Creator Wins Belmont Stakes; Favorite Exaggerator Finishes 11th
In a freakish twist, a torrential rain fell upon Belmont Park only minutes after Creator caught Destin down the stretch, earning the victory in a photo finish.
Creator came flying down the stretch in Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, snatching victory from Destin in the final strides as the favorite, Exaggerator, faltered in the long stretch run ending up near the end of the field of 13. Of course, being one of the Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes sees a lot of betting action, especially from people that are hoping to hit it big with a Superfecta win. “Without Gettysburg being there-:48 and change. right then, you knew we had a shot”.
WinStar Farm Racing Manager Elliot Walden had an idea on how to upset that scenario when he entered Gettysburg in the 148th running of the $1.5 million, Grade 1 Belmont. On Sunday morning, the blanket of white carnations draped over the fence was a clear signal to passersby that they indeed found the residence of the colt who inspired the latest bit of upheaval in the 3-year-old male division.
Preakness victor Exaggerator, who came out of the gate as favorite, was the biggest disappointment of the day after finishing well down the field in 11th.
Trainer, Keith Desormeaux, didn’t have any definitive answers as to why the Curlin colt lacked his late kick. “When I picked him up at the quarter-pole to try and win the race, there was nothing there”.
In the stretch, when defeat was a certainty, Kent Desormeaux, the trainer’s brother, decided enough was enough.
“He was coming - I just had to wait for somewhere to go”, Ortiz Jr said.
In 1980, the Triple Crown already had been split when filly Genuine Risk won the Kentucky Derby and Codex won the Preakness.
Nine years later, Steve Asmussen can walk past that wall at Belmont Park once again without cringing. Asmussen said the amount of time Creator would spend turned out is “undetermined”.
Creator will not get some well-deserved R&R at WinStar farm. “I am surprisingly not [as disappointed] as you might think”, he said.
“Surprisingly, not as much as you might think”, he said, stopping to talk to a handful of writers.
It certainly helped Creator and Asmussen win the race and conversely probably cost Pletcher the race.
“It will look good on the plaque”, exulted Asmussen, referring to his induction into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in August. The horse ran super.Creator, sent off 16-1, returned $34.80, $14.60 and $9.40.
“I guess we’ll never know”, Pletcher said when asked if the result could have been different for Destin without Gettysburg in the race. Those who bet against Exaggerator may have done so because his best races have come in the rain. “It was a heck of an accomplishment to win the Preakness, win a classic”.
A man smokes a cigar at Belmont Park.
Keith Desormeaux downplayed thoughts of deep disappointment. “Maybe he said he can’t run on it”.
Then, on top of the audit news, trainer Brian Lynch had his license suspended for failing a drug test, meaning the favorite in one of Friday’s big stakes races, Private Zone, had to scratch out.