Ten Memorable Belmont Stakes Upsets

Because the oldest of the three Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes Offered by NYRA Bets has seen its fair proportion of upsets, and the vast majority of these have are available in roughly the final third of the race’s 155-year historical past. In the course of the post-World Conflict II period, 20 horses have come into the Belmont Stakes with wins within the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, solely to have their bids for immortality denied (this contains I’ll Have One other in 2012, who was scratched the day earlier than the Belmont with an damage). Additionally, the eight highest-priced Belmont Stakes winners have all come since 1961. 5 instances, these two statistical nuggets occurred in the identical race.

The 156^th Belmont Stakes can be held June 8, for the primary time in historical past at Saratoga Race Course whereas Belmont Park continues with its large renovation undertaking. For the reason that 2024 Belmont is shaping as much as be a wide-open affair able to producing its personal unpredictable consequence, let’s have a look again at 10 of the race’s most memorable upsets.

1958: Cavan defeats an injured Tim Tam

Tim Tam entered the 1958 Belmont on a six-race profitable streak and was anticipated to hold the satan’s crimson and blue silks of storied Calumet Farm to a 3rd Triple Crown, becoming a member of Whirlaway (1941) and Quotation (1948). A homebred son of the legendary Tom Idiot, Tim Tam had made valiant fees from off the tempo to take two of Florida’s large prep races, the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby, plus an allowance at Keeneland previous to profitable the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs and – 4 days later – taking the Kentucky Derby by a half-length. He then received the Preakness by a size and a half, and was despatched off as a prohibitive 0.15-1 favourite within the 90^th Belmont.

Irish-bred Cavan, coming off of win within the Peter Pan Stakes, made a transfer for the lead heading into the far flip at Belmont and was joined by Tim Tam, however the 4.90-1 shot stored his benefit getting into the homestretch after which drew away to win by six lengths. Tim Tam, who completed a transparent and hard-trying second, was discovered after the race to have fractured a sesamoid bone in his ankle, which made his efficiency much more admirable. Happily, whereas his racing profession was completed, Tim Tam went on to develop into a profitable sire at Calumet for a few years, dying in 1982 at 27. He was inducted into the Racing Corridor of Fame in 1985 and stays the lowest-priced odds-on favourite to lose the Belmont Stakes.

1961: Sherluck shocks Carry Again

The following Belmont upset on our listing tells an identical story. Carry Again was a working-class hero of a horse, rising from modest beginnings to race an unimaginable 21 instances as a 2-year-old after which profitable 4 of seven begins in 1961 previous to the Kentucky Derby for co-owner, breeder, and coach Jack Value (see Keeler Johnson’s ABR characteristic on Carry Again for extra on his backstory). He gave followers a thrill in most of his victories, coming from off the tempo and weaving by site visitors to stand up in time, and that type held true in his first two Triple Crown races as he closed from 18 lengths again to win the Kentucky Derby by three-quarters of a size, after which charged from 15 lengths behind to win the Preakness by the identical margin. The Florida-bred son of obscure sire Saggy was the 0.45-1 favourite for the Belmont, dealing with eight opponents, together with 65.05-1 longshot Sherluck, the Blue Grass Stakes winner who had completed fifth in each the Derby and Preakness.

With former President Dwight Eisenhower and former First Woman Mamie Eisenhiower in attendance at Belmont Park, Carry Again lived as much as his identify and working fashion by settling nicely off of the tempo set by Globemaster, with Sherluck urgent in second. The Derby and Preakness winner by no means made his patented rally, and Sherluck and Braulio Baeza cast forward of Globemaster in late stretch to win by 2 ¾ lengths and develop into (at the moment) the highest-priced Belmont Stakes winner in historical past.

Carry Again got here out of the Belmont with an ankle damage and was given a much-needed break by Value. He returned in August 1961 with a win and continued to race till fall 1963, profitable vital races such because the Met Mile and Whitney Handicap. A very sturdy champion, he retired with 21 wins, 11 seconds and 11 thirds in 61 begins and lived till age 25, passing away in 1983. Carry Again was inducted into the Racing Corridor of Fame in 1975.

