THE BELMONT STAKES & THE DERBY

Howie Reed 15.06.2009 20:30

From left, Summer Bird, Mine That Bird, Charitable Man, and Dunkirk, race towards the finish during the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Summer Bird won the race. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

A “Bird” flew by the 9 other horses to win the 141st Belmont Stakes for horse in Elmira New York. While all eyes in racing were on Kentucky Derby winner Mind That Bird, reunited with jockey Calvin Borel, another bird stole the show.

Getting a masterful ride from Jockey Kent Desormeaux, Summer Bird swung to the outside in the stretch crossing the finish line a 2 and ¾ lengths ahead of Dunkirk with Kentucky Derby winner Mind That Bird third. Mind That Bird made a big move, from last to first, as the horses straighten out into the 1100 foot home stretch with Dunkirk inside and second.

With the crowd roaring Summer Bird,

Bidding his time gobbled both horses up on the way to the wire. Summer Bird’s winning time of

2:27.54 was the fastest since his sire, Birdsong, won the race in 2004.

The Belmont Stakes run at 1 ½ miles, always raises questions in fans eyes about whether a horse can go the distance. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had the logical answer just prior to the race. “They all can run a mile and a half,” Lukas said.

“Some just take longer than others.” For Jockey Kent Desormeaux it was a case of redemption. Last year he was on the favorite Big Brown, who had won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. He had to pull Big Brown up in the stretch and out of the race. The critics and “boo birds” came out in droves. One can only guess that when Desormeaux crossed the finish line with the 11-1 Summer Bird he might have been thinking, “How’d you like me know?”

The Derby

In England “The Derby” means Epsom the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the Land of POMS. Sea The Stars became the first horse since 1989 to win the first two jewels in the crown. He previously won the 2,000 Guineas. Under the master 49 year old Mick Kinane, Sea the Stars waited patiently for the right time then moved to win over favorite Fame and Glory. Sea The Stars is trained by Irishman John Oxx who was asked if with the first two legs of the Triple Crown accounted for the St. Leger was next? “I’m a believer in the Triple Crown; I think it will be won within the next 10 years. If we were worried about the trip for the Derby I think we’d be very worried going into the Leger.” The St Leger is a quarter mile farther than the 1 ½ Derby. “It’s a bridge too far.”

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