Tomorrow's Belmont Stakes race is the 30th anniversary of the last time a horse has won the Triple Crown (Affirmed, 1978). 30 years! I'm 29. I was born the same spring that Spectacular Bid won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness only to come up short in the Belmont. Since then, 9 other horses have won the first two legs and lost the last.
Here's a complete list of all of the horses that have won the first 2 of the 3 jewels of the Triple Crown. I'm hoping we won't have to add Big Brown to it.
2004 Smarty Jones 2nd (Birdstone)
2003 Funny Cide 3rd (Empire Maker)
2002 War Emblem 8th (Sarava)
1999 Charismatic 3rd (Lemon Drop Kid)
1998 Real Quiet 2nd (Victory Gallop)
1997 Silver Charm 2nd (Touch Gold)
1989 Sunday Silence 2nd (Easy Goer)
1987 Alysheba 4th (Bet Twice)
1981 Pleasant Colony 3rd (Summing)
1979 Spectacular Bid 3rd (Coastal)
1971 Canonero II 4th (Pass Catcher)
1969 Majestic Prince 2nd (Arts and Letters)
1968 Forward Pass# 2nd (Stage Door Johnny)
1966 Kauai King 4th (Amberoid)
1964 Northern Dancer 3rd (Quadrangle)
1961 Carry Back 7th (Sherluck)
1958 Tim Tam 2nd (*Cavan)
1944 Pensive 2nd (Bounding Home)
1936 Bold Venture Did not start (Granville)
1932 Burgoo King Did not start (Faireno)
#Won Kentucky Derby via disqualification
6 comments:
Smarty Jones was the one I rooted for the most and was devastated that he got beat by Birdstone. I remember the HUGE lightning storm that happened right at the end of the race, too, as if even God lost his two bucks on Smarty Jones!
PS: Ronald Reagan also died the day that Birdstone beat Smarty Jones.
The first one I remember being really upset by was when Easy Goer beat Sunday Silence. I was a kid and totally mad that Pat Day (on Easy Goer) could have let that happen.
I also remember being really bummed when Funny Cide lost. We were in Las Vegas and went to the ESPN Zone in New York, New York. It was packed and everyone was watching it on giant tv's. It was so neat being in a mini-fake NYC and rooting for the NY horse to win. But, you know how that ended.
I won good money on easy goer. It was the most I ever bet on a horse to win. I didn't even play him across the board.
I won good money on easy goer. It was the most I ever bet on a horse to win. I didn't even play him across the board.
Sorry.
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