1971: Cross Catcher ends Canonero II’s fabulous run

Canonero II was the story in horse racing in spring 1971. Bred in Kentucky however based mostly in Venezuela, he had began twice within the U.S. as a 2-year-old with out success and was introduced again to the states for the Kentucky Derby after profitable seven of 10 begins south of the border. Considered an afterthought within the Derby, and included within the six-horse mutual area wager at 8.70-1 odds, Canonero II shocked observers by romping by 3 ¾ lengths. He backed that up with a 1 ½-length, track-record rating within the Preakness two weeks later, and by then the horse’s Venezuelan connections had charmed the press and public with their confidence and joie de vivre. The thrill solely intensified through the three weeks main as much as the Belmont, whilst stories surfaced that Canonero II’s coaching had been paused resulting from a pores and skin rash and a minor foot challenge.

Earlier than a then-record Belmont Stakes crowd of 82,694, Canonero II took the early lead and held it by the backstretch however started to obtain strain getting into the far flip, and Cross Catcher rallied from third to maneuver previous him and spurt clear on the prime of the stretch. That colt, a 34.50-1 outsider, had completed a detailed second in a stakes race at Backyard State Park in New Jersey solely 5 days prior and was wheeled proper again within the Belmont by coach Ed Yowell. With Walter Blum up, Cross Catcher held off a late problem from deep nearer Jim French to win by three-quarters of a size at odds of 34.50-1, whereas 7-10 favourite Canonero II pale to fourth.

The duvet web page of Sports activities Illustrated learn “Canonero Ought to Not Have Run,” and the race recap quoted a veterinarian who stated following the Belmont that the colt’s interruption in coaching certainly took its toll on his skill to beat the “Take a look at of the Champion.” Canonero II was purchased by Robert Kleberg’s King Ranch for $1.5 million after the Belmont and stored within the U.S., however he by no means regained his Derby and Preakness type, profitable solely as soon as – a five-length victory over 1972 Derby and Belmont winner Riva Ridge – in eight extra begins. Learn extra about him in Bob Ehalt’s ABR characteristic.

1979: Coastal wins as “the Bid” is denied

The 1979 Belmont qualifies as an upset regardless of winner Coastal carrying respectable 4.40-1 odds. Why? Due to the standard of the third-place finisher: one of many sport’s all-time finest. Spectacular Bid had already been voted champion 2-year-old male of 1978 and received his first 5 begins at 3 by open lengths main as much as the Kentucky Derby. On the primary Saturday in Might, he dominated the sphere at Churchill below 19-year-old rider Ron Franklin, profitable by 2 ¾ lengths. He adopted that with a 5 ½-length romp within the Preakness, and by that time seasoned reporters and railbirds have been on the very least prepared to concede that coach Bud Delp’s touting of Spectacular Bid as “the best horse to ever look by a bridle” wasn’t fully far-fetched. 

Despatched off as a 3-10 favourite within the 111^th Belmont, Spectacular Bid sat in second by the primary flip, and halfway by the backstretch Franklin urged him to the lead. The tempo was already swift, and Franklin didn’t give Spectacular Bid a breather as soon as the horse was in entrance, a call that was criticized by Delp’s son – a fellow teenager – and a few horse racing scribes afterward. Regardless of that, the colt gave the impression to be answerable for the race and on his technique to giving the general public a 3rd consecutive Triple Crown till he handed the quarter pole, when he started to shorten stride.

Coastal, a flippantly raced however well-regarded colt who had received the Peter Pan Stakes and was nominated to the Belmont, had been stalking nicely again in fourth, however on the prime of the stretch he rallied on the rail after which moved previous Spectacular Bid nearing the sixteenth pole. Spectacular Bid, spent however nonetheless attempting onerous, was nipped by neck for second on the end by Preakness runner-up Golden Act, as Coastal completed with a 3 ¼-length victory. The day after the race, Delp instructed the press that Spectacular Bid had stepped on a security pin the morning of the Belmont however that the mishap didn’t seem to have damage him in any respect. Whether or not that or Franklin’s experience had something do to together with his Belmont effort are matters nonetheless debated at this time by those that guess on the Bid to make historical past.

Ridden by Invoice Shoemaker thereafter, Spectacular Bid received three of his ultimate 4 begins in 1979 (dropping to 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed by three-quarters of a size within the Jockey Membership Gold Cup). He then went undefeated in 9 begins in 1980, ending up one of the crucial completed seasons in horse racing historical past with a walkover within the Woodward Stakes. Spectacular Bid retired because the all-time main cash winner in North America with purse earnings of almost $2.8 million and with a file of 30 begins, 26 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 very momentous third. Learn extra concerning the 1982 Corridor of Fame inductee in Bob Ehalt’s ABR profile.

