BloodHorse Monday 6/9/25 | Belmont Recap

I welcome and it is a post Belmont edition of Blood Horse

Monday and then Blood Horse Monday this week is presented by

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with FanDuel A Racing. Sean, welcome back.

A long seizure of 4-5 days there in Saratoga.

You are a lucky man. You got family up there.

You're able to visit and do all the things of course Belmont in

the rear view, of course we had a a A4 horse field in the mat

win as well yesterday as we continue our our journey through

the three-year old season with what's turned out to be a a very

fine 3 year old crop frankly. And so we are post Belmont, we

are post sovereignty. Winning the Belmont made me look

very smart in all of the predictions that I did running

in to the race. But everything's set up and I

will be very clear about something.

It was Junior's attitude on this show last week that convinced me

Cypher T was going to win the bail.

Bond yeah. He was really, really confident

last week. He felt like there was.

And well, it seemed like he felt like there was really no chance

he was going to lose. And watching it unfold, I don't

think there ever was any chance there was going to lose.

Not much of an opportunity, at least that way.

But we get we get the rematch that we all wanted to see.

We got a frankly a good version of journalism.

It's not as though we got some kind of damn, you know, fall

apart 5th place appearance by him or something.

We. Ran his race.

He ran his race and we got the top three back from the Derby in

the Belmont. Now, I haven't seen anyone

published the last time that exact thing happened where it

went 123 Derby, 123 Belmont. Do you have?

Have you seen anything? No, I haven't.

It's probably I mean it's got to be a got to have been a long

time because you think, you know, obviously we don't always

have all three of them going through all three jewels

anymore. They used to back in the day.

So maybe they did. But even back then, a lot of

times maybe the horse, if he ran 3rd and like the Derby and then

the Preakness, he skipped going to the Belmont, right or ran.

2nd right. 2nd. At the point and ran some mixed

order. Yeah, exactly.

Some shuffling between the top three, but yeah, to get the top

three from the Derby back in the exact same order 5 weeks later.

I mean, essentially we just thrown out the other five horses

in the race and it was just those.

I think we learned for sure. I think we all thought it ahead

of time. I think we all know now for

sure, it's clear that these are the three best horses in the

division. Oh, interesting.

OK, so that's you were there. You see sovereignty do what he

did in person. I know what I saw on television.

What did you see? I saw where he So to preface

this, my seats were at the exact spot where he passed journalism

and so I don't think the TV camera that.

Was my view. By the way, during the Derby I

watched them hook up in the stretch at the 8th pole because

of where the media seats. Are having watched the replay

now, I don't think the TV shows you just how easily sovereignty

cruised past him. The air, the spot where I was

seeing him just go right like he came right up to him and he I

mean, he just flew right past. It was it looked so easy.

It looked so effortless when he went by.

And journalism is a top notch horse.

So that's really if, if that's what it looks like with

sovereignty going by him, that's kind of a scary thought for the

future of the horses running against him.

So question for you, because I think there was a fair amount

of, oh, there's an asterisk here because he didn't run in

Baltimore and then he won by so much and so impressively that I

think all of that talk just went away.

Any chance at rebutting? Hey, you didn't run three weeks

ago. I think went away with just how

good he looked you on Saturday. I think it went away a little

bit, but then you also look at what journalism Had he been on

the same schedule, would he maybe have had a little bit more

in the tank to maybe fight back a little bit?

Or was he, you know, running at 100% sovereignty was just better

than him? Again, Now, I do think at this

point, you know, I love journalism.

But I do think at this point, it's clear that at least until

we get into later of the year, that sovereignty is just the

better horse. He showed something on Saturday

he had not shown by making a much earlier move to stay within

that first pack of horses. He had way less passing to do by

the time we got to the stretch, and it showed in the winning

margin, frankly, right. It's not as though he ran, OK,

he ran better than he did in the Derby.

I should, I should very much, I should be careful about that.

He did. He just did speed figures,

everything else he ran better than he did in the Kentucky

Derby. But part of it is that he was,

he was willing to be part of the early pace and it wasn't

blistering by any stretch for sure, but was seeing that new

dimension of him. You know, we got a a Sierra

Leone last year who needed very specific things to close into in

a very specific setup to win those races, obviously

culminating with that Breeders' Cup Classic win.

I think we saw something from sovereignty where he's a

legitimate step ahead of a horse like Sierra Leone where he can

do multiple things to beat you. Yeah.

He's now getting to the point where it doesn't really matter

what the trip ends up being. He's just going to be there and

he's going to win. That was definitely a big thing,

seeing him be a lot more forward in the early stages, making sure

he didn't get too far back, kind of kept himself in position.

I was worried a little bit watching it live.

I'm going down the back stretch that he was going to be kind of

he'd end up getting stuck in on that real position.

But I mean, once Junior kind of asked him to go, he was able to

just float up outside and it worked out perfectly for them.

But seeing that new dimension from him, I think he definitely,

yeah. I mean, it's hard to imagine

anybody beating him the rest of the year because of because of

that, because we now know he can sit a little bit closer and he

can still come with the run at the end as strong as it was.

