Tavasco Wrote:
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> If Justify's name were Secretariat many voices
> would rationalize playing against him.

One of the many ways that horses and horse racing in the 1970s can not be
compared to horses and horse racing in this century.

For Secretariat's Belmont, I am fairly certain that the only mutuels available
were win and place ($2.60 and $2.20); the record shows that the $3 exacta
combining Secretariat and Twice a Prince (18/1) returned $35.20. (clear cut
second fave Sham was off the board). No tri, no super, no P3, P4, no NYRA Bets
(not open to the public) P5, no P6, no WOR-TV special double wager featuring
the Belmont and a harness race run (much) later that night at Yonkers Raceway.

Just a long winded way of saying (though not as much so as in a 20 horse
Kentucky Derby) there are ways a horseplayer can monetize a Justify Triple
Crown clinching Belmont win. One only needs what Walt "Clyde" Frazier might
call some "serendipity" in the races surrounding the Belmont and a decent score
in a multiple race wager is not impossible.

To me the largest obstacle Justify faces is what I call the reverse curse of
Apollo. The issue is not now that he was an unraced 2YO, but rather that he
will be making his 6th start in 111 days, perhaps qualifying him as an iron
horse in this day of less is more lightly raced superstars.

Baffert obviously has a good feel for this whole Triple Crown thing with
American Pharaoh and his near misses in the late 1990s. I believe that Baffert
will eventually be the proprietor of a "boutique" barn where he almost
exclusively trains Triple Crown prospects, though we sometimes forget that he
has trained the winners of five Breeder's Cup Sprints.

Looking forward to seeing Saturday entries 12 or so hours from now.