Thoroughbred Horse Racing

[hlniv]

Anyone interested in this other than me?

American Pharoah is legitimately the best Triple Crown shot at this stage since Smarty Jones, possibly since Alysheba in '87 or Spectacular Bid in '79.

Not sure any other in the Belmont field will be able to put any pressure on him, it may be a romp, and a nice race for 2nd and 3rd.

[hlniv]

1919-1948 - 30 years
- Horses were 8 for 11 in trying to win the Belmont for the Triple Crown (8 winners, 3 losers)
- There were 10 years when one horse captured two of the three legs
- There were 12 years when 3 different horses won each leg

1949-1978 - 30 years
- Horses were 3 for 10 in trying to win the Belmont for the Triple Crown (3 winners, 7 losers, all winners in the last 6 years of the period)
- There were 17 years when one horse captured two of the three legs
- There were 10 years when 3 different hoses won each leg

1979-2014 - 36 years
- Horses are 0 for 13 in trying to win the Belmont for the Triple Crown (American Pharoah is the 14th to try)
- There have been 20 years when one horse has captured two of the three legs
- There have been 16 years with 3 different horses wining each leg

[Coach]

I always watch the three big races every year, regardless of whether there's a Triple Crown contender or not.

Can't say I'm a super fan and know all the horses, but love the added excitement anytime there's a shot at the Triple Crown since it's been soooo long since the last one.

Also, I'm a big fan of the NBC telecast. Love the "over the top" hype and pageantry of each race. Love that the last leg is run in NY on the longest track.

[hlniv]

Unfortunately, the three TC races are all 95% of the people that watch a horse race on TV will ever see.

There are many other events throughout the year that should also be placed in the same category of talent, history, and prestige as the TC races. And in almost all cases (including the Triple Crown race days), the big races are surrounded by 5-10 other top class races for other class horses besides 3 year old colts. Older horse handicap races, turf races, filly & mare races, etc... Next weekend, for example, on the day of the Belmont Stakes, there will be 9 other stakes races with world class horses running across all divisions, and 7 more on the Friday and Thursday the day before. They call it the "Belmont Racing Festival". Same with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, there is something like 15 stakes races across the Friday and Saturday of Derby weekend, including the Kentucky Oaks for 3 year old filles.

The Triple Crown prep races all are nice, but are inherently warm-ups for the Triple Crown event. However, these are all great days of racing and great individual races in the spring. Most of these I believe are televised to some extent now on the NBC Sports channel:

Bluegrass Stakes (Keeneland)
Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita)
Wood Memorial (Aqueduct)
Florida Derby (Gulfstream)
Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn)
Louisana Derby (Fairgrounds)

Other top-notch race days:
Santa Anita Handicap (Santa Anita "Big Cap") - February
Stephen Foster Handicap (Churchill) - June
Haskell Invitational (Monmouth) - July (also for 3yo colts, like the TC series)
Pacific Classic (Del Mar) - August
Jockey Club Gold Cup (Belmont) - September

The Saratoga Summer meet is another series of great races. This is probably my favorite meet / destination throughout the year-
Whitney Handicap
Woodward Stakes
Travers Stakes - August (3yo colts, thought of as the annual Championship for 3yo colts, including those that ran in the TC series)

The Keeneland meets in the Spring and Fall are three weeks each of some of the best racing in the world. It's a stunningly beautiful place with great races almost every day.

And last, but not least, is the Breeders Cup event in early November (Location rotates, at Keeneland this year). Two days of the highest money races all year, it attracts horses from all over the world. These two days are thought of as the Championship days for the all divisions in racing. The Breeders Cup Classic sometimes includes Triple Crown horses going against older, more established runners. There are 15 races or so, and about 12 of these have equal or higher purses than any of the Triple Crown races, including the KY Derby.

Horse Racing and Boxing used to be the most popular sports in the country (40's, 50's, 60's), but that was a long time ago. Practically all of the traditions that were built in horse racing in that time period are still around, they have just done a very shitty job of marketing the sport to keep up with the times. There are some newer events (Breeders Cup, Festival days, etc...), but until the sport starts celebrating more than just the Triple Crown races, horse racing will remain a interesting sidebar tidbit during the spring and the three Triple Crown races. People tune in, and tune out, and don't think about it again for 10 more months.

[EJ]

I always watch the three big races every year, regardless of whether there's a Triple Crown contender or not.

Can't say I'm a super fan and know all the horses, but love the added excitement anytime there's a shot at the Triple Crown since it's been soooo long since the last one.

