Jersey Boy

Last year I fell in love with a George and Lori Hall colt named Sweet Ducky. Partically was estatic when he won a stakes race. Okay what does this have to do with this year's Belmont. The Hall's won this year's race... except not with Ducky. The won with Ruler on Ice who was third at Sunland in his prep and got shut out of the Derby. Instead he prepped in the Tesio at Pimlico finishing second. It looked like he was going to come up short to Stay Thirsty (who has a very intersting connection to the winning grandsire Fusaichi Pegasus), but his heart gave the Hall's, trainer Kelly Breen and jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. their first Triple Crown race win. What is up with the Jersey Boy? Well Kelly is based at Monmouth Park who will be having a new owner in a few weeks. Ironcily the new owner Morris Bailey's horse defeated Ruler on Ice in the Tesio.

Now for the interesting fact about Stay Thirsty and Fusaichi Pegasus. If you remember earlier I said that Stay Thirsty's brother Andromeda's Hero finished second in Afleet Alex's win in 2005. Well Fu-Peg is Andromeda's father. Ruler on Ice is by Roman Ruler, another son of 2000 Derby winner, and a half brother of El Corrador who was the sire of the late Delaware Oaks winner Adieu.

Now for the notables.

• I've been saying all year Stay Thirsty is better then Uncle Mo. There is absolutley no way that he would have hit the board in any of those races. Sorry to his fans, but I find him overrated.
• What heart Shackleford has, the race was just too long for him. 5th while certinally outrunning his pedigree is great.
• Animal Kingdom was freaking amazing, sure he finished 6th, but had he almost not lost his jockey at the begining we could have been saying that he's the first Derby-Belmont double since Thunder Gulch. Instead Ruler on Ice makes history by being the first gelding to win in a while.
• I was right about Brilliant Speed moving up in the slop. Master of Hounds said yuck though.
• Absolutly no excuse for Nehro, once again Zayat is cursed. The same goes for Mucho Macho Man whose jockey should be fired from Gio Ponti as well.
• We didn't see the Top 3yo of either sex today... at least on the East Coast. I think a filly by the name of Sarah's Secret could be a little superstar. Won the Honeymoon today at Hollywood.
• It's about freaking time that Medaglia d' Oro gets a US grass G1 winner. C.S. Silk who was his first "top" horse (Rachel was only G2 placed when Arlington-Washington Lassie was won by C.S.) won the Just a Game.
• We also didn't see the Top Horse of either sex today... at least at Belmont. She was a Delaware winning the Obeah. With her win, Havre de Grace is clearly the top horse in the land at this moment. Sadly I missed going today :( ah well.
• While I'm happy for the Hall's I rather seen Ducky in the race, but alas he was sold to the Chechen President and is probley somewhere in Russia now.
• NBC's coverage- I was really not that impressed. They did great on the Woodford race coverage, didn't even show the Dixie and came just in time to see the Manhattahn. For that I give them a C-. People may agree disagree, but that's just how I feel.
• This is not a good crop for either sex IMO. 
• Gio needs a new jockey, come on Christophe it could be your fellow Frenchmen in Julian I don't care, Ramon is just riding him poorly now.
• Delaware Park once again showed why from 2004 till 2008 it's a great place to have two year olds start. (ROI won his maiden in his second start at my home track, 3rd place finisher was this year's Wood winner Toby's Corner)
• For the second year in a row, Champagne Glow has a foal winning on Belmont day. That's right ROI's big sister is none other then Champagne d' Oro last year's Acorn winner.

So that ends another Triple Crown. Next week the older horses return to the spotlight in the Stephen Foster. I hopefully will be at Delaware for the Dick Memorial prep.