Get Ready to be Unpopular

Winning the Triple Crown is tough enough, what if you are the one to spoil it. If anyone other then I'll Have Another wins the Belmont, their connections have to be ready to be unpopular for quite a while.

Kenny McPeek knows how it feels, he upset War Emblem with his third string horse Sarava in the 2002 Belmont. It was the first of 2 Belmont wins for his jockey Edgar Prado (he would also spoil Smarty Jones' TC try with Birdstone, but I personally forgave him months later when he rode Funny Cide for the first time, by the time Barbaro had come around, I think almost all forgave him). He would retire only to return in 2006. He has Atigun (not pronounced how you think) and Unstoppable U for the race.

Chad Brown was an asst. for Bobby Frankel when he won the 03 Belmont with Empire Maker over Funny Cide. Now out on his own, he'll have a chance to do it himself when he saddles Street Life.

While Dale Romans spoiled the TC last year in the Preakness, he'll have to try to do in the final leg with Dullahan whose big brother was 3rd in the 2009 Belmont.

Then there's the other side of the coin.

Bob Baffert has been spoiled before with heart breaking loses with Silver Charm and Real Quiet, and a bad loss with War Emblem. This will be his first time trying to be the spoiler in the Belmont with Paytner (Point Given spoiled the TC in the Preakness so that really doesn't count).

Then there's Michael Matz, a heart breaking loss in the Preakness with Barbaro. Is he ready to be the villain if Union Rags wins?

Either way, these are the trainers who I would not mind winning if I'll Have Another loses. Any of the other horses well... you get the point.

Can Zayat's luck change thanks to a $2,500 purchase?

Ahmed Zayat has had Derby contenders the past few years. In 2009 he what looked like he was on his way to win his first Derby (trainer Bob Baffert's fourth) with Santa Anita Derby winner Pioneerof the Nile. Unfortnally for him and his jockey Garrett Gomez, Mine That Bird had other plans spoiling the chance for Baffert to win the Derby the same year he would go into the Hall of Fame. Then came the Preakness where it looked like Pioneerof the Nile would be able to get revenge on the Derby winner. Except Rachel Alexandra came calling after Zayat's effort with Mark Allen to keep her out of the race. That would be the last race for Pioneerof the Nile in his career.

It didn't get much better as after a poor Breeders' Cup Sprint, his horse Zensational was denied Champion Sprinter. He then removed his horses from Bob Baffert and gave them to other trainers. Unfortanlly one of those horses Thorn Song had a horrible race in one of his first starts for his new trainer and for a while was feared deceased by fans of the horse (the last I heard he was in a hospital, but not sure about that). Then came the lawsuits and Zayat Stables going bankrupt. It didn't help that his best horse Eskendreya was injured and retired after his Wood Memorial win only to see his trainer Todd Pletcher win the race with Super Saver.

However, could a horse that just cost $2,500 finally change Zayat's luck? Black N Beauty won today by 2 1/2 at a mile at Gulfstream. Trained by Dale Romans (of Kitten's Joy, Paddy O' Prado and First Dude fame) trains this son of Devil His Due. Time will tell weather he will be a solid Derby contender, but he has faced Brethren who is currently #6 on the ThoroughChat Derby Top 20. He may end being a non contender for the Derby, so it may be a moot point. The good news for BNB, he's an ON bred which makes him eligible for the Queen's Plate. It will certinally be interesting where he ends up next.