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FEATURESaturday 6 June 2015
Yay or neigh: Would a Triple Crown help or hurt racing?
RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Racing Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Will the
long, long wait finally end
in the Belmont Stakes on
Saturday?
If it does, and American
Pharoah becomes the
first Triple Crown winner
in 37 years, it may not be
enough to help the trou-
bled sport of horse racing
stay relevant.
“It would be a shot in the
arm for racing,” says Tom
Hammond, who hosts
NBC’s horse racing cov-
erage. “But racing does
have many problems, and
a Triple Crown winner is
not going to solve all those
In this Oct. 14, 1995, file
photo, jockey Angel Cordero
Jr., smiles as he answers
questions after riding in the
second race at Belmont Park
in New York. Remain calm.
That’s the advice of Hall of
Fame jockey Cordero when
it comes to riding in the
Belmont Stakes.
Associated Press
problems.”
Amid a push to improve
drug testing, a dwindling
fan base and horse break-
downs, racing is a far cry
from the popular sport it
used to be in the days of
Secretariat, Seattle Slew
and Affirmed.
The weeks leading to a
Triple Crown try always
create a buzz in the rac-
ing world and draws tons
of interest from casual fans
hoping to see a little history.
The buildup usually results
in higher TV ratings, not to
mention huge crowds at
Belmont Park.
The anticipation for anoth-
er Triple Crown has been
going on since 1979, a year
after Affirmed became the
In this Tuesday, June 2, 2015, file photo, Kentucky Derby and the race for NBC. “And
Preakness Stakes winner American Pharoah is led around the then they all leave and
stable by trainer Bob Baffert at Belmont Park in New York. On say, ‘I can’t believe this,
Saturday, American Pharoah will take on seven rivals in the it didn’t happen again.’
Belmont in his bid to end a 37-year Triple Crown drought. People are certainly ready
for it.”
Associated Press Then again, maybe not.
“Susan Lucci lost the Emmy
award 18 times and it
made her famous,” notes
John Hendrickson, hus-
band of Saratoga socialite
Marylou Whitney.
It’s been a generation
since the last Triple Crown,
so it’s tough to figure if end-
ing the drought will help.
The short-term answer is:
yes, it will.
“It’ll be a temporary high,”
said retired Hall of Fame
jockey Angel Cordero, Jr.,
who finished well back in
Belmonts that resulted in Tri-
ple Crowns for Secretariat,
Seattle Slew and Affirmed
in the 1970s. “It will only last cover boy, and remains
a little bit, and then back
to usual.”
The reality is horses don’t
run as much as they used
to. In fact, many top
3-year-olds end up being
retired to stud before their
4-year-old seasons be-
cause the breeding indus-
In this June 10, 1978, file photo, jockey Steve Cauthen raises his arm in a victory salute after
riding Affirmed to win the Belmont Stakes, and thereby capturing the Triple Crown, at Belmont
Park in New York.
11th horse to sweep the 2012, but was scratched
Kentucky Derby, Preakness the day before the race try is so lucrative.
and Belmont. Twelve times, with an injury. American Pharoah owner
horses entered the starting “I know every year it seems Ahmed Zayat said his colt
gate in the Belmont, only like people are so fired up will race until the end of
to come up short at the fin- about the fact that a horse the year, but breeding
ish, from Spectacular Bid in is finally going to win the Tri- rights have already been
‘79 to California Chrome ple Crown,” says Larry Col- sold to Coolmore’s Ashford
last year. I’ll Have Another lmus, Belmont’s new track Stud for what could end
won the first two legs in announcer who also calls up being $30 million. With a
win in the Belmont, why risk
injury by running him again
to draw a few more big
crowds?
“I don’t know if it’s going
to resurrect the sport,” says
Hall of Fame trainer Nick
Zito, who will try to play
spoiler a third time with
30-1 long shot Frammento.
“But it will definitely help.”
Affirmed, who dueled with
rival Alydar throughout
his career, continued rac-
ing after winning the Triple
Crown through his 4-year-
old season and drew large
crowds everywhere he
showed up. Same with Se-
attle Slew, who ran through
his 4-year-old season. Sec-
retariat, who ended a 25-
year Triple drought in 1973,
finished off his 3-year-old
season before being re-
tired. He was a magazine
one of the most well-known
names in all of sports.
“I think racing is strong busi-
nesswise,” says Zito. “There
are a lot of people buy-
ing horses. A lot of people
are new in the game, a lot
of rich people that like to
compete in this game.
“Fan wise, I’m not too sure
because of all the elec-
tronic stuff going on ... the
only way you’re going to
get them out is a big event.
Associated Press So if American Pharoah
wins, I don’t think you’ll get
that fan base again — not
at the track. That’s the way
it is.”
Hammond, an avid racing
fan from Lexington, Ken-
tucky, has been through
so many failed Triples he
understands the allure of
the buildup. But he wants
to see it happen.
“It would be better than
just to keep waiting, keep
waiting,” he said. “I know
that that does have an
attraction to it ... a Triple
Crown winner is not going
to solve all those problems,
but I think it will show peo-
ple, our casual fans, how
exciting the sport can be,
and maybe shine a spot-
light on the horses them-
selves.”
Maybe just temporarily.
“I don’t know if it would
help the game as much
as people think,” Zito said.
“I never thought I’d say
that.”q