He's for Real

Is this the year? Are we finally going to have a Triple Crown winner? Much like the Derby, Bodemeister went straight to lead. However with no other speed he was able to go slower, and it looked like he was once again going to hold on. However, like the Derby he was grinded down by I'll Have Another. Thus we head for Belmont in 3 weeks for the 5th time since 2002 for a chance at the elusive Triple Crown. No excuses for Bode who had everything his own way was second, and Creative Cause was third. Big disappointment for Went The Day Well who just didn't show up.

There of course will be many questions leading up to the Belmont.

* Who will ride Dullahan? Kent Desermoux is off, no word on who will ride him. Maybe Calvin Borel who rode big brother in his Belmont 3rd place finish? (Edit: Javiar Castellano will ride)

* Who will Alan Garcia ride? He is the last jockey to deny a Triple Crown (Da' Tara)

* Will Edgar Prado ride Union Rags? He denied both War Emblem (Sarava) and Smarty Jones (Birdstone), and prob. would denied Big Brown too if Casino Drive wasn't scratched the morning of the race. To this day I feel that had Barbaro not been pulled up in the Preakness, they would have not only been in that winners circle they would have been in the Belmont winners circle celebrating the Triple Crown. (Edit: Answer is no, reportly John Velazquez will)

* Will Paytner who will be Baffert and Zayat's horse in the Belmont emulate his uncle the great Tiznow?

* Will Rosie Napravnik and Mark Veleski go? There is no hotter jockey right now then Rosie, and Mark ran a bang up race in the Peter Pan. However, Larry Jones might decide that the Triple Crown possiblites maybe too much and skip it. (Edit: as of right now he is prob. not going, leaving Rosie shut out in all likelyhood)

* I'll Have Another is the real deal, the past 6 horses who have taken home at least 2 legs of the Triple Crown, have been 3yo Champion Male. (Point Given (Horse of the Year), War Emblem, Funny Cide, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Big Brown) So the odds are in his favor.

We'll find out in three weeks.

A few thoughts:

* Mario Gutierrez rides like he's 45 not 25. Another great ride for him.

* Lava Man looks like is getting more and more used to large crowds again. He looked the most calm that he has since he's been poning in the afternoon. His last trip of New York didn't go according to plan (05 Jockey Club Gold Cup), so it will be interesting how he handles the pressure as the Derby and the Preakness winning pony.

* We have the new Sunday Silence and Easy Goer rivalry. Except IHA and Bode are West Coast horses.

* After years saying, "oh the Cali 3yos are much better then the East Coast", we can say that yes California 3yos are better then the East Coast 3yos. They went 1-2-3, the top East Coast horse? Zetterholm whose trainer I talked about on Thursday.

* Alternation is the one to beat for Horse of the Year honors (unless IHA wins the Belmont). His Pimlico Special was awesome, and I feel bad for Ahmed Zayat two close finishes on Friday and Saturday. (Nehro yesterday, Bode of course today).

* If Distorted Humor is AWESOME!! He has a Derby-Preakness winner as a sire, and a Derby-Preakness winner as a grandsire. Flower Alley's stud fee is going to skyrocket. Plus he had Alternation winning. A fantastic weekend for him.

* I'll Have Another, joins Funny Cide and Big Brown as Derby-Preakness winners born in April. Derby-Preakness winner Smarty Jones was born in Feburary, and Preakness-Belmont winner Afleet Alex is a May baby.

So it's time for to move on to the Belmont, only time will tell weather or not I'll Have Another join War Admiral, Citation, Omaha, Gallant Fox, Sir Barton, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Assualt, Whirlaway and Affirmed as the 12th Triple Crown winner.