the others were well behaved. As the horses broke, it was plain to see the California Chrome didn't get a clean getaway. From the inside he struggled and it was beginning to look from my advantage point that he wasn't getting that perfect trip he had in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Switching from the inside to the outside on the far turn, Chrome had his work cut out for him. I knew by this time, he wasn't winning. The finish was a close one with Tonalist winning by a head over the popular longshot; Commissioner. The 28-1 Todd Pletcher trainee was a dedication play by several DSS workers who pooled their money together for a $20 WPS wager in honor of their late boss, DSS Commissioner - William "Bill" Cranker. It was a pleasure for me to return $364 in remembrance of him.
It made up for a rather disappointing day of wagering and also not seeing a Triple Crown winner for the 36 straight year. Now was the fun battle to make it back to the bus, before the last race at 8:12 with 102, 199 people trying to leave the facility. That was a trip in itself and the only negative of the day for me when I had to nearly walk from one side of the track, to the parking lot (Blue) behind the training track by the mile and an eighth chute. I really felt bad for the older folks who had to walk so far, NYRA needs to address this situation for the future. The bus got back on Cross Island Parkway at 10:15pm and the long ride home was finally on after a very long day. I enjoyed it, although it would have been nice to cash a few more tickets and see history made. But, I've learned my lesson in hoping for a Triple Crown winner and will sit out another trip to see it in person. I'll leave that to the younger folks, they can deal with the crowds and disappointing history results.
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