1980: Temperence Hill upstages Real Threat

Buildup to the 112^th Belmont Stakes centered on Real Threat’s bid to develop into the primary filly to win the race since 1905. The Leroy Jolley trainee had already scored an upset victory within the Kentucky Derby after which completed second to Codex – skilled by a younger upstart named D. Wayne Lukas – within the Preakness. Temperence Hill, in the meantime, shipped in below the radar, having missed the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The colt, owned by John Ed Anthony’s Loblolly Steady and skilled by Joseph Cantey, had received the Arkansas Derby (then a modest achievement) however was 0-for-6 away from Oaklawn Park and was not nominated to the Kentucky Derby.

Regardless of Temperence Hill having suffered three straight losses in New York and Pennsylvania, Anthony paid a late price to appoint his colt to the Belmont, the place he was ignored by the betting public at 53.40-1 odds. Racing on a muddy monitor, Temperence Hill rated in sixth by the backstretch and methodically made his method up into competition as the sphere hit the far flip. Real Threat was proper there as nicely, and that pair engaged chief Rockhill Native in early stretch for a battle of wills that noticed Temperence Hill edge away late by two lengths over a sport Real Threat (Codex completed seventh).

Temperence Hill proved to be no one-race surprise, profitable the Travers Stakes, the Jockey Membership Gold Cup, and the Tremendous Derby later in 1980 to earn the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male. Real Threat returned to racing towards her personal intercourse and closed out her profession with three extra wins in 5 begins en path to a spot within the Corridor of Fame in 1986. Learn extra concerning the champion filly in Keeler Johnson’s ABR profile.

1999: Lemon Drop Child upsets, Charismatic damage

A Triple Crown was on the road for the third consecutive 12 months within the 131^st Belmont Stakes, following near-misses by Silver Appeal in 1997 and Actual Quiet in 1998. Charismatic, owned by Robert and Beverly Lewis and skilled by D. Wayne Lukas, had risen out of the claiming ranks in early 1999 to attain a 31.30-1 upset within the Kentucky Derby after which win the Preakness as nicely. By the point the Belmont rolled round, he was now not neglected and went off because the 8-5 favourite, with Derby and Preakness runner-up Menifee the two.60-1 second selection and future Corridor of Fame filly Silverbulletday additionally well-backed at 5.10-1.

Lemon Drop Child, then again, was a 29.75-1 longshot based mostly on his mediocre 3-year-old marketing campaign. He had received the Grade 1 Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old for proprietor Jeanne Vance and coach Scotty Schulhofer however was solely 1-for-4 in 1999 going into the Belmont, that victory coming in an allowance race at Keeneland. Nonetheless, he did end a sneaky-good third in his ultimate Belmont prep, the Peter Pan Stakes, when he was in tight quarters late and racing on a muddy monitor. Schulhofer stored him at Belmont Park and wheeled him proper again within the 1 ½-mile traditional two weeks later.

Jockey Chris Antley despatched Charismatic to take a seat simply off of Silverbulletday’s tempo by the backstretch, and Charismatic moved as much as have interaction her on the far flip as Lemon Drop Child rallied from midpack below Jose Santos. Lemon Drop Child’s momentum carried him to the lead in midstretch and Imaginative and prescient and Verse, a 54.75-1 shot, additionally moved previous Charismatic alongside the within as the twin traditional winner started to battle. Lemon Drop Child and Imaginative and prescient and Verse battled to the end line, with Lemon Drop Child profitable by a head and triggering a $1,537 exacta.

Because it turned out, Charismatic suffered a condlyar fracture in midstretch, and was pulled up on the end by Antley in a transfer that was credited with saving his life. As with Tim Tam 41 years earlier, an unlucky damage within the Belmont led to a contented ending, as Charismatic was retired and lived for 18 extra years, passing away in 2017 at Previous Associates retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. (learn extra about him in Bob Ehalt’s ABR profile). In the meantime, Lemon Drop Child went on to win the Travers later that summer season and have a good higher 12 months in 2000, when he received the Whitney Handicap, Woodward Stakes, Brooklyn Handicap, and Suburban Handicap. He was voted champion older male that 12 months and later grew to become a profitable sire.

2002: Sarava lights up the tote board, Conflict Emblem stumbles

The 134^th Belmont Stakes ended with a 70.25-1 winner and yet one more Triple Crown bid dashed, this time resulting from a really premature stumble out of the beginning gate. Conflict Emblem had romped within the Kentucky Derby and received by three-quarters of a size within the Preakness by flashing elite velocity from the outset and exhibiting sufficient stamina to hold on late. He was 2-for-2 for coach Bob Baffert after Prince Ahmed bin Salman of the Thoroughbred Company transferred the colt to Baffert’s barn, and there was little suspense to Baffert’s and jockey Victor Espinoza’s technique for the Belmont: “Get within the gate, break, and go,” the coach instructed Sports activities Illustrated.

