Rags to Riches Wins the Belmont Stakes Hurray for Girl Power Finally a Filly!
AP/Jason DeCrow photo
There's no way I can overlook the fact that finally a filly has won the Belmont Stakes after a 102 years. The 3 year old filly, Rags to Riches, was brought into the race after Street Sense, the winner of the Kentucky Derby was pulled from the line-up. The owners of Rags to Riches expressed their desire to please the public as their reason for the move and please the public is what they did!
The remarkable chestnut 3 year old filly stumbled coming out of the gate, was pushed wide in to the first turn and still came up in the run of her life in a head to head battle down the stretch to beat Curlin', the winner of the Preakness Stakes and second in the Kentucky Derby to Street Sense.
While many in the crowd didn't lay their money down on the nose of the filly, the crowd roared its appreciation as she crossed the finish line beating out a string of the best colts in the country.
Another story of girl power behind the scenes to my way of thinking, the last two Belmont Stakes winners, Rags to Riches and Jazil, were both out of the mare, Better than Honor. Jazil won his race in 2:27.86 and his sister won hers in 2:27:85 beating out her brother's time by one one hundredth of a second. If that isn't a statement about breeding, I'm not sure what is. I'm not sure what the statistics on broodmares producing multiple winners for any of the triple crown races might be, but my guess is Better than Honor is making her own mark.
This win makes Rags to Riches the most valuable thoroughbred filly in the world and singles her out as one of the most amazing fillies in US racing history. Fillies are rarely raced against colts in this country because it's a common belief that it's just to hard for the fillies to out run the colts. When a filly finally does beat out the colts, she is guaranteed a place in racing history.
Even though the filly was given 5 pounds (standard handicapping weight given to a filly as compensation when running against the more muscular colts) and some would (and did) disparage that, anyone who knows and breeds horses knows there is definitely a difference in the musculature and bone of the boys over the girls. Those fillies who have dared to run the elite races have rarely been seen in the winner's circle even with the 5 pounds.
As exciting an afternoon as this has all been, I must confess I missed the race. I remembered at the last minute, turned to the wrong station and by the time I realized my mistake tuned in just in time to see Rags to Riches being pulled up. I did get to see the race in rerun which is never the same but I still can't help but bask in the the fact that Girl Power won the day.
For news story on the Belmont win
Belmont Stakes horse racing Triple Crown
I googled "Rags to Riches" and came up with your blog.
ReplyDeleteYours looks like something I'll enjoy - and I'll be back to browse and read. :-))
I had to scream all by myself since my husband wasn't even home. Go Girl, Go Girl, Go Girl. What an exciting race! And the camera was dead on Curlin' as he slipped through the leaders while the filly had to go wide to get around them. It was a fun race, wasn't it!
ReplyDeleteA filly - wow! I think that is so cool! I bet her dam is pretty much the most valuable broodmare in the world now, having produced TWO Belmont winners!!!
ReplyDeletecactis wren, welcome, I always appreciate new readers. Hope you come back often. If there's something specific you'd like to see for a blot topic let me know. I'm always open for suggestions.
ReplyDeletemolly, I'm with you! I was up, screaming, out of my chairm don't know when I've seen a race that great, kinda happy. It was wonderful!
And I, you would think so. Not that I have seen that much mention about Rags to Riches dam having produced the last two Belmont Stakes winners, but the powers that be have to know. That's one producing fool! Worth he weight in gold!