And, you know, just overall, just the impressiveness in which

you put away journalism. I going back to your question

about the five weeks, you know, there is going to be maybe a

little bit of debate. There's probably going to be

some people in journalism's camp that will point to that.

And we'll see when journalism is fully rested by the time we get

to the race like the Travers probably later in the year, if

they both end up there, we'll see if the story's the same.

But I think at this point, I, I think journalism ran so well to

where you can't really look at the difference in timing between

the two or something. But then at the same time, if,

if sovereignty had ran in the Preakness, won that and came

back, would he have still had the same kind of punch at the

end? I think he would have.

I think journalism would have been the same whether he was

three weeks off or five weeks off.

So I don't think. I don't think that we got a very

good representation of journalism there within 5% of

100%. Yeah.

I don't think we had any impact of their schedules on the race.

I think that was just the two of them running at their best and

we saw what happened. But there is an argument to be

made that that will keep the intrigue more as those two face

each other down the line. And here are those two in the

stretch run. Frank Miramati on the call there

at Saratoga. Sovereignty angles out to try

and run them down. Its own rematch of the Kentucky

Derby property goes right by journalism once again.

Leaving. Absolutely.

No doubt for the best three wrong.

In the world. Sovereignty and Junior Alvarado.

In the Belmont Stakes. So there you go, Frank Mirabadi

on the call there. Appreciate everyone at the Naira

News YouTube channel of course. When you when you watch that

one, you know, looks like they're kind of next directly

alongside each other for a little bit longer than it

actually was when you were kind of there right across from it.

You know, sovereignty comes right up to his outside and just

kind of blows past them. If you're watching on YouTube or

Spotify, you're seeing it right now where it does look like

they're kind of together for at least a couple strides there.

That wasn't the case when you were right across from it.

He blew right on past it and it was really impressive to see,

you know, after, after having seen what journalism had done in

the Preakness and the ground that he covered.

Because that's another thing too.

I think you're of the same opinion since you and I were

kind of standing at the same spot at the Preakness that it

looked a lot more impressive from our angle, the journalism

made-up than it did watching the head on, you know, from, from

the TVI. Still can't believe journalism

made-up the ground. I'm still not.

I can't believe so to have seen journalism do that and then now

seeing sovereignty just go blow right past him.

I mean, we have, we have a freak of a well, we have two freaks of

horses right here between the two of them.

And it's really exciting. I might just be one of those

cases where, you know, you think about Alidar where it's just he

was a great horse born in the wrong year.

I don't want to say that's the case for journalism, 'cause he

still won the Preakness, he still got one of the three

jewels of the Triple Crown. But.

Maybe the other two? Yeah, and he ran second the

other. Two, he was gracious.

I mean, he probably just honestly picked up, what, $4

million worth of checks? Yeah, exactly. 3 and a half,

$1,000,000 worth of checks. Like lots of people would trade

spots with journalism. Like, you know, it's one of

those things where, you know, if he was born in any other year

except sovereignty, he probably. Would have won the Triple Crown.

You know, Rodriguez ran forth in this race, and he's one that

I've referenced a lot on this show, frankly, having run the

best Wood Memorial since Frosted.

Frosted is one of these horses, yeah.

Like what happens in 2015 if there is no American Pharaoh?

Frosted is a very different horse historically, etcetera.

Obviously in 2016, coming back in the Met Mile, all of those

things. He stands out as one of those.

I'm not there with journalism yet.

Only because of this. We're assuming a lot about

sovereignty moving forward. Yeah.

About his availability, about what they're going to want to

run him in, etcetera, etcetera. We're also assuming a lot about

journalism moving forward. What if he does need time off

right now? That would be a completely

reasonable thing for him to take 60 days right now.

None of us would even blink an eye at that.

Does he stay W? Does he stay Pacific Classic or

does he come back to Saratoga? He obviously didn't mind the

surface. No, that ain't it, right?

It wasn't that. Haskell.

I love the Haskell. Please go to that.

We both really do but or that that kind of thing.

But my sense is, at least with the Haskell, I know we're going

to get what, five weeks, Six weeks between races?

Then for journalism, which would be a ton of time compared to

what he just did right? Running in the Santa Anita Derby

at the beginning of April and then at the beginning of June,

running a fourth race at the grade one level.

That's unbelievable, man. We're talking about, look, this

is this better not get lost in the conversation this week is

what journalism did over this Triple Crown.

Second, first, second is absolutely nothing to sneeze at.

And by the way, on two weeks rest blows through two horses

and passes a very good gospel. You've got to think about maybe

the some of the physical tolls that that might have taken on

him. All that bumping and he still

bounced back as well as he did in the Belmont so.

And by the way, I pick sovereignty in the Derby and the

Belmont. So it's not as though I'm

battling like, oh, I picked journalism.

No, I picked journalism in all three.

It's all it's fine. But what I'm getting at is

that's how good journalism was in all three of these races.

And I don't want that to be lost in this Triple Crown season.

What part of you said, man, I wonder if they should have gone

to Baltimore? All of me, I'm not wondering.

I they they should have went to Baltimore, I think.

Did they screw up? I think that's a really

legitimate question. Today, yes, you know, obviously

they have the right to do what they think is best for the

horse. They did not think going to the

Preakness was in his best interest.

