Well, here we are and another Triple Crown has come and gone, and “Yes, we have no Bananas” or champion. Not that it wasn’t exciting, especially for the price-player. Animal Kingdom probably will go down as overall the best: He trashed the field in the Derby, Tried to go against the speed bias and ended up second best at “Old Hilltop,” and yes, lost all chance at the beginning of the Belmont.

Shackleford, although a gutsy performance in the Preakness, simply didn’t have enough to go a mile and a half, but I’m sure we’ll hear from him at the Jersey Shore. And as far as the Belmont –
“It isn’t right to fool with Mother Nature.” OK, bad 70’s commercial reference, but like it or not — the weather did play a factor on the whole day.

As I kind of thought it would go, speed would play a large part of the day. It really doesn’t matter where you are. If a surface is sloppy, with few exceptions, you generally don’t want to be too far back if you are going to have any shot of winning. The table was set long before we got to the Belmont: Trappe Shot and Justin Phillip for the most part never looking back from the start and probably the most impressive visually from their respective races.

By the time the Belmont arrived, I as well as the majority were trying anything to rebound in our wagers — usually the time when a smart man would pack it in, but I digress. Although I just couldn’t make a case for Ruler on Ice, I could for Stay Thirsty. Breeding said “Yes” to an off track and distance, and quite frankly although he hadn’t been to Belmont, he was a New York competitor at the tracks, so I figured “What the hell.”

Can’t complain. He got the trip and made his move. And to put it bluntly, he just was second-best. Ruler on Ice deserved the win. He tracked the leader, pounced at the top of the stretch, and showed a tremendous amount of heart down the lane. Nobody was going by him if they would have gone another furlong. Also, give a tip of the hat to Jose Valdivia Jr., the veteran rider who like Alex Solis knew it was time for a change and moved his tack to the East.

That is not an easy task for any journeyman rider, and in year where people have been annoyed by recent interviews in the sporting world, it was refreshing to hear a guy truly get emotional and enjoying the moment for himself and his family. I know athletes cry all the time in interviews, but this was for me was one of the times I actually believed him. Way to go Jose.

My only big goof was not using Mission Approved in the Pick 4. How do you not use the lone speed on a turf course begging for a front-runner. Not to mention he is owned and trained by a man with one of the coolest names in racing: Naipaul Chatterpaul.

Once again, we will lick our wounds, take a step back and get ready for summer . . .Happy hunting.

Well — not quite yet — but another Santa Anita meet has come and gone. Going back to 1966 (I was 4) there hasn’t been a week to go by that I wasn’t here. I’ve seen Shoemaker, Pincay, Baeza, and Cauthen. I’ve seen Affirmed, The Bid, Ack Ack, and Cougar II. I’ve marveled at the mountains, and witnessed the pure magic that is Santa Anita. Yet I always seem to get a little depressed at the conclusion of the meet. Now, before you start calling Gambler’s Anonymous, there’s more to it than betting.

Sporting events, like just about any other hobby or interest, can bring us back to a simpler time in our lives. The older we become, the more complex life can be. Yet, for this racing enthusiast, there is always something about this track that I find “Calming.” Whether I was soaking up spring rays in the infield during college or bundling up in the grandstand on a rainy winter afternoons, I can read about a stakes or handicap and pretty much go back in time to a part of my life where it had a significance other than racing.

I’ve always loved sports, but horse racing was part of my family. As a child, it was important because it was an opportunity to bond with my father. Before you start getting judgmental, my father has always been a racing enthusiast first and a gambler second. He taught me it wasn’t just about “money,” but rather superior athletes — both human and animal, doing battle over a dirt and turf surface (please stay dirt).

I remember Secretariat in the Belmont. I was at the time actually upset because I was a Sham fan, but as time went on, I appreciated what he had accomplished. The 70s and 80s were particularly special for it was a time for growing up and asking why and how come? High school and college are usually referred to as the “best years of our lives” — and for this blogger some of the best years of racing.

As we grow older, the time passes faster, but the love of the sport is still there. Santa Anita has changed a bit, but for the most part looks pretty much the same as it did in the 60s. I guess the upside to age, is the meets appear to come back quicker. Along with the fact that I work here year round, Santa Anita has quite literally become my “home.” And I’m ok with that.

In conclusion, For those who say “racing is dead,” I say you’re wrong. It’s far from it, Maybe it’s just finding a new shape for a different world. I know I will be there . . . And something tells me so will you . . . Santa Anita, you did good — see you in the fall . . .