Wilted Roses But Blooming Carnations

 

Wilted Roses But Blooming Carnations

Joseph Di Rienzi

 

A recent trend in North American thoroughbred racing is that horses that did not finish fourth or better in the Kentucky Derby, often skip the Preakness Stakes to await the Triple Crown ending Belmont Stakes. In fact, if we ignore the 2020 running of the Belmont which preceded the other races (due to COVID-19 restrictions), in the last 12 renewals, six horses who were unplaced in the Derby and skipped the Preakness were victorious in the Belmont Stakes. This piece will briefly summarize each of these Belmont winners to show that bitter disappointment on the first Saturday in May can transform into unbridled joy on Belmont Stakes Day.

Union Rags (on right) wins the 2012 Belmont Stakes
(The New York Times)

In 2012 Union Rags was one of the prime early candidates for the three-year-old classics. The long legged handsome bay son of Dixie Union owned by Chadds Ford Stable whose co-owner and breeder Phyllis Wyeth was the wife of celebrated Delaware Valley artist Andrew Wyeth. Trained by Michael Matz, Union Rags was a prominent juvenile in 2011 winning the Saratoga Special and Champagne Stakes and just missing winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He began his sophomore season with an authoritative victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, but disappointed as heavy favorite in the Florida Derby, finishing third. Sent off as second choice in the Kentucky Derby, Union Rags was shuffled back to eighteenth place at one point, but closed ground to finish seventh to victorious I’ll Have Another.

The 2012 Belmont Stakes was widely anticipated as I’ll Have Another had also won the Preakness Stakes, but on the morning of the Belmont he was scratched due to an injury. Trainer Michael Matz had skipped the Preakness with Union Rags and changed jockeys from Julien Leparoux to John Velazquez for the Belmont Stakes. Whether it was the absence of the Derby-Preakness winner or the switch in riders that made the difference, the Chadds Ford Stable runner won the classic as Velazquez was able to sit Union Rags on the inside off pacesetting Paynter and found enough room along the rail, surging near the finish to prevail by a neck.

Alas, the Belmont Stakes was the last start for Union Rags. He suffered an injury preparing for summer stakes races that led to his retirement to stud in Kentucky.

Palace Malice wins the 2013 Belmont Stakes
(USA Today)

The following year, Palace Malice also catapulted over an unplaced finish in the Kentucky Derby to win the Belmont Stakes. The son of Curlin owned by the Cot Campbell-run Dogwood Stable partnership, trained by Todd Pletcher, had a modest two-year-old year winning once in two starts. Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Palace Malice’s best effort was a close second in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse. In the Derby, he was surprisingly sent for the early lead by jockey Mike Smith and tired over the sloppy track to finish twelfth beaten 13 lengths by Stuart Janney and Phipps Stables’ Orb. Held out of the Preakness, the son of Curlin recorded some impressive workouts leading into the Belmont. Ridden again by Smith, Palace Malice this time rated kindly just off the pace and then raced past Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow at the top of the stretch to win by 3¼ lengths with Derby winner Orb another 1¾ lengths back in third place.

Palace Malice raced on in 2013 winning the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga and fourth beaten less than a length in the Travers Stakes. As a four-year-old in 2014 he won his first four starts, all stakes races before losing in the Whitney Stakes. Brought back as a five-year-old in 2015 he was unsuccessful in two starts and retired to stud in Kentucky. In 2024, Palace Malice was sold and sent to Japan where he currently stands at stud.

 

Creator (on left) wins the 2016 Belmont Stakes
(The New York Times)

Skipping ahead to 2016 we find Creator, a gray son of Tapit owned by WinStar Farm come to hand winning the Arkansas Derby with a deep closing charge as his final prep for the Kentucky Derby. The Steve Asmussen trained colt was again far back in the early going in the Derby but encountered trouble around the stretch turn as he launched his rally and could only finish thirteenth.

To enhance his Belmont Stakes chances, Creator’s connections replaced his regular jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. by Irad Ortiz Jr. who was deemed more familiar with Belmont’s sweeping turns. Creator’s owner, WinStar Farm transferred their colt Gettysburg from Todd Pletcher to the barn of Creator’s trainer Steve Asmussen in order to serve as a pacemaker. And finally, celebrity chef, Bobby Flay was brought in as part owner of Creator, perhaps to provide a good luck charm.

WinStar’s rabbit strategy was successful as Gettysburg carved out a sensible pace. Creator, who at one point was in eleventh place, gradually moved up under Ortiz, saving ground on the inside. Around the huge Belmont final turn, Gettysburg was getting leg weary as Destin came to challenge with Stradivari, Preakness winner Exaggerator and Lani attempting to rally on the outside. Creator, who was behind horses at the top of the stretch, found room and took up after Destin who now had a clear lead. In a desperate finish, Creator caught Destin just before the wire for a nose victory.