We don't know what their ultimate goal with him is,

whether that be, you know, Sheikh Mohammed wants to see him

run in Dubai or something later on in the World Cup next year,

no matter what the reasoning might be.

But what I saw two days ago, he would have won the Triple Crown.

I, I firmly believe that. I think he, unless like

something weird happened where he got stuck in traffic in the

Preakness, I saw nothing that made me think that this horse

would have had any problem with running three races in five

weeks. Obviously he's taking it to

journalism twice and beaten him and that's the main rival he

would have had. So I, I think that I, I don't

know if they're kicking themselves at all for not going,

but I do feel a little bit like we missed out on something

really special. I think as fans we missed out.

I don't think Michael Banahan has lost an A minute of sleep

over the triple Chrome. No or Bill Mott or.

Bill Mott I I think neither of them OK, that what I I disagree.

I think Bill Mott a little bit, a little bit.

I felt like he was kind of more of the driving force.

OK, so do you remember when the Liv and the PGA had their big

breakup and Rory McIlroy was the sound board and the mouthpiece

for the PGA? Do you remember that by chance?

No, I don't. I don't follow anything golf

related. I think Bill.

Mott, I think Bill Mott felt like he had to do that.

I think he had to do that because he knows, by the way,

that having a horse like sovereignty is way better than

not having a horse like sovereignty.

Yeah. And so I think that that's

absolutely part of it. But maybe he does feel that way.

I'm not calling him a liar, but maybe he does feel that way.

Maybe they're just, you know, hey, every five weeks we keep

winning grade ones. I mean, there's nothing wrong.

What else is this? Yeah, right.

What else is won? The Derby, all these things.

And so, yeah, I I think this conversation about this

particular Triple Crown is just different because good dolphins

different. Yeah, they just are.

It's just a different kind of operation.

Well, and on the flip side of that too, I do feel like we

missed out on a potential Triple Crown.

I feel like as fans we missed out on that.

But at the same time, I do feel like if we weren't going to have

a Triple Crown, we got the best Triple Crown series that we

could have potentially had without horse winning all three.

The Preakness without sovereignty was a phenomenal

race. We really got to see journalism

shine, and honestly, I think it's nice to see.

We met Gossgar, we met, you know, other horses in that field

as well. But.

I think it's nice to see that journalism did get one of the

three. I think that's definitely with

having run second the other two. I'm glad that he got one of the

three and he had his chance to, you know, you can debate whether

he would have won that had sovereignty been in there.

But it was nice. It was a good, the Preakness was

such a great race for not having the Derby winner.

And then the Derby and the Belmont just lifted the Triple

Crown series up. And I do think that it was an

interesting debate leading into the Belmont.

And the one that kind of kept us on our toes was 1 was the five

weeks versus the three weeks. One horse was doing it and one

horse wasn't, and so I do think that made it a little bit more

interesting and I thought for not having a Triple Crown

winner, I thought this was probably one of the best Triple

Crown series that we've had when that has not happened.

It was fun, fun for sure. He Sean, I'm Louis.

Thanks for hanging out with us here on Blood HORSE Monday.

Let's hear from trainer Belmont. This was day after the Belmont

there at the stable there up at Saratoga.

Thanks to Frank Gangst and Curlin from Blood Horse getting

us all of this out as well. He looked good.

He was out early when I got here.

They had him out and he was, you know, had him cleaned up and

walking. He looked good.

You know, sure his wheels are good and he jogged good and he

ate up everything. No, there's no I see he's laying

down right now. Interesting.

He's sleeping. I guess maybe he's starting to

feel it. I'm starting to.

Feel like any of that? Does he generally recover from

races pretty quickly? He's always been good.

Yeah, Yeah, really good. He's a big, he's a, he's a

tough. He's a tough horse.

He's a Hardy horse. Very, you know, great appetite.

You know he's a he's a trainer's dream.

You're expecting what you saw yesterday.

He's sort sort of yeah. I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm not

surprised. I'm not, you know, I, I never

took it for granted, but I'm not, I'm not surprised that

that's what we saw. That's what we saw in the Derby.

I didn't see, I couldn't come up with any reasons why I couldn't

do it again. And, and he and he showed up.

For you, what's the last 12 hours been like?

Well, I'm, I'm relieved. You know, I, I think sometimes

it, it, you know, you get into a situation with a horse like this

and, and it's probably, you know, there's, there's a lot of

expectations and not only from me, but everybody around him.

And, and so you're, you're just, it's just more of a, instead of

a high. It's a relief that they showed

up and they did what you thought they should do or could do.

And he, he, he did it. And, and now I'm like, it's kind

of like letting the air out of the balloon.

It's, it's, it's, it's over, you know, or yesterday's over, put

it that way. That suggests that there is a

little glimmer of doubt, and if so, like.

Doubt about what? About how he would perform

yesterday when you say relief like.

What are you? I've been doing this for over 50

years and I've had more than one disappointment in that time.

There was no, no doubt. It's just if you, if you got any

experience at all, you, you ready yourself for anything that

could happen. I mean, you never know, horse

could stumble out of the gate, you know, could get carried

wide. You know, there there's you

know, there's there's nothing that's a sure thing.

