The Belmont List

With the Test of Champions just around the corner, I decided to have a little fun with the classic race. There have been 31 winners of the Belmont Stakes since Affirmed outgamed Alydar to become the eleventh winner of the Triple Crown. Today I took on the unenviable task of ranking them 1 through 31. The basis for the ranking was on their overall racing career and a blending of excellence and accomplishments. Have fun and please let me know where you think I may have gone astray...  1. Easy Goer 20-14-5-1  2. Point Given 13-9-3-0  3. Risen Star 11-8-2-1  4. A.P. Indy 11-8-0-1  5. Afleet Alex 12-8-2-1  6. Conquistador Cielo 13-9-0-2  7. Swale 14-9-2-2  8. Coastal 14-8-1-3  9. Thunder Gulch 16-9-2-2 10. Rags to Riches 7-5-1-0 11. Bet Twice 26-10-6-4 12. Empire Maker 8-4-3-1 13. Hansel 14-7-2-3 14. Lemon Drop Kid 24-10-3-3 15. Victory Gallop 17-9-5-1 16. Summer Bird 8-4-1-1 17. Tabasco Cat 18-8-3-2 18. Birdstone 9-5-0-0 19. Touch Gold 15-6-3-1 20. Crème Fraiche 64-17-12-13 21. Danzig Connection 17-6-5-4 22. Temperance Hill 31-11-4-2 23. Colonial Affair 20-7-4-3 24. Caveat 21-6-4-3 25. Go and Go 15-6-0-2 26. Summing 23-7-5-1 27. Editor’s Note 31-6-4-3 28. Jazil 11-2-5-0 29. Sarava 17-3-3-0 30. Commendable 12-2-1-1 31. Da’ Tara 17-2-5-2

Here’s Why I Like Ron the Greek

Yes, I have heard them all…One should never put too much stock in one single race. The field for the LeComte is infinitely lighter than it will be on the first Saturday in May. A horse that comes from so far behind is at the mercy of the pace. How could a horse that runs his first three races at Hoosier Park, Delta Downs, and Remington Park ever make it big? These concerns are certainly not without merit, but every once in a while a horse comes along that beats the odds. I believe Ron the Greek may well be that kind of horse. In yesterday’s LeComte Stakes at the Fair Grounds, Ron the Greek came from the clouds to inhale a solid field of sophomores. The highly regarded Maximus Ruler set down solid fractions and after six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 looked strong on the lead. Meanwhile Ron the Greek was languishing at the back of the pack a full fifteen lengths behind. What happened from there was one of the more impressive stretch runs you will ever see. Still second to last as the horses straightened out for the stretch run, Ron the Greek swung to the outside and unleashed a furious kick that jettisoned him to a rather easy 1 ½ length score. Final time for the one mile and forty yards was a solid 1:40 flat. A closer look at Ron the Greek’s splits reveal what his opponents had to deal with. Ron the Greek ran his first six furlongs in 1:15 1/5, which means he finished the race in :24 4/5, a decent close if we are talking about the final quarter mile. But, of course, we are not. That final :24 4/5 was over a quarter mile plus 40 yards, meaning that Ron the Greek was running the last two furlongs, of this distance race, in just over 22 seconds. Major racehorse time to be sure and the kind of closing kick that strikes fear in the hearts of rival trainers at Louisville. Making the rally even more impressive, take note that the LeComte was not a race where the pace collapsed. The horses that were near the lead early, were, for the most part, still fighting on in the stretch, and there was clearly only one horse dropping down the hammer in the lane. Make that a Jack Hammer, who happens to be the owner of Ron the Greek. Trained by Tom Amoss, this bay colt has a powerful frame that reminds me of successful Triple Crown runners Risen Star, Unbridled, and Victory Gallop. Those three also had made little noise running outside of the major markets at two. Each of them flashed their ability in the Spring and continued to grow into their physiques, on their way to big successes as the races became longer. Ron the Greek has the physicality to become that type of horse, as he continues to mature and gets to run at longer distances. He has all the look of a horse who should appreciate the increase in distance as the level of competition gets tougher. When looking for a Derby horse, it is an added benefit to see a horse who has the size and strength to handle the rigors of the Triple Crown series. I remember thinking the exact same thing of Risen Star, the first time I saw him 22 years ago.  Coincidentally, Ron the Greek's next race should be in the Risen Star Stakes. As far as the tracks that he has run at so far, it only makes him all the more appealing. Running at those small tracks can make it even tougher to consistently explode down the stretch, and that is exactly what he has done in each of his four races. This without the benefit of sizzling early fractions. Imagine what his kick might be if they run in 1:09 or 1:10 early? Yesterday was no aberration, it was just the first time that he got a chance to show off in front of a bigger audience on a more grandiose stage. It will only get bigger from here, but wouldn’t it be nice to see a horse who came from small tracks in Indiana, Louisiana, and Oklahoma become a winner of the Derby, Preakness, or Belmont? I know I will be watching for the big bay closing like a freight train.

