Ptolemy and Copernicus, not exactly.

[richiebee]

\"I am absolutely rooting for a Triple Crown bid. I have been at the Belmont
three times when a Triple Crown was on the line and the excitement is
outrageous.\"   Covel

\"As for the Preakness, I think its most useful wagering function will be to
set up value in the Belmont\"  Moosepalm

\"[Orb] didn\'t win the Preakness yet, and he doesn\'t look overwhelming to me.\"
Vito a/k/a EF Hutton

\"The only good thing that a Triple Crown winner will do for racing is to
finally kill off the ridiculous notion that a Triple Crown winner will do
something good for racing.\"   Rich Curtis

Covel: Your definition of \"outrageous excitement\" may have been permanently
altered after your time in KY. In terms of dollars, having the TC on the line
is huge for NYRA.

Everyone criticizes NYRA, and none more than me, but after last years\' scratch
of IHA, I thought that 25 or 30 years ago NYRA would have likely coerced Doug
O\'Neill to load the slightly injured colt in the gate and have him pulled up a
few strides into the race.

If it comes to pass, will look forward to seeing how NBC can make
gazillionaires Phipps and Janney warm and fuzzy.

Moosepalm: Was exactly my thinking with Big Brown and Smarty Jones. I laid low
in the Preakness, waiting for a Belmont ambush. The plan worked out well with
Birdstone, not so well with D\'Tara.

Rich Curtis: Probably agree with the statement, but absolutely love the
cynicism/realism behind it.

[covelj70]

Richie,

great stuff as usual.

Don\'t get me wrong, I am not making any kind of grand statement about what a triple crown winner would do for racing right now, I am stricly arguing that it\'s an exciting day out there when there\'s a TC on the line.

That said, in terms of the very real concern that many have about no young new fans entering the game, I can tell you that, after watching Orb\'s breeze online, I just bought 12 clubhouse tickets to the Belmont through Stubhub and two of my great friends and I just made plans to bring our entire families to the Belmont.

That includes 6 children under 12 years old.  I have to think that young kids remembering an Orb triple crown can\'t hurt their enthusiasm for the game down the road, no?

[gowand]

I was 10 when Seattle slew came along and my father had a huge triple crown party at our house. I was hooked and I think it was that summer when I made him take me to Saratoga to watch Forego run last in the pouring rain.  You can\'t underestimate the value of a superhorse on the game. Over the years I have brought countless friends to the Saratoga and most of them now bring their families.  I think a triple crown has a tremendous effect on the game which you may not see in the immediate future.  It is all about exposure.

[covelj70]

perfectly articulated.

[TGJB]

Yeah. But one Forego-- who runs for years and gets a following-- is worth more than all the TC winners who disappear. Which goes once again to the stupid 5 weeks thing.

If a horse is going for the TC and Belmont is electric the kids Jim brings will be hooked whether it happens or not.

[justwin]

This will probably be the year of the triple crown as its only the 3rd time since 1987 I don\'t have Belmont seats.

[Eight Belles]

Going for the TC means more than winning it.  Once a horse has won it, the owners will be hard-pressed to race him at 4, and that\'s if the horse even races through the rest of his 3yo year.  So a horse rushed off to stud as soon as it turns into racing PR\'s golden goose will just make it a Canadian goose.

[Lost Cause]

Eight Belles Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Going for the TC means more than winning it.  Once
> a horse has won it, the owners will be
> hard-pressed to race him at 4, and that\'s if the
> horse even races through the rest of his 3yo year.
>  So a horse rushed off to stud as soon as it turns
> into racing PR\'s golden goose will just make it a
> Canadian goose.

Does this apply to the Phipps/Janney group?  Easy Goer raced as a 4yo..granted I forget that was 23 years ago (geez i\'ve been at this a long time) but they don\'t seem needy for the cash..

[richiebee]

Do not know about racing at 4, but assuming Orb\'s continued soundness, I think the
BC Classic is a very important objective for Phipps/Janney/McGaughey.

Of the seven \"legacy\" Breeders Cup events (Juvenile, Juvenile Filly, Sprint, Mile,
Distaff (now Ladies Classic),Turf and Classic), Shug has won in all events except
the Turf and the Classic.