11:35: Dixieland Star broke quickly from the gate, established his inside position in fast fractions, drifted a bit into the lane, allowing Inger Management to slip through on the fence to take the lead with a half mile in :45.36, then went unchallenged to the wire in 1:10.08.
No question the track has moisture in it but it played fast, and appeared to favor speed. Of course, these were the two favorites in inverted order, so the result was formful in any event. But so far, on this Belmont Stakes day when temperatures are expected to climb into the 70s later this afternoon, so good.
Second event, second speed horse who, after clearing, stayed on the fence and stopped the timer in 1:20-and-change for seven-eighths of a mile. Favorite Speight of Hand did not break with the field but, after recovering, had no real pop, anyway.
The race was interesting in that a horse finally came off the pace--sort of--but the track is inside favoring because the second horse, made a bold mid-race move on the fence, was passed at the quarter-pole, yet no one could make up any ground. Then, we heard it from the rider’s mouth.
“My horse was a little rank so I had to let him go,” said Richard Migliore from inside the paddock on this beautiful afternoon. “It looks like it’s going to be speed from the inside all day. Even if it does dry out more later on, it’s still pretty wet underneath.”
Having ridden about 4,500 winners, the guy probably knows what he’s talking about.
1:27 PM: So, while Calvin might have been idle in the saddle this week, seeing the sights, appearing on Leno-man--yes, he got a little confused, but this must all still be a whirlwind--trainer Chip Woolley has been making hay after training hours.
Woolley’s having the time of his life even though he heard all the bad stories about big, bad New York City. “There’s nothing like the Derby,” he was told, “and the people in Baltimore know how to treat you right. But when you get here, they could care less. It’s a whole different thing.”
Apparently, D. Wayne Lukas has been telling this same cautionary tale to every Belmont Stakes rookie that comes down Hempstead Turnpike. But there was Woolley, at the Belmont press party, dancing on the crutches and putting his cowboy hat atop every pretty female face in the crowd.
“I was told New York was nothing but tall buildings and the people are cold. But it’s a lot more than that, and the people I’ve met have been very nice,” Woolley said.
“Tell you one thing. No one’s broken into my truck since I’m here.”
And that’s exactly what happened a few days after the Derby in Louisville. The only thing of real value stolen was his GPS system and, believe it or not, Mine That Bird’s foal papers. That, of course, is a great souvenir.
But unless the thieves were intending to show up at some racetrack and enter the Derby winner in some claiming race like a common ringer, just to make sure that could cash a bet, the papers wouldn‘t have much value. Unless they could trick some unsuspecting fool on E Bay.
