Sunday, June 9, 2013

Looking back on the triple crown races

Another year, and we saw some fine three year olds contend in the three biggest races of spring.  I thought  this might be the year to break the 35 year drought of triple crown champions; I believed Orb was the horse to do it, with Joel Rosario and Shug McGaughey the jockey and trainer to get the job done.  But that wasn't to be.

When all was said and run, the D. Wayne Lukas trained Oxbow stood out as the top three year old. His performances in the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont were all gutty, and he looks to be a horse who will always be right there in big races, because he has a ton of heart.  When Orb started his sweeping move on the turn, I thought "he's back" but it just wasn't so.  The 1 1/2 mile distance was not to his liking and he flattened out, whereas Oxbow kept to task after competing for the lead for much of the race.  This time Mike Smith reserved Palace Malice just off the fast pace instead of setting blistering fractions as he did in the Derby, and when the real running started in the stretch, Palace Malice was strong and very impressive in prevailing in the toughest race of all for three year olds.

I know one guy who figured it out, a fellow debate coach and friend in California, Doug Dennis.  He was in Vegas, and he spent $6 on one tri box 5-7-12. which yielded a $466 payoff.  That is some pretty sweet handicapping, and I certainly wish I had identified Palace Malice as my "horse who took the Preakness off" longshot to use in exotics instead of Golden Soul.  But that was one tough race to predict, and to those who figured it out, congratulations.

It has been fun writing this blog for Horsemen's and I do appreciate the many readers.  I hope I haven't steered you too wrong with my analysis (well, on the Preakness I took you right off the road and into the ditch, but these things happen!) and that you enjoyed these columns.

Bye, and make some money, honey!

Fred Robertson

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