Belmont 2012: The Weekend in Pictures

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Union Rags in the Post Parade

That's your 2012 Belmont Stakes champion, 3-Union Rags, who edged 9-Paynter at the wire on Saturday afternoon before over 85,000 hearty racing fans and a pretty healthy television audience (5.4 rating/13 share). It was a great weekend, despite the hollow news on Friday morning that I'll Have Another's date with destiny would take a back seat to a lower left tendon issue.

Despite the traffic difficulties we still arrived in time to catch the Jaipur and the Brooklyn and have the photos of both finishes of the two stakes held on Friday afternoon before 5,415 fans. The Space Gal actually asked me if they were racing on Friday as we entered the gate, she'd never been to Big Sandy on a non-Belmont Stakes Day.

My commentary for the TBN and wrap up can be found here. As for the wagering, I was looking good going into the finale in the $1M guaranteed Pick-4, which had a pool over $2.8M with the selections I provided in the previous blog, with 4-Atigun paying over $2,800 if he won. I took a stand against Union Rags, and if not for Mike Smith letting him through the rail, I'd be cashing a P-4 ticket on Paynter.  Oh well, sometimes you have to go with your gut. He finished the race in a pedestrian 2:30.42, in case you missed the final time.

Here are some pictures from the weekend for your viewing enjoyment, most courtesy of Space Gal Enterprises (she even hooked up for a cameo with Joe Torre in the paddock, but wouldn't let me post the photo [boo] -- she loves to be Miss Celebrity Sighting):

Upgrade ($12.00) winning the Jaipur on Friday

Redeemed ($6.50) wins the Brooklyn in 2:28.89 (at a mile and a half)

I'll Have Another early Friday morning
(you can see O'Neill staring at the front left leg)

Hammerin' Hank taking in action early
in the Belmont card in the Clubhouse

Currency Swap in the paddock
before the Woody Stephens

Brian with Mario Gutierrez up
(he was pounding his heart to the fans)

Eventual Woody Stephens winner
Trinniberg with Willie Martinez in the irons

Trinniberg ($7.70) heads to the wire

Papaw Bodie with Rosie Napravnik
lost a photo in the Manhattan

Desert Blanc (GB) ($14.80) and Ramon Dominguez
in the Winner's Circle after the Manhattan

I'll Have Another heads from the paddock
to the winner's circle for retirement ceremony

Team O'Neill with a high-five
awaits IHA's arrival

The Champ Arrives

Mario Gutierrez hops aboard the champ
for the last time

Bob and Bodemeister

Baffert and Joe Torre

D. Wayne Lukas awaits Optimizer
in stall No. 10

Street Life and Jose Lezcano

Union Rags and Johnny V

Third Place finisher Atigun
and Julien Leparoux

Dullahan and Javier Castellano

Second place finisher Paynter
and Mike Smith

Gate load from the view
from the sixteenth pole



They're off in the Belmont Stakes

That's a wrap on the 2012 Triple Crown season. It's been a fun one, we almost had a historic one. I'm a firm believer I'll see a Triple Crown winner one of these days...