I think we've seen plenty of one to five shots get beat or three

to five shots. There's there's no such thing as

a sure thing that that's why they run the race.

You spend a big chunk of the calendar right here.

How much benefit does he gain from just kind of being in

Saratoga for and being accustomed to the environment

and things like that? Well, I, I think he's a horse

that's probably pretty adaptable, but this is a pretty

good environment for both of us. So, I mean, he's, he's here,

he's comfortable. He's got a nice shade tree out

here and, and we got some green grass to eat and he's got plenty

of people that take good care of him.

So, you know, here is a good spot for him.

I'm sure if we were somewhere else, I don't know that it would

change anything dramatically, you know, But I think the main

reason here, I think that the good thing is, you know,

naturally the environment that he lives in, but the racetrack

that he's able to train on, I think we feel pretty comfortable

about training over this track. We've been we've been good so

far and we'll continue, you know, and I think we're very

lucky to, you know, we're talking about the Travers.

He'll probably stay here until until then.

He probably won't go anywhere. Do you?

We could give any consideration to racing between the trappers.

No, yeah, yes, we, you know, we I think we probably would run in

the gym dandy. I mean, I think that's a good

possibility. I don't I don't think we're it's

nothing surely isn't set in stone, but it's here.

And if we, I think if we were going to, if he were going to

have a race before the Travers, and you know, this is all

depending on, on him and how he's doing and, and you know

what the next couple months bring.

But you know, if he were, if he were going to have a race before

the Travers, it would be the Jim Dandy.

So. And I'm sure by the time the Jim

Dandy rolls around, he's probably going to be ready to do

something. That's good.

Junior had some comments to Maggie on the walk back to the

circle about how his career had been at a crossroads.

Can you walk us through the background on how you guys

developed a professional relationship and.

I mean, I think we all have a crossroads in our, in our, you

know, in our, our jobs and, and what we do.

And I'm sure, you know, if you're not winning on a regular

basis, you you question what you're doing or what's happened

and what's going to happen. And I think he probably went

through a point, you know, it's a lot of times these riders, you

know, have injuries and sometimes it takes a lot longer

to recover your business than it does to recover from the injury.

And I think that, you know, if you have, you have a couple

serious injuries and setbacks and all of a sudden you're not

in front of the, you know, the, you know, in front of the crowd

or the trainers and the owners on a daily basis.

I mean, they, they soon forget about you and then, you know,

it's like you're starting over. So then when you start over,

they want to see what you can do.

And and so you have to build your business back up again,

probably something that you know would happen.

With a rider more so than a trainer, but I think even even

trainers the, the business cycles around, I think we've all

had, you know, better years than others.

I mean, I've, I've been very fortunate.

We've been pretty, pretty consistent over the years.

But you know, some, some years you, you're really rolling and

some years you're just you're, you're kind of grinding it out

and, you know, waiting for next year.

In general, what does he bring to the table as a rider that.

He's consistent, he's good, He lives clean, he's sober, you

know, he's, he goes to bed at night and he's a family man.

He's got, you know, he's got responsibilities that he takes

care of and he takes care of that.

And he, you know, I think he, you know, I think he, he lives

clean and that, you know, gives him the opportunity to come out

here and ride good and, and improve.

I think he, you know, his lifestyle.

You know, we've got a great group of riders here.

I mean, I'm not, that's not just him.

I mean, I think we've got other guys that are, you know, they

train, they, they study, they train, they, they work hard.

And I think Junior fits into that group that, you know, is,

is, you know, they, they have a, a lifestyle that, you know,

suits somebody that wants to be at the top of their game.

Does it help you as a trainer knowing that you have somebody

that's that reliable and is going to show up?

Well, it's, it makes it very easy for me.

Of course, my his junior's agent Mike is a friend of mine.

And if I need him for certain races, he's usually there for

me. And, and if I don't need him for

a certain race, he's fine with it.

If I have another rider that somebody wants, they, they

accept that, you know, not that they would have any choice in

the matter, but you know, they, they, you know, they're, they

know that there's other riders that are going to ride a few of

the horses. So junior's not the only rider

here. And we, you know, we want to,

you know, if I have a, an owner that, you know, has a, a rider

that they are in love with and they're somebody that I like,

you know, I'm fine with it. So we we.

Talked about Jim, Danny, obviously the traverse.

And I would imagine the. Previous the process because the

year end goal by by just having by not running in all three of

these races. Do you feel you have a pressure

force for these to attack these races?

Well, I, I think you know, I, I think you know, spacing the

races and keeping your horse a little bit on the fresh side.

Is is is important and probably helps you get to the end of the

year. I've got this little, you know,

this crop, really, two really nice horses, same two horses

that finished behind in the Derby right there, the Belmont,

the. Same three Yeah, I think it's I

think it's I think it's good. I mean, I think it's, I think

the fact that, you know, maybe I'm too close to see it right

now, but you know, there's been other, you know, you've got easy

goer and Sunday silence. You've had Aladar in the firm.

You know, where, where do we fit in with those horses?

