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When you put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better.
Rachel's going to the beach and at least for now, for the first time since the 1996 Travers, we'll have two of the three Triple Crown race winners in the same race (where Preakness winner Louis Quatorze and Belmont Stakes winner Editor’s Note met). If we can get the New Mexicans into the picture we'd have the Grand Slam of Racing in our midst. Not since 1982 (!) have all three triple crown race winners clashed. The 1982 Travers featured Derby winner Gato Del Sol, Preakness winner Aloma’s Ruler, and Belmont Stakes winner Conquistador Cielo at the Spa. Looking at the condition book it doesn't appear that Rachel Alexandra will get a weight break like she did in the Preakness where she carried 121 lbs. to the colts' 126 lbs. The Condition Book reads as follows for the $1M Haskell Invitational:
Weight : 122 lbs. Non-winners of a triple crown race allowed 2 lbs; Non-winners of a Grade I at a mile or over in 2009 allowed 4 lbs. A bonus of $25,000 per race will be given to both the owner and trainer of any horse that has won a leg of the Triple Crown and starts in the Haskell.
So things are little more fair this time around and Summer Bird's trainer Tim Ice has already laid down some smack saying, "Good horses should meet. If we beat her, then Summer Bird is the best three year old." Rock on, Ice Man...let's get this party started.
Anyways, we got ourselves a horse race, and let's hope Munnings and Big Drama continue to point at this one, as it will make the race even more intriguing. Drama had an awful start to the Preakness, but still finished strong and can only be getting better as he matures. I hope he doesn't decide to pass on this one.
Still hoping she gives the Travers a shot so I get to see her....
I'll take my coconut with lime please...
Here's the 1982 Travers featuring all three triple crown winners all to be outdone by a longshot Canuck named Runaway Groom (courtesy cf1970)...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Put the Lime in the Coconut
Posted by Gene Kershner at 9:09 PM
Labels: Haskell hat, Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra, Summer Bird, Tim Ice, Triple Crown
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3 Comments:
Interesting little tid-bit from the condition book. Even without the weight break - I still think she smokes them on that surface.
The last time two TC race winners went against each other was 2007 BC Classic: Street Sense v. Curlin. It was in the rain but I think that still counts :)
Anyway, great stuff as always
Leave it to the historian to catch me slipping up..LOL...good catch Kevin...of course I should have known that since I was at that race!
Thanks for reading!
PS - guessing you're spot on that she smokes em...plus as o_crunk points out: 44% of preakness winners have won the haskell (4/9)
Equispace wrote:
Not since 1982 (!) have all three triple crown winners clashed.
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Of course you mean Triple Crown "race" winners. ;-)
But Mine That Bird connections would do well to take the "appearance fee" money from Monmouth Park as well as vy for a
second or third place share of a $1,000,000 purse.
A second place purse in the $750,000 WVA Derby is "only" $150,000 and I do not think they're getting any under-the-table fees. So they're in a "must win" gamble out there.
Another loss in West Virginia will cause Mine That Bird to lose a huge amount of reverence in the public eye. A loss in The Haskell would not be as dramatic.
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