Belmont Sold Out? Not So Fast
When 3,000 reserved seat tickets were made available online Monday after I'll Have Another won the Preakness Stakes to keep his Triple Crown bid alive, they were snatched up in about three minutes,...
View ArticleWho’s Minding the Store at Belmont?
The more immediate issue is who runs NYRA right now, especially with an expected 100,000-plus fans heading for Belmont on June 9 to see if I’ll Have Another can become the first Triple Crown winner...
View ArticleOn Cusp of History, Remembering One of the Greats
Who is the greatest racehorse of all time? If superiority over contemporaries, enduring fame and influence on the breed are measures, no horse has surpassed Eclipse.
View ArticleLukas Receives Stitches After Being Struck by Horse
The Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who will saddle Optimizer in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, was taken to Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y., on Tuesday afternoon after one of his horses...
View ArticleNo Surprise: I’ll Have Another Is Morning-Line Favorite for Belmont
I'll Have Another drew Post 11 and was installed as the morning-line favorite when post positions were drawn Wednesday morning at Belmont Park for the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes.
View ArticleTriple Crown Chase Ends Day Early, in Farewell
I'll Have Another has been scratched from the Belmont Stakes, ending his bid to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
View ArticleOur Belmont Picks, on the Money
The Rail's contributors and a guest picker make their Belmont Stakes selections.
View ArticleWatching an Unsuccessful Triple Crown Bid, and Finding a Passion
Big Brown was not able to win the Belmont Stakes in 2008, but the journey to watch him kindled a love of racing.
View ArticleA Signature Race in a Signature Series Lacks a Signature Drink
The Belmont, even more so than the Preakness, is lacking an official cocktail like the Kentucky Derby’s mint julep.
View ArticleThey Got the Song Right Here
When it comes to Triple Crown tradition, the Belmont Stakes seems a little off-key in its post-parade musical choices.
View ArticleLive Analysis: Union Rags Wins the Belmont Stakes
Welcome to our coverage of the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes.
View ArticleAn Open Letter to New York’s Governor
While everyone was disappointed with the news Friday that the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes winner I’ll Have Another would be unable to run because of a tendon injury, there is an old...
View ArticleThe Business of Good Horsemanship
Whether or not Doug O’ Neill and Paul Reddam scratched I'll Have Another out of concern for his well-being or concern for his stud value doesn’t matter because the horse has benefited from the decision.
View ArticleA Suitcase Packed With Expectations, Stowed Away Until Next Year
Expecting to return from New York with celebratory trinkets and clothing representing a historic weekend, but instead returning with an empty suitcase and a very strong belief that it most definitely...
View ArticleI’ll Have Another’s Triumphs Put to Song
Some of New York State’s most talented musicians poured their hearts into a country/bluegrass tune about I'll Have Another's stirring quest for the Triple Crown.
View ArticleLove Affair With Swale Extends Well Beyond His Death
Swale possessed the undeniable appeal of the underdog; he was Claiborne's stand-in for their star, Devil's Bag, and he shocked many fans with his Kentucky Derby upset over horses like Althea. Swale's...
View ArticleOrb Looking Good, but Belmont Status Still in Question
The Belmont Stakes is a little over two weeks away, and the big question is whether Orb, the impressive Kentucky Derby winner who faltered in the Preakness, will compete.
View ArticleWith Orb, It’s Still Wait and See
The trainer Shug McGaughey is still gauging whether Orb, his first Kentucky Derby champion who finished a disappointing fourth in the Preakness, should compete in the Belmont Stakes on June 8.
View ArticleRacing’s Public Persona and Quiet Ambassador
Those who don’t follow horse racing closely may not be aware that as much as D. Wayne Lukas has been a public persona and a terrific television interview subject at major events, Lukas also serves on a...
View ArticleThe Ghost of Smarty Jones
Smarty Jones's failed Triple Crown bid in 2004 raises an interesting question: Does preparing a horse to win the Crown, which means months of relentless training followed by three Grade I races in five...
View Article