I mean, those horses are legends, you know, are we a

legend? Well, I don't, I don't, I, I'm

sitting here today. I don't, I don't can you know, I

don't think they're legends yet, but I, I guess I'd, it's, it'll

be interesting to see how they're perceived as time goes

on. I mean, maybe you could probably

tell me better than that. I'm, I mean, I'm living it.

I didn't, I didn't live with, you know, I was an observer for

Sunday silence and easy go. And I was an observer for, you

know, Aladar and Affirm. But now you're, you know, a

little part of it. You're sometimes you're too

close to the forest to see the trees.

Yeah, just he'll, he'll probably walk three days.

We usually give him, you know, three days walk in the shed and

then we'll come back and probably maybe put him on a jog

schedule for a few days just to give him, you know, an easy, you

know, his first week back and and then we'll start getting

into a normal training schedule. I suppose if you know, as long

as he's good. You feel yesterday's performance

separated yourself from this group even more like.

Double. Sort of double.

I would I, I think it's only natural to, to believe that, you

know, that I don't know, I saw it with my own eyes.

And he, he, you know, he drew away from him in the Derby and

he drew away from him in the, in the Belmont and on two different

track surfaces, you know, 1/20/19 or 20 horse field.

It was a smaller field yesterday, but there was still

some, some good horses in there. So, you know, look, they'll

probably be somebody come down the road late in the season and

they'll, they'll there, there could be somebody that shows up

that's a late developer. The, the, the, the, the, the

year's not over. And that's what keeps it

interesting. I mean, we always, you know, we

think, well, we're the only two, you know, we're only three, you

know, that are, you know, there's price somebody sitting

in the wings that, you know, we haven't even thought about.

All right, there's Bill Mott day after.

I have one thing I wanted to say about his comments.

And he brought up all of these great affirmed and allied our

types of back and forth. Here's the deal.

Are we legends? Was one of his questions.

The answer is no, because if you don't go to Baltimore, you

remove yourself from the legend conversation.

That's how this works. You can win the Derby, be a

legend forever with that Rich Strike won the Derby, Legend,

Legend. You win the Belmont Creator, won

the Derby or won the Belmont Legend, Legend.

You can do those things, but if you don't compete in all three,

you don't get to call, You don't get to talk about legend, you

don't get to talk about all time.

That's how this works. You can win as much money as you

want. You can have a great sire coming

up here. You can have all the things, a

great operation, but what you don't get to have Legend talk.

That's what you don't get to have.

And that's what's disqualifying about not going to the state of

Maryland for a Triple Crown race.

Yeah, that's where I'm. At it's it's one of those.

By the way, Socrates, best 3 year old right now, That's not a

question like we're not we don't have to do this.

It's fine. I I get it.

He's very much the best 3 year old going.

I I would not bet against him in the Haskell or the Jim Dandy

they talked about. I would not bet against him in

those spots at all. That's not it.

That's not what we're talking about right now.

But that legend conversation. No, you out.

You're not. What are you doing that?

Yeah. He can run the table the rest of

his career, win races like the Travers, the Classic, the Dubai

World Cup and prove himself to be one of the greatest horses of

all time. That's more than capable of

happening. There will always be.

Whenever somebody you know 30 years from now, when people look

back at history and they look at sovereignty, the thing he'll

always be remembered for the most is the race he did not run

in. I think there's at least a

chance of that. Flightline was awesome.

I don't know that I've seen anything else in my life like

Flightline. He ran 6 times.

I don't hear anyone comparing him to Big Red.

I don't hear anyone comparing him to Affirmed.

Frankly, they're not the same. It's not the same.

Doing that three times in five weeks is different than what

we're talking about here. And I that one I'll push back

on. And it's not his fault he didn't

ask the question. Someone else asked him the

question, but I'll answer it for him.

No, No. Yeah, no.

Now, as far as the the world's. Very simple for me.

As far as the rivalry between him and journalism, getting up

to the Affirmed Ali Dar levels, the Sunday silence, easy goer

levels, first of all, we need journalism to win at least one

of these races. For and we need at least finish

that's closer than what we've. Had yeah, we we need for it to

really be one of the all time great rivalries.

We need journalism to end up winning one of these and beating

sovereignty. Otherwise, it's just kind of A1

sided rivalry. Well, like if he comes back and

he wins the Travers and he wins the Breeders Cup Classic and

sovereignty runs his race and journalism just beats him all of

those races, then yes, this is probably going to be one of the

all time great rivalries. Unfortunately, I don't think it

would last much longer than past the Breeders Cup because I have

a feeling journalism's going to be done by the end of the year

and off to the breeding shed at Coolmore.

But you know, that would be for the rivalry to reach that stage.

I think this rivalry was phenomenal for the Triple Crown

this year, but for it to become one of the all time great

rivalries, we're going to need to see journalism getting the

winners circle over sovereignty in one of these spots.

And probably I would think he'd have to beat him head on

sovereignty running in his race in both the Travers in the

previous. Country I will say this

something I really appreciated him pulling back the the curtain

on Sean Collins lawyer beau blood horse money with you.

He admitted it was less of a celebration and more of a relief

to well that win the Belmont. Imagine if you sat out those

five weeks and lost. Bro, no, in that you're making a

great point, which is there is actually legitimate pressure

around. Yes there is.

