Sir Winston Wins 151st Running Of The Belmont Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Sir Winston has won the 151st running of the Belmont Stakes, rallying Saturday in a 10-1 upset.
Both of the chestnut's career wins were on Woodbine's synthetic track, with his last victory in the Display Stakes on Dec. 8.
"I said all week he was doing really well," trainer Mark Casse said. "He had a race over the track. What can I say? It's just exciting."
Breaking from the No. 7 post, Rosario guided the chestnut colt to the rail for an energy-saving trip. Sir Winston was eighth for the first half-mile and then started to rally on the final turn.
Tacitus, the 2-1 favorite going into the race, finished second.
In the first two lengths, horses Tax and Joevia contested for the lead.
Tax, 14th in the Kentucky Derby, was second to Tacitus in the Wood Memorial. The gelding was fitted with glue-on shoes after his work on June 1. Irad Ortiz, Jr., who piloted Creator to his Belmont Stakes win, will be in the saddle.
Longshot Joevia was winner of the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park last out.
After enduring inside trips from the rail in the first two legs of the Triple Crown series, Preakness winner War of Will came into the race as the favorite but never held the lead, finishing ninth.
The win gave trainer Mark Casse the final two jewels in the showcase for 3-year-old thoroughbreds. He won the Preakness with War of Will.
The Triple Crown grind caught up to War of Will, who ran in all three races. He finished ninth in the 10-horse field.
"I could see where War of Will was struggling a little bit," Casse said. "He looked like maybe he was a little flat today."
The Belmont capped an entertaining Triple Crown highlighted by a disqualification in the Kentucky Derby and a horse without a rider in the Preakness. It sparked interest in thoroughbred racing despite no possibility of having the third Triple Crown winner in five years, coming on the heels of Justify last year and American Pharoah in 2015.
Belmont Stakes Results
- Sir Winston - Win: $22.40 Place: $8.80 Show: $6.10
- Tacitus - Place: $3.90 Show: $3.20
- Joevia - Show: $8.70
- Tax
- Master Fencer
- Spinoff
- Everfast
- Intrepid Heart
- War of Will
- Bourbon War
$1 Exacta 7-10 $48.00
$0.10 Superfecta 7-10-1-4 $1,042.80
$0.50 Trifecta 7-10-1 $622.00
This unpredictable Triple Crown season started with a wild result in the Kentucky Derby. Maximum Security crossed the finish line first and become the first apparent winner to be disqualified, taken down for interfering with War of Will in the stretch. Country House was elevated to first, giving Mott his first Derby win and becoming the second longest shot (65-1) to win the Derby.
War of Will came back two weeks later to win the Preakness, but his impressive performance was overshadowed when a rival threw his jockey and ran around the track as the race continued.
There were three major races on the Belmont undercard.
Mitole extended his winning streak to seven with a gutsy victory in the $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap. Pressing the pacesetting Coal Front every step, Mitole put away that rival in midstretch and held off the late challenge by 8/5 favorite McKinzie to prevail by three quarters of a length. Thunder Snow, the richest active thoroughbred with over $16 million in earnings, was third.
Trainer Chad Brown dominated the Manhattan Stakes as his horses swept the first three spots in the $1 million Manhattan turf race. Bricks and Mortar rallied to extend his winning streak to five, besting stablemate Robert Bruce by 1½ lengths. Raging Bull was third.
Guarana, also trained by Brown, beat Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress by six lengths in the $700,000 Acorn for 3-year-old fillies.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
