History was set at Belmont Park Saturday but it was not Funny Cide becoming a Triple Crown winner. Instead, it was trainer Bobby Frankel winning his first Triple Crown race when his Empire Maker won the Belmont Stakes (gr. I). Ten Most Wanted was second and Funny Cide third.
The New Yorkers were rooting for New York-bred Funny Cide. But a New York-bred did win the Belmont -- Frankel was born in Brooklyn.
Empire Maker ran second to Funny Cide in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), and then skipped the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), which Funny Cide won easily. Empire Maker was favored in the Derby.
Empire Maker is by Unbridled and out of the incredible producer Toussaud, by El Gran Senor. The Belmont winner was bred and is owned by Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm.
Jose Santos sent Funny Cide right to the lead in the 1 ½ mile race run over a track made quite sloppy by persistent rains. He appeared in good shape when the half was run in :48.70, and six furlongs were timed in 1:13.51.
But, Jerry Bailey aboard Empire Maker said he could sense that Funny Cide was rank as they traveled down the backside. Empire Maker was in third at that point behind Funny Cide and Scrimshaw.
"He was so rank today. He couldn't get him to settle down," Bailey said of Santos and Funny Cide.
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29 сен 2024