The alternative occurred. Conflict Emblem almost went to his knees instantly after the gate opened, and Espinoza needed to rush the 1.25-1 favourite up into competition whereas being bottled up on the within as the sphere made its method by the backstretch. Conflict Emblem engaged pacesetter Medaglia d’Oro in a bid for the lead getting into the far flip however couldn’t take over, and by the five-sixteenths pole he was completed.

For many of the spring, Sarava had been third fiddle in coach Ken McPeek’s barn behind Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes winner (and Kentucky Derby post-time favourite) Harlan’s Vacation and the injured Louisiana Derby winner Repent. McPeek determined to enter Sarava after he received the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard, and below Edgar Prado, the longshot moved up between horses getting into the stretch after which dueled with Medaglia d’Oro to the end, prevailing by a half-length. His $142.50 return for a $2 guess set a Belmont Stakes file that also stands. Sarava would by no means win once more, whereas Conflict Emblem tallied another victory in his three remaining begins – a wire-to-wire rating within the Haskell Invitational. Sarava now resides at Previous Associates, and Conflict Emblem died there in 2020.

2004: Birdstone silences a file crowd

The 2004 Belmont Stakes could haven’t set the parimutuel file for “largest upset” – see the earlier entry – however it holds prime standing amongst modern-day horse racing followers as essentially the most heart-wrenching end, with out query. That June, anticipation for the Belmont Stakes was at a stage not seen for the reason that sport’s heyday of the Seventies – not even the Triple Crown bids of fan favorites Silver Appeal and Actual Quiet within the Nineteen Nineties or the rivalry between Sunday Silence and Simple Goer in 1989 may compete. And it was all due to Smarty Jones. The Pennsylvania-bred had captured the eye of a nationwide sports activities viewers after going undefeated by eight begins, the latest wins coming by 2 ¾ lengths within the Kentucky Derby and a tremendous 11 ½ lengths within the Preakness. He was the proverbial “little man’s” horse with Keystone state connections, owned by aged Roy and Pat Chapman, skilled by John Servis, and ridden by journeyman Stewart Elliott. However his expertise was regal, and he towered above a Belmont area that included Birdstone, a well-bred colt owned by Saratoga icon Marylou Whitney and skilled by Nick Zito who had however disillusioned on the monitor, coming into the Belmont off of an eighth-place Derby end, 15 ¼ lengths behind Smarty Jones.

As such, Smarty Jones was despatched off because the 0.35-1 favourite within the nine-horse Belmont area, whereas Birdstone was 36-1. Earlier than a still-record crowd of 120,139 desirous to witness historical past, Smarty Jones broke nicely from the skin publish however was stored simply off the early lead by Elliott till the sphere hit the backstretch. A lot as with Ron Franklin’s experience 25 years earlier on Spectacular Bid, horseplayers and followers nonetheless debate about whether or not Elliott moved too quickly on Smarty Jones. He took over after the half-mile marker and continued on nicely by the lengthy backstretch regardless of being pressured, and halfway by the far flip Elliott let his colt run freely and Smarty opened up on the sphere.

As Smarty Jones entered the homestretch, just one horse had an opportunity to catch him – Birdstone, who had grinded his method into second below Edgar Prado. For just a few fleeting moments, it appeared that Smarty Jones, though tiring, simply might need sufficient left to carry off his challenger and develop into the primary Triple Crown winner since 1978. However within the ultimate strides, Smarty gave up the lead and a large number of determined cheers all of the sudden stopped. Birdstone prevailed by a size, and such was the frustration that Zito, Prado, and Whitney tempered their post-race remarks with gives of comfort for the legion of Smarty followers. He by no means raced once more, however 20 years later, Smarty Jones stays arguably the most well-liked North American racehorse of the 21^st century, and the pivotal participant in a Belmont Stakes that nobody who watched it’ll ever overlook. Examine him in Tom Pedulla’s ABR profile and revel in an in-depth have a look at his bid for the Triple Crown with recollections from Servis, Elliott, and sportswriter Dick Jerardi in this characteristic from Mike Curry.