Remembering ... Risen Star

“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere, It’s up to you, New York, New York!” The lyrics bellowed from the powerful lungs of one of Risen Star’s owners, Ronnie Lamarque. The outgoing Cajon sang his heart out in the Belmont Stakes Winner’s Circle. He had every right, his horse, trained by fellow Louisianan and co-owner Louie Roussel III, had just turned the ‘test of champions’ into a stretch long runway into the stratosphere of superstardom. Risen Star had just won the Belmont by 14 ¾ lengths, with every powerful stride he effortlessly lengthened his lead on his Belmont foes. My partner in watching the Belmont was my father, and I’ll never forget what he said that day. You have to understand, this is a man who does not easily throw flowery adjectives a horses way. He has seen too many great racehorses to become overly impressed without cause. Hyperbole is simply not in his make-up, but as Risen Star cruised by the sixteenth pole, the words came out of his mouth: “He is a superhorse.” Risen Star was a big powerful dark bay son of the immortal Secretariat. Snatched out of the Calder two-year-old in training sale by Roussel and Lamarque, he did not make it to the races until late September of his juvenile season. He wasted no time in validating his purchase by winning a stakes race first out at Louisiana Downs. He followed that by running a distant 2nd in another stakes race at Louisiana Downs to Success Express, who would go onto be one of the best two-year-olds in the nation. A good start to his career, but this long legged son of the His Majesty mare, Ribbon, would need not worry about sprinting on a dirt course ever again. A four length romp in an allowance route at the Fair Grounds closed his juvenile campaign. Risen Star began his three-year-old season gaining confidence. He ran in one more allowance race the day after New Year’s Day, and it produced a ten length score. He followed that up with a 2nd place finish in his return to stakes competition in the Lecomte Handicap. That would be his only defeat at the Fair Grounds. Risen Star continued on the New Orleans path for three-year-olds with easy victories in their top races. His win in the Louisiana Derby Trial and the Louisiana Derby signaled his readiness to venture outside of Louisiana and onto the Kentucky Derby trail. Fair Grounds immediately honored ‘their’ horse by renaming the Louisiana Derby Trial. It has been known as the Risen Star Stakes since 1989. When he left Louisiana he was my selection for the Kentucky Derby. His final prep was at Keeneland, and in one of the best races of the year, he would meet the juvenile champion and Derby favorite, Forty Niner, in the Lexington Stakes. Risen Star prevailed in a tough battle to win by a neck. I loved his breeding and his physicality and I now knew he could handle the nation’s best. There were people still doubted the Louisiana horse, but he arrived in Louisville as a legitimate threat. For those of us supporting him the 1988 Derby turned out to be a disappointing renewal. Risen Star had little chance as he was shuffled far back early, swung wide, and was left way too far from the front running winner Winning Colors. She held off Forty Niner, who had not pressured her early. Meanwhile, Risen Star got things rolling late only to finish a fast closing third. The Preakness brought redemption, as Risen Star was much closer to the pace and quickly pounced on the two who had beaten him at Churchill. The 1 ¼ length score was still not proof to many people though. Risen Star, who almost didn’t run, was disrespected as fans of the filly, Winning Colors, blamed her loss on the ride of Pat Day aboard Forty Niner. Swelling in the leg before the Belmont would raise major concerns, but he was declared fit to run, so it was on to the Belmont to settle things. Everything came into focus at the Belmont Stakes and it was spectacular. Risen Star, like many large horses, was developing and maturing seemingly by the minute. Each race was better than the last and when he crossed the finish line on June the 11th, it was clear that we were looking at something special. For the first time, a son of Secretariat was actually looking like a chip of the old block. The New Orleans guys were overjoyed and it was a pleasure to see that personality effused into the post-race proceedings. It was a grand time to be at the races and to be a fan of Risen Star. The future was bright for this horse who had made his first seven starts in the state of Louisiana. He was Louisiana through and through. Owned by Louisianans, trained by one and ridden by one of my favorite riders, Eddie Delahoussaye also a Cajon. The sky appeared to be the limit, and then…it wasn’t. He came out of the Belmont Stakes with an injury that would sideline him. I hopefully waited through the Summer, eagerly awaiting his return. It never happened. He did not recover quickly and had another setback. He was too valuable for his connections to take a chance on bringing him back at less than one hundred percent. I watched that Fall as the great Alysheba dominated the biggest races and I wondered what might have been. I have seen many horses retire far too early, or whom have never returned to the races after the Triple Crown, but none with more potential for ultimate greatness than Risen Star. I honestly believe that he was just beginning to hit his high notes when his song was cut short. A song that would have paved the way for a career that would have led to all-time great status. I, for one, would have loved to see Ronnie Lamarque sing again. Risen Star went to stud at Walmac Farm in Kentucky where en enjoyed only moderate success as a sire. He never fathered anything near as talented as himself. Risen Star passed away on March 13, 1998 at the age of 13 after a bout with Colic. Much like his racing career, his life was ended much too quickly. I remember you Risen Star.