Winless in two subsequent starts, Creator was retired and sold to Japanese interests in the fall of 2016. After standing at a stallion farm in Japan, he was sent in late 2024 to Saudi Arabia.

Tapwrit wins the 2017 Belmont Stakes
(UPI.com)

The next year Tapwrit, another gray son of Tapit who was a $1.2 million yearling purchase by Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Robert LaPenta (the same ownership group that own current sensation Journalism) had won the Tampa Bay Derby. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapwrit could only finish fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes, his final Kentucky Derby prep. In the Run for the Roses, Tapwrit finished a closing sixth to stable mate Always Dreaming. 

It would be hard to make the year’s Belmont Stakes memorable. Not only were the Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing absent, but Classic Empire (second in the Preakness), who would have been the favorite no matter who was entered, was withdrawn due to a foot abscess.

Despite his out of the money performance in Louisville, Tapwrit was accorded second favoritism (at 5-1) to Wood Memorial Stakes victor Irish War Cry. The two most favored horses finished in reverse order, as Irish War Cry attempted to lead all the way. Coming into the stretch, with about a 2 length lead, he could not hold off Tapwrit who had advanced from third on the inside down the backstretch to challenge once swung outside by jockey Jose Ortiz. At the finish, Tapwrit was 2 lengths clear of Irish War Cry.

As with Union Rags and Creator, Tapwrit never won another race although he competed through his four-year-old season. Retired to stud in Kentucky, he recently has been relocated to a farm in Indiana.

Mo Donegal wins the 2022 Belmont Stakes
(BloodHorse)

In 2022, Mo Donegal was considered one of the leading classic candidates. The son of Uncle Mo owned by Donegal Racing and Repole Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher had won the Remsen Stakes as a juvenile and the Wood Memorial in his second sophomore start. He finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby to longshot Rich Strike, but he was beaten less than 4 lengths.

Favored in the Belmont Stakes under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Mo Donegal came with a strong move around the final turn and used his stamina to prevail by 3 lengths over his barnmate, the filly Nest. Derby winner Rich Strike finished sixth.

As with Union Rags, this was to be Mo Donegal’s final start as an injury forced his retirement to stud at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky. His first foals arrived in 2024.  

Dornoch wins the 2024 Belmont Stakes
(NPR)

The last horse on this study of recent form reversals from the Derby to the Belmont is Dornoch. Purchased as a yearling in 2022 for $250,000, little did the owners (West Paces Racing and R A Hill Stable) know they were buying a full brother to the 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage. Making four starts in 2023 under trainer Danny Gargan, Dornoch culminated his juvenile campaign with a nose victory in the Remsen Stakes over highly regarded Sierra Leone. His three-year-old season started with a victory in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park, followed by a fourth place finish (to Sierra Leone) in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

In the Kentucky Derby, Dornoch drew the dreaded number 1 post position and after breaking a little slow was shuffled back and could finish no better than twelfth to upset winner Mystik Dan.

Skipping the Preakness (won by Seize the Grey), Dornoch’s connections planned to have the bay colt near the lead to avoid the trouble he experienced in the Kentucky Derby. Favored for the Belmont Stakes (run in 2024 at Saratoga Racetrack at the shortened 1¼ mile distance) was Derby second Sierra Leone with the lightly raced Mindframe the second choice above Mystik Dan and Seize the Grey. Dornoch, as a result of his disappointing Derby performance, was dismissed at odds of nearly 18-1 in the ten horse field.

True to the pre-race strategy, jockey Luis Saez positioned Dornoch just off the Preakness winner. Gaining command around the stretch turn, he fought off a furious challenge by Mindframe who drifted out noticeably in the stretch to win the Belmont Stakes by a ½ length. Sierra Leone was third, and the previous classic winners – Seize the Grey and Mystik Dan finished seventh and eighth, respectively.)

The breeding of Dornoch and Mage (Good Magic out of Puca) has now produced two classic winners. That feat had only been accomplished one other time when full brothers Whiskery (Derby 1927) and Victorian (Preakness 1928) won their respective classics.

Unlike others in this study save Palace Malice, Dornoch did go on to win after the Belmont Stakes. He was victorious in the Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park, again defeating Mindframe. However, after a fourth-place finish in the Travers Stakes, Dornoch was injured preparing for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and retired to join Mo Donegal at Spendthrift Farm.

So, as we approach this year’s edition of the Belmont Stakes (run again at Saratoga), it might be wise to pay attention to those who were unsuccessful in the Kentucky Derby.

                              “From the Dying Rose, the Blooming Carnation May Yet Emerge.”