2008: Da’ Tara wires ’em, Massive Brown fizzles

Though not reaching the extent of Smarty Jones, 2008 Triple Crown hopeful Massive Brown had generated some constructive fan assist getting into the Belmont together with his unbeaten 5-0 file and open-length wins within the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Owned by a bunch headed by Mike Iavarone’s IEAH Stables and skilled by the loquacious and controversial Rick Dutrow, Massive Brown had clearly established himself as the most effective of his age group and was a heavy 3-10 favourite within the Belmont – the bottom odds for a post-time favourite since Spectacular Bid in 1979. Some considerations lingered, nevertheless. For one, his pedigree was very suspect for the taxing 1 ½-mile “Take a look at of the Champion.” Second, Massive Brown had developed a quarter-crack after the Preakness that had interrupted his coaching. And lastly, Dutrow instructed reporters that in mid-Might, the colt didn’t obtain a month-to-month injection of what was at the moment a authorized steroid, elevating questions on whether or not his accomplishments earlier within the spring have been enhanced by the drug.

Regardless of the trigger, Massive Brown was a near-total non-factor within the Belmont, breaking erratically from the rail publish and combating jockey Kent Desormeaux’s makes an attempt to regulate him by the primary flip and into the backstretch. In the meantime, unheralded Da’ Tara, the longest shot within the nine-horse Belmont area at 38.70-1, went proper to the lead below Alan Garcia and was by no means challenged. By the point Da’ Tara rolled into the stretch en path to a 5 ¼-length win over Denis of Cork, Desormeaux had pulled Massive Brown up and directed him off of the monitor.

Da’ Tara gave Nick Zito his second Belmont win 4 years after Birdstone’s upset over Smarty Jones. The emotional tenor within the Belmont grandstand was decidedly completely different this time, nevertheless, with annoyance and even schadenfreude changing unhappiness. Massive Brown did achieve a measure of redemption by profitable the ultimate two begins of his profession, together with the Haskell Invitational, however coach Dutrow was suspended in 2013 by the New York State Gaming Fee for 10 years resulting from quite a few medicine violations (he returned to coaching final 12 months and had success proper off the bat, profitable the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional with White Abarrio). 

2014: Tonalist proves finest, ‘Chromies’ deflated

Ten years after Birdstone spoiled Smarty Jones’ bid for Triple Crown glory, one other spunky colt from modest origins got here alongside to captivate followers nationwide. California Chrome was a California-bred by the obscure sire Fortunate Pulpit, and his house owners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn purchased the his dam Love the Chase for under $8,000. His coach, septuagenarian Artwork Sherman, was extremely revered on the Golden State racing circuit however hardly a family identify. California Chrome first rose to prominence with wins in Santa Anita Park’s Derby preps with jockey Victor Espinoza aboard, and through Might, when he scored authoritative wins within the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, a social-media fueled fanbase often called “Chromies” emerged to spice up his reputation.

Racing followers rode a whirlwind of pleasure into the 146^th Belmont, the place California Chrome was despatched off because the 0.85-1 favourite towards a high quality area. Among the many challengers was 9.20-1 Tonalist, a colt owned by Robert Evans and skilled by Christophe Clement who was bettering at simply the appropriate time and had received the Peter Pan Stakes on Belmont’s primary monitor 4 weeks earlier. Within the Belmont Stakes, California Chrome stumbled out of the gate however recovered shortly to stalk the tempo in fourth, one spot behind Tonalist. Each colts had good journeys chasing 28-1 longshot pacesetter Commissioner by Belmont’s lengthy backstretch, and so they remained in competition by the far flip, establishing an exciting finale.

The cheers for California Chrome from 102,199 followers in attendance (third-largest in historical past) have been deafening, however he didn’t speed up within the stretch the way in which he had in his six consecutive wins getting into the Belmont, ending a detailed fourth. Tonalist, then again, had simply sufficient stamina to overhaul a sport Commissioner and win by a head below Joel Rosario. Tonalist’s victory was considerably overshadowed by Steve Coburn’s post-race bitter grapes gripe to NBC’s Kenny Rice concerning the taxing nature of the Triple Crown’s five-week schedule, however because it turned out, California Chrome had merely failed to take care of his classic-winning type for a 3rd straight race – becoming a member of a gifted and completed membership in that regard. He actually bounced again, happening to win races such because the Dubai World Cup and Pacific Traditional over the following 2 ½ years to burnish credentials that made him a 2023 inductee into the Racing Corridor of Fame (examine him in Tom Pedulla’s ABR profile). Tonalist as nicely racked up extra large wins, taking the distinguished Jockey Membership Gold Cup in each 2014 and 2015.