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'Our expectations are still high' Officials try not to be disappointed by key withdrawals
Posted: Tuesday June 06, 2000 12:30 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- First, the Preakness winner. Now, the Derby winner. What's the Belmont Stakes to do? "Our expectations are still high," Terry Meyocks, president and COO of the New York Racing Association, said Monday. "The Belmont is a $1 million race and it is going to be very competitive with a full field." Meyocks is far from thrilled with a rare turn of events that will deny the Belmont both the Kentucky Derby winner, Fusaichi Pegasus, and the Preakness winner, Red Bullet, for the first time in 30 years. It will be just the 11th time since Sir Barton won the first Triple Crown in 1919 that the 1 1/2-mile Belmont is to be run without the Derby and Preakness winners. "Like anybody, we are disappointed with the turn of events that have cost us the Derby and Preakness winners," Meyocks said, "but the well being of the horses comes first." On Sunday, Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale said Fusaichi Pegasus injured his right hoof in his stall and would not run in Saturday's Belmont. Instead, the $4 million colt owned by Fusao Sekiguchi will return to Drysdale's home base in California on Tuesday and get ready for his next start. "He is not sore, there is no soreness," Drysdale said. "... We want to preclude further injury." On May 27, Red Bullet's trainer Joe Orseno and owner Frank Stronach decided to pass on the Belmont to give their lightly-raced colt more time to prepare for his next start. The exit of Fusaichi Pegasus was just the latest blow to the Belmont, which first lost its chance to host a Triple Crown try for the fourth straight year, then lost the "rubber match" between Fusaichi Pegasus and Red Bullet. Meyocks still has to sell the race to the public. "The Belmont Stakes is a New York event and we think that the work everyone has done over the past 3 1/2 years or so in building the event will hopefully pay off," Meyocks said. "People have enjoyed the experience of Belmont Stakes day during that time and we expect them to enjoy it just as much, if not more, this year." The past three Belmonts produced three of the top five crowds in the 132-year history of the race, including last year's record 85,818, who saw Charismatic finish third in his Triple Crown try. The third largest crowd -- 80,162 -- watched Real Quiet finish second in the '98 Belmont, and the fifth largest -- 70,682 -- saw Silver Charm lose to Touch Gold in '97. Just a few days after Fusaichi Pegasus won the Derby in convincing fashion, NYRA sold all 34,000 reserved seats at Belmont Park in anticipation of yet another Triple Crown shot. It marked the earliest sellout in Belmont Stakes history. Now, a crowd of 50,000 would be considered great for a wide-open race that is likely to have upward of 13 starters. Aptitude, the Derby runner-up who skipped the Preakness, is the likely favorite. Impeachment, third in the Derby and Preakness, also is set for the Belmont and would become the only 3-year-old to compete in all three Triple Crown races this year. With the Derby and Preakness winners out, there is even more to run for than a $1 million purse. "There's a potential for more uncertainty about the 3-year-old championship," Bobby Frankel, Aptitude's trainer, said. "Obviously, we would like to make a run at that. But right now, we're taking things one race at a time." The last time the Derby and Preakness winners did not run in the Belmont was 1970. Dust Commander won the Derby and ran in the Preakness and was not entered in the Belmont; Preakness winner Personality, who did not race in the Derby, was scratched the day before the Belmont because of injury. "When the day is over there will be a Belmont Stakes winner," track announcer Tom Durkin said. "And that horse will hold equal status with Fusaichi Pegasus and Red Bullet as a winner of a classic." It's just that there won't be a classic buildup.
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