Notebook: No Triple Crown contender this year By Mike Diegnan ABC Sports Online BALTIMORE -- Superman met his match. Not Kryptonite, but mud. "Red Bullet ran the track well and mine didn't," said Fusaichi Pegasus' trainer Neil Drysdale. "It's a part of racing."
Neither side was committal on whether or not the racing world would see another match between Red Bullet and Fusaichi Pegasus on June 10 in the Belmont Stakes. Red Bullet's victory on Saturday has helped make their rivalry a battle of two powerful horses similar to the dueling of Silver Charm and Skip Away two years ago and memories of recent Triple Crown battles between Sunday Silence and Easy Goer and Alysheba and Bet Twice. "I'm not sure about Belmont," said Red Bullet owner Frank Stronach, who showed no disappointment about skipping the Derby. "I know it sounds like I'm beating around the bush, but I really have to take a few days and look at the horse," said Bullet's trainer Joe Orseno, who said that the horse lost 16 pounds after losing to Pegasus in the Wood Memorial in April. Drysdale, who made a rare appearance in the press box after the race for a losing trainer, seemed more intent on going into battle a third time. "If he comes out of the race all right, we would press on to the Belmont," said Drysdale, who will ship his bay colt to Aqueduct on Monday. Even though he's only been aboard him twice, Bailey knows who he likes. "[Fusaichi Pegasus has] been beaten twice now, Red Bullet's been beaten just once. Advantage Red Bullet," the victorious jockey proclaimed. Belmont Stakes Senate race dropout Rudy Guiliani might not be in attendance, but a group of Preakness dropouts should be in New York on June 10. Seven horses that did not make the trip to Pimlico were listed as possibles on Saturday night for the final leg of the Triple Crown. Aptitude (second in the Derby), Wheelaway (fifth), and Curule (seventh) are expected to make their second Triple Crown starts. Also listed as possibles in three weeks are Tahkoda Hills, who finished third in the Florida Derby and won the Lone Star Derby; Unshaded, who has won his last three starts; Chief Seattle, who placed second in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile; and Globalize, a late scratch in the Derby who placed second in the Grade 2 Lexington. They said it Bob Baffert joking on the future of Captain Steve after the chestnut colt placed fourth: "I'll probably sell him." Jockey Craig Perret on Impeachment, who has finished third in both Triple Crown races: "One of these days, the big guys are going to stub their toes, and Impeachment is going to win a very significant race. He's always lurking, and one day he's going to bust through." Trainer Marty Jones on his longshot horse, Hugh Hefner's sixth-place finish, which left him out of the money: "It was a tough race and we weren't embarrassed. I would have liked to pick up a check though." |
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