There's legitimate pressure. Around you can't choose to do

that and then lose. I mean rich strike that happened

a couple years ago. But I think we we all we're all

holding sovereignty to a higher standard than rich strike.

Sovereignty was one of the favorite to put that and rich

strike. You knew that his Derby was just

kind of one of those freak occurrences. 1 is a.

Home bread for the Dolphin and 1 is a $30,000 claimer.

It's OK that they're different. Yeah, it's OK both, by the way,

Derby champions forever, forever.

It's totally fine. But they're different.

The standard's different. I appreciate him saying hey,

load off my shoulders to just win this thing come the weekend.

We now hear from friend of the show Junior Alvarado, the blood

horse. Monday bump continues.

Yeah, it did work this. Weekend again.

Yeah, Everyone's welcome, by the way.

You're welcome. You want you want your horse to

win a stakes race, Jump on this program.

You seem to have good luck when that happens, but it was, I mean

we just saw Bill talk quite a bit about Junior there and kind

of their relationship. And so I know Junior will talk

about that quite a bit in this one as well.

Billy Mott called Billy Mott like 10 times on the show last

week. Made me so happy.

Oh, by the way, a little. If you watch the show last week,

I did go to the ice cream stand to try to find the to try to

have the Junior Mint ice cream sold out.

They did not have it yet. I think it's probably, I'm

assuming there that's a flavor that's coming, but it wasn't

there yet. So I do not have a report yet.

If you jumped on this show and lied to us, a lot of ice cream.

We got a problem. Now here's Junior after the race

up there at Saratoga. Junior Has it all sunk in yet

after the big one yesterday? Yeah, You know, it's still

pretty excited. Pretty excited.

You know, I don't think I'm sinking yet, you know, but still

live in the moment. I think now they're both

together kind of still colliding the Belmont and the Kentucky

Derby, You know, it's just just an amazing feeling.

And, you know, just took a very special horse to do that.

And and like I said, I'm just live in the moment.

Did you guys get a chance to celebrate last night at all or?

We did a little bit, we just went to eat and, you know, just

the family and, and close friends and, and yeah, we got

to, to enjoy the time together a little bit there, do some family

time and, and, you know, now we got here this morning just to,

to, to come see the big boy. How's he doing you?

Talk, you talk about the last couple years for you to, I mean,

it's just really taking off, just winning some of the biggest

races in the world. Have you, have you had any time

to just kind of think about that, how far you've come in a

few years? Yes, I mean yesterday actually

we were just talking about that. I mean, the last four years

there'll be just been a section on, you know, when in the

Pegasus, having caught his wish, the Saudi Cup, now the Kentucky

Derby and the bound one. It just I five years ago, but I

wouldn't even even think I could have get down two of them, to be

honest. And and you know, but that's

horse racing. You know, I guess you, you get

to keep waking up early in the morning coming show up and keep

working and, and eventually, you know, like you're blessed things

happens. Had a good illustration of the

ups and downs of being a jockey where your business can be at

this level and then next thing you know, it's way up here and

what does it take to kind of make that move?

Yes, it is, you know, this is, you know, I had a lot of ups and

downs, you know, and I'll say when I had the downs, it was

very down, very low. But you know that that's, you

know, I would have the support of Mr. Maude, which he always,

you know, encouraged me to, to, to come back, wake up in the

morning and, and, and, you know, always could see that a good

horse always can stop in the barn.

And, you know, I could be able to get on and like I say, and

then get the opportunity again that I needed to bounce back.

And that's what I keep doing. And, you know, I just keep

working. And like I said, like sometimes

you have to make things happen, keep pushing through.

And but like I said, it's always, it's always easier, you

know, when you have a barn, the back you have like Mr. Moss.

Can you walk us through a little bit detail about you were

talking about it earlier about being down at Gulfstream and how

things changed for you and how Cody was was sort of a part of

that? Yes, there was a time where I

think, I don't know, maybe I had to be a little bit too busy in

COVID and I had a bad concussion.

It took me like a few months out and, and when I came back, I, I,

I never, I didn't feel good about it.

You know, I was very sad where I was even happy with people.

I didn't want to come here in the morning and show up or

anything like that, you know, so I, you know, it was, it was a

time when actually I was just thinking to move back to

Chicago. I was like I said, I didn't want

nothing else to do, you know, I didn't want nothing more to do

with the horses and, and coming to the track, to be honest.

And I just say that's probably part of, you know, like the

downs being very down and low, very, very being very low.

And, and, but you know, I had the family and you know, my

agent makes a little always pushing me through, you know,

then, you know, I say, well, I'm not going to call it a quit, but

let me just maybe just move to to Florida, maybe because things

here were very slow too. I wasn't getting opportunity and

if I was getting anything, next time I will be taking off.

And, you know, I just keep seeing things that I was working

for. They keep, you know, getting

away from me. And then I moved to to Florida

thinking like, well, maybe I can, you know, start picking it

up somehow here and make it, you know, like bounce back again.

And yeah, you know, I stayed there for a couple few months

and then I ended up, you know, getting a call from Bill to go

ride this horse code his wish at Belmont and Kentucky Derby day.

