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28-years and counting. That’s how long it’s been since horse racing has had a Triple Crown winner, though we came within a nose of heading to the Belmont Stakes with a good shot at breaking the drought.
Curlin nipped Street Sense in a photo finish at the 2007 Preakness, ending the Kentucky Derby winner’s chance at making history. Street Sense, ridden by Calvin Borel appeared to have the race in hand after passing Curlin on the final turn, only to have Robbie Albarado’s mount make an amazing recovery and win a head bob at the wire. If you follow thoroughbred racing, you know how rare it is to see a horse recover after being passed down the stretch, so what Curlin accomplished this afternoon was quite an athletic accomplishment.
In a broader sense, the race showed how thrilling horse racing can be. I watched it in a room full of casual fans who really got into it down the stretch, much like you’d see live at the track. You could almost feel the air being let out of the room when it became evident Street Sense had lost.
It’s often said horse racing needs a Triple Crown winner to recapture the public’s imagination and return to the forefront of American sporting life. While I believe there’s a lot of truth to that, I think a few more races like the ’07 Preakness might go a long way toward helping the cause.
Did anyone out there cash in a winning ticket? Will the excitement of the photo finish carry over into the Belmont? Or does not having a Triple Crown winner yet again doom horse racing to another year of looking forward to the Derby? What, if anything, can be done to return thoroughbred racing to the limelight?
Been to a dog track once, it was most boring experience of my life! Horse racing is just a notch up from car racing and couple notches above greyhounds. Although some day when I grow up and get rich, I will own a thoroughbred or a race car!
I enjoyed the race itself very much.
I did NOT enjoy the seemingly 3-hour-long pre-race show including showing the jockey photo, the jockeys walking out of the jockey room, and the endless parading in front of the crowd. It was a fabulous 2 minutes of action that was preceeded by an extremely boring telecast. In this MTV age I don't think a sport such as this which is much more pomp than substance will ever move up a tier or two.