Also, I'm a big fan of the NBC telecast. Love the "over the top" hype and pageantry of each race. Love that the last leg is run in NY on the longest track.

I fall into this category as well. Love watching all 3 big races. I was actually on the rail of the homestretch for the Belmont in 1997 when Silver Charm was going for the TC. Came pretty close too. Great race. Too bad that place is such a dump. Really have no desire to ever go there again.

I've been to Saratoga several times, usually for the Travers race in August. I love everything about that place. Highly recommended.

[Biff Pocoroba]

I always watch the three big races every year, regardless of whether there's a Triple Crown contender or not.

love the added excitement anytime there's a shot at the Triple Crown since it's been soooo long since the last one.

Same boat

[hlniv]

Added excitement on any race can be achieved with the proper preparation and the proper wagers...

Personally, a free day with a full slate of good races at a top notch venue is one of my absolute favorite things. Morning coffee over a race card, handicapping 10 races for the full day, then going to the track to see the beautiful animals in full motion playing everything out in person...

I don't get a chance to do this much anymore, but I'm always looking for the opportunity

[hlniv]

2015 Belmont Stakes
Post Pos, Trainer, Jockey, Morning Line Odds

1. Mubtaahij, Mike de Kock, Irad Ortiz Jr., 10-1
2. Tale of Verve, Dallas Stewart, Gary Stevens, 15-1
3. Madefromlucky, Todd Pletcher, Javier Castellano, 12-1
4. Frammento, Nick Zito, Mike Smith, 30-1
5. American Pharoah, Bob Baffert, Victor Espinoza, 3-5
6. Frosted, Kiaran McLaughlin, Joel Rosario, 5-1
7. Keen Ice, Dale Romans, Kent Desormeaux, 20-1
8. Materiality, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 6-1

[hlniv]

Exacta Box: Frosted, Materiality
$2 for each $1 wager

Trifecta Key: Keen Ice w/American Pharoah, Frosted, Materiality
$18 for each $1 wager

Superfecta: American Pharoah w/Frosted, Materiality w/Frosted, Materiality, Keen Ice w/ALL
$20 for each $1 wager

[Simple Torture]

Anyone interested in this other than me?

Neigh.

[oasisfan35]

The Saratoga Summer meet is another series of great races. This is probably my favorite meet / destination throughout the year-

I've been to Saratoga several times, usually for the Travers race in August. I love everything about that place. Highly recommended.

I've been to Saratoga more times than I can count in the last ten years but have only been to one race, hoping to change that this year.

[Monkey_Driven]

I went to the Kentucky Derby last year. That's about the extent to my horse racing experience.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

triple crown!! f*ck yes!!

[swan]

That was cool

[E.H. Ruddock]

That looked like a practice lap for that horse

[The Argonaut]

The Saratoga Summer meet is another series of great races. This is probably my favorite meet / destination throughout the year-

I've been to Saratoga several times, usually for the Travers race in August. I love everything about that place. Highly recommended.

I've been to Saratoga more times than I can count in the last ten years but have only been to one race, hoping to change that this year.

I usually get up there three or four times a summer. It's definitely a nice place and a lot of fun.

That looked like a practice lap for that horse

That was impressive. You don't see a lot of races that dominated. What's the over/under on semen prices for this horse now?

[Jorge]

NSFW
http://i.imgur.com/2YAHoHD.gif

[hlniv]

Exacta Box: Frosted, Materiality
$2 for each $1 wager

Trifecta Key: Keen Ice w/American Pharoah, Frosted, Materiality
$18 for each $1 wager

Superfecta: American Pharoah w/Frosted, Materiality w/Frosted, Materiality, Keen Ice w/ALL
$20 for each $1 wager

The trifecta bet above paid $55 for every $18 wagered.
The superfecta paid $285 for every $20 wagered.

Materiality folded. But Frosted and Keen Ice ran on.

American Pharoah is best Classic winner since Spectacular Bid in 79. 6th fastest Belmont ever, 4th fastest since Secretariat in 72. Fastest since AP Indy in 92.

He ran every single 1/4 mile between 24.0 and 24.6 seconds including the last 2 furlongs in 24.3, which was faster than Secretariat's last 1/4. He is a machine.

[epilogue]

Missed opportunity at the bar last night after the race. We ordered victory shots to celebrate & honor American Pharoah. Me, my wife and brother-in-law. We ordered three Jameson shots. It wasn't until the shots were gone that I realized my error.

I should have ordered three Crowns.

[The Argonaut]

Sounds like the real missed opportunity was not having three more shots after you realized your error.