And, and I think since then, you know, I everything's going to

change my mind. This horse kind of like put me

back on it and and it make me think differently again and,

and, and somehow kind of put me here where I am today.

When you were at Gulfstream, would that have been at the time

of year when every like New York, Everybody was in New York

pretty much. Yeah, You know, I went there in

the winter where everybody goes there, you know, But then, you

know, I stayed there. Everybody came back here.

Some guys went to Kentucky somewhere, went back to New York

and that's when I decided to stay there, you know, and I was

doing pretty good. I think I was leading jockey or

maybe second leading jockey at that time.

And and, you know, things were going very well.

I wasn't still I didn't feel I was what I wanted to be.

You know, I was having success, but my heart and my mind were

somewhere else still, you know, and I just that's why I just

think, you know, when I had the opportunity to come right chorus

wish at Belmont, something that told me like that this is where

you have to be. This is where you belong.

And, and I felt again that that that I needed to be here, that

that's what I'm supposed to be writing.

Somehow I got the feeling and and that's what I did, you know,

I called Mr. Moore and I'm told, and listen, I'm going to be

heading back to New York. Like I would like, you know, for

you to give me an opportunity. You know, I was going to I'm

going to work my way and, and, and just if you can help me

again. And, and you know, he didn't

hesitate and put me back on and every horse he could.

And and like I said, like everything just after that kind

of to cough very quick. Why do you think that

relationship with Bill has been so successful?

What what kind of works for you guys?

You know, I just think I he's, the way he works.

I understand it works for me too.

At the same time and, and the way he trained his horses, I

think he can. It's the same way.

I like to ride the horses, you know, I like to, to let them, I

like to let them run the race however they want to.

I want them to feel comfortable. I want them to to do it the

right way. I want to teach them horses and

that's what Bill does. You know, we're not rushing any

horses early on in the races. You know, we don't want to push

them to make him do something they're not ready to do.

You know, we'll take our time. If it takes 345678 races, 10

races, we'll we'll take race by race.

You know, we don't rush in them to win.

We don't rush in them to do something.

They're not rated at that time. And I think really understand

that from me. And, and, and like I said, and

same thing here. I understand that.

That's why he wants, he wants a horse to, to develop on their

own without getting, you know, pushed too much.

And and, and I just think that's that's one of the main thing

that he just clicking works. One last thing about Cody's wish

he wasn't just a good. Horse.

There was a whole Side Story to that.

Episode, I mean, how much of that sort of reinforced what you

were trying to do as far as getting your career back?

On yes, I mean you think that that that's that's what it was.

It was, you know, I mean, it was the horse, of course, but I

think just seeing everything was happening and Cody Dorman, like

missing life once again is like in a different perspective.

You know, I get to to understand many things that I probably

understand. I probably might have forgot at

that time. And, and seeing things

differently and, and, and and and probably be more appreciated

and thinking that I was still very lucky doing what I was

doing, even if it wasn't in my best at the time.

I still was very lucky to be where I was with the family.

I was seeing like how he was in struggle and and I got to see

Cody Dorman even smile a couple times with a horse and say like,

wow, I mean, like it's still in the situation where he is, you

know, he's still smiling at the world and and and, you know,

made me think like sometimes we actually take a lot of things

for granted. We complain actually too much.

We think we had it back when actually we had it exceptional.

And and like I say, I, I try to remember myself myself every

time I can like just to stay like that and stay humble and

think like that. We are actually everyday blessed

just to wake up. When you get to Kentucky, have

you had a chance to visit Cody that stud?

Or I have a couple times, I've seen a couple times in same

thing with the Dorman family. I met him with them at least 3-4

times after Cody Dorman passed and we kept always in contact

and just a great family. Just always been there.

And I think every win, especially with Godolphin, I

think Cody is is watching and and you know, looking over us.

How special is it to be riding for some of these Godolphin

horses and what's that relationship like with the

Godolphin? People, you know, it's the same

thing like with Bill, you know, I think just riding horses,

riding horses thing and you know, winning races and and

things happening the right way. Then you just keep clicking, you

know, just you just we just click and you just something

like, like I said, sometime there you something that easy

just go well together. Any pride in those blue silks or

what is that? Any pride putting those blue

silks on or is it just like I'm doing my best for everyone?

No, no, I do my best with everybody.

But it's definitely you. You feel the power, you know,

when you get those those blue dolphin silks on, you know, you

know that it's it could be something special if it's a four

that had never run you. I always think like this could

be a good one. You know, they're always well

bred horses. They're very, very nice horses.

So it's always you feel that way.

It is something good can come out it when when you go out

there to ride any of those horses for sure.

When Cody's wish retired and you were kind of left wondering who

might be the next big one when this.

Horse came along. And now you've done what you've

done with him. How does that kind of feel to

continue that with the dolphin and to have this next great

horse? Yeah.

It's just, it's just been like it's been an amazing ride since

Scottish Wish and, and, and and yes, I mean, I think when we

crossed the wire first in the Derby and then we talked a

couple days after. Then I called Bill probably a

couple weeks ago and I called my age a couple weeks ago and then

asking how many babies are we getting there?

Are we looking any good? We're already kind of thinking

about there's got all fans saying already some babies.

