Belmont's post positions for Saturday

I can't bet 3-5 but I'll be pulling for California Chrome.


1. Medal Count 20-1

2. California Chrome 3-5

3. Matterhorn 30-1

4. Commanding Curve 15-1

5. Ride On Curlin 12-1

6. Matuszak 30-1

7. Samraat 20-1

8. Commissioner 20-1

9. Wicked Strong 6-1

10. General a Rod 20-1

11. Tonalist 8-1

 

I think Chrome will be on top, but will definitely be putting together a few Tri and Super tickets...Looks like some good opening value.

There are two places down here in OC (OC Tavern and Sammy's Original) that offer off track betting, windows, tellers, tout guys, the whole bit. Was at Sammy's for the Derby and Preakness and will be for the Belmont. These places are like a smaller sports book, totally off the hook for the first two legs.

MH

 

AT 15 -1 I absolutely LOOOOOOVE Commanding Curve to be at worst 2nd and a live shot to win. Have to put the winner of KD and Preakness in as well...and for a 3rd horse.. I mighthave to check the charts and get back to ya for a box.

 

My picks

I like California Chrome with Commanding Curve, wicked Strong, Samratt and Ride on Curlin
In both a tri and super. Prob do an exacta with Cal chrome over those 4 as well.

 

I expect him to win. But i hope he loses badly, because of his breeding value.
It seems like i'm one of the few who dont like the CC story to be told again...and again...and again...and again.
Oh Sports Book...i nearly forgot...
So lets go with Exacta Box 1/4/5

 

wow, that california chrome owner is bad a loser!!!
what a disgrace to the sport.

 

He sounded like a four year old who didn't get his way. It's a $1.5M race. Owners enter their horses into races where they best fit. The Triple Crown is a big deal in the media, but at the end of the day, owners are shooting for the purse money.

The bottom line is the horse is a very good horse who was fortunate to compete in a season with a mediocre group of 3 year olds. The Derby was very slow and this horse wasn't bred for the distance. The race is The Test of The Champion and it failed like dozens of other triple crown horses, most of which were better than California Chrome.

I didn't bet the race (would have bet Wicked Strong who disappointed again), but my brother had Commissioner and while winning would have hit a much nicer win if the 28-1 shot held on.

 

That owner is not a bad loser. Do you know what Churchill Downs did to the rules of the Kentucky Derby? They went from a money won eligibility to a point system in order to run in the Derby. The rules were changed to make the tracks they own award more points and some of their competitors zero points for races run at their tracks. These rule changes really screwed things up for the triple crown. This has been a real sore spot for racing for the last year. Now we have fresh horses running against horses that had to run in three grueling races in a short period of time.
As a matter of fact, he and many others were complaining about this way before the Belmont. The Kentucky Derby is not what it used to be because Churchill made changes to put money into their pockets and screw tradition.

 

one of the few times racing is in the national spotlight and this clown makes a complete ass out of himself it was a classless display

 

The only difference between Cal Chrome's owner and a puppy is that eventually a puppy stops whining.

Cal Chrome is a nice horse. I hope he stays on the race track for a few more years. His suspect breeding would suggest he'll be a complete flop as a stallion. And he will end his career, and life at the glue factory.

 

THAT OWNER HAS NO CLASS AND IS A BAD LOSER.
an interview like that on national tv. what a bad presentation...wow.
an owner with class would have said something like this: "i first want to congratulate christophe clement, robert evans, joel rosario and all members of the tonalist team...they did a great job. tonalist was the best horse today. i want to thank all the fans of california chrome. i want to thank my trainer, what a wonderful job he did with my horse. but the biggest thank you goes to my horse. he gave me and my wife the time of our lives."
his wife wanted to stop his rant...she had no chance.
nothing was a setup. he had no target on his back before the SA derby.
even espinoza said (after the race), leave the rules as they are.
when we see a horse win the triple crown again (under today's rules)...then we can say THIS IS TRUE GREATNESS.

 

Don, I agree with you (and the owner) regarding criticism of Churchill Downs (their point system, their classless treatment of many during the past few derbies, bumping their hold this spring, etc.). However, Coburn's rant was embarrassing and inaccurate.

What he seemed to be arguing for is an exclusive group of 20 horses to be eligible for the Triple Crown races, with horses not being allowed to compete in the Belmont without also racing in the first two races, and no new horses (i.e. the horses Coburn deemed "cowards") would be eligible to compete in the Preakness and/or Belmont without also racing in the KD. This absurd proposal has nothing to do how horses are selected for the Derby. All previous Triple Crown winners were subject to challenges in the Preakness and Belmont from horses who did not race in the previous 1/2 TC races.

The Triple Crown is not an "exclusive league" of 20 eligible horses. It's a series of three races each with separate eligibility rules and significant purses. If racing instituted Coburn's bizarre proposal, racing would surly get their "Triple Crown" winner, with the winner facing say a 7 horse Preakness field (13 KD horses skipping), and perhaps a maximum 4-5 horse field (each guaranteed a share of the purse) at the Belmont. This would deem a Triple Crown winner as legitimate as a Sammy Sosa home run, a Ben Johnson world record or a Rashaad McCants Dean List placement.

The bottom line is one of the two Dumb Ass Partners lived up to their name. The horse was good but never great (slowest Derby since 1974), and would rank near last or last among horses who won two of three TC races (and would rank hands down last among all previous TC winners). DAP gave up their chance to lock several million risk free, they lost their gamble and they lost sympathy post rant. Frank Sinatra Junior should have been called back for an encore to wrap up the evening.

[YOUTUBE]UVdQ6A0IkDw[/YOUTUBE]

 

I put up a white flag!
He should not have said what he said in front of an audience of mostly casual racing fans and I was wrong in defending him. He did more to hurt racing than help it. I do hope that some good does come out this and the powers that be reconsider some of the things that he said. He did take the attention away from the Belmont winner Tonalist and that is another bad thing. . .

 

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/videos/13303/belmont-stakes-steve-coburn-does-not-apologize

CDI is no longer a racing company.
If there were no points system there is a good chance California Chrome would not have won the Derby.
This idiot had a chance to back off some of his nonsense this morning but in the video link i posted he just keeps on going.

 

Like a lot of people, I was willing to give this guy the benefit of the doubt under yesterday's circumstances.
Today he doubles down and proves he's just a petulant asshole who ruined what should still have been a great story.

 

pointing at the winners circle ceremony for Tonalist and calling them cowards was bottom of the barrel stuff