I want to see where where the next Kentucky there we could be.

And and that's just excitement. You know, you keep looking for

for the next champion for next year.

And and like I say for Bill, you know, I think it's always a good

chance. You know, I have great horsemen

and and good horses keep coming to the barn.

How remarkable was it to see carbon copy trips between the

same 2 good horses and two big races like the Derby and Belmont

and they were so similar? Yeah, well, it's a little easier

to get trips like this when you ride your horses.

You know, they simply, you move your hands and they put you

right where you want it to be. Sometime even.

I mean, yesterday I didn't thought I was going to be that

close, but he was that good that he put himself in that position.

Like he would just travel faster than everyone without even

trying. And I ended up myself in a

beautiful spot the whole way around.

And and like I said, once again, I saw journalism making his

move. I said like, well, I think

things are over now because now I was just following and I show

him what to do after. And and that's what I did, you

know, right when I turn from home, once again, put him

outside in the clear and and you know, he knows what to do after

that. You know, he's he's a very good

horse and journalism too, you know, for the run, the Kentucky

Derby, run the run the San Felipe, the Kentucky Derby, the

pregnancy Belmont, you know, it's it he run 1/2 of a race.

You know, it took up a good horse to to to run him down for

sure. How?

Much have these two horses separated themselves from the

rest of the division? And do you think there's any

other like good ones that are kind of lurking out there that

we haven't heard from yet? Well, now that I know, I think

those two horses, you know, yesterday, they show clearly

that they separate themselves a little bit from the rest.

You know, they're, they're, you know, and, and, you know, as of

right now, I think they just like, you know, if you use think

they, they move journalism to California and then we keep

sovereignty this way. I think, you know, they both

could be the champion in different, you know, side of

the, of the country. You know, just they're just

definitely like probably right now the top 2 and and you know,

a little separation to the third.

After the race, it was great sportsmanship.

Between you and Umberto going up to each other after and

embracing and then petting each other's horses.

Kind of tell me a little bit about that.

Just that shelves sportsmanship and reaching over and giving

journalism a pet. What your respect for that

athlete? Yeah, you just, you know, he

came and, you know, he congratulated me.

I congratulated him. And, but he's just for saying,

you know, like what I'm thinking at that time, he just like, I

keep thanking my horse for what he did, you know, and

everything, anything I ask him, he, he, he was there for me

then, you know, same journalism doing the same thing for him.

You know, you have to have appreciation.

He run 3 hard races that my heart date in my house, run two

of them. And, and, and, and like I say,

he, he still fall there for, for Umberto and, and I mean, you

have to love the way they did it.

And, and, and like I said, it was nothing to be ashamed, man.

He just fought hard. And, and you have, I have to

give him the whole a lot of respect for, for what they did.

Absolutely. Appreciate Junior Alvarado

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It's amazing. And they, they, you know,

someone asked about that moment after the race, the two, the two

horses, you know, side by side, the two jockeys congratulating

one another at the end of this series.

It is an easy moment to like, it's an easy moment to root for.

What I appreciate about Junior's answer is he said everything

that I asked sovereignty to do, he did.

Every time I asked him for something, he did it.

And he said, and I know for Umberto journalism did the same.

And that's a cool reminder about how there is a relationship

there every race between rider and horse, equine, athlete,

whatever you want to call them at this point.

And I appreciate Junior really taking that question seriously

because it was a cool moment and it's one that I know I

appreciate it. I'm sure you did too.

Yes, yeah. If you're, if you're listening

to this, watching this and you didn't see this moment on the

Fox broadcast right after the race Umberto wrote up alongside

on journalism to kind of give Junior his congratulations.

The two of them hugged, and then Junior reached over and gave

journalism a pat and Umberto reached over and gave

sovereignty a pat. So kind of both of them

respecting both forces. And that's one of the unique

things, you know, here with horse racing is, you know, these

guys, especially the the jockeys, you know, they, they

owe everything to, you know, the horse and they appreciate when

they're on the big ones like this.

And they also appreciate when they're have the rival.

And I mean, we talked to a junior last week and we asked

him about that rivalry and he that he said it was starting to

get in his head a little bit, you know, that I need to make

sure that I beat him. He has a lot of respect for him.

You know, we always see, you know, in some of the other

sports at the time all the time, You know, I'm a big Yankees fan.

So, you know, this constant rivalry with the Boston Red Sox

and stuff like that, sometimes it can get pretty ugly.

And the 2 two sides, you know, we'll kind of fight with each

other at times and horse racing, you tend to see kind of some

more of this. You know, it's one of the, you

know, I obviously I want to beat you, but I also respect you when

you beat me. I respect, you know, I just

respect that the effort that you put in one of the things that I

think really kind of binds everyone together in this

industry, as we all know how difficult this industry is on a

daily basis, no matter which role you're in.

And so there's kind of just that general, you know, there's

people that you're definitely going to like more than others,

but there's that mutual respect for everybody that we're all

doing this really difficult thing.

And it's like, all right, you beat me this time.

I'll try to get you next time, but good job.

And it was such a nice moment between the two.

And also at the moment, you know, as Junior was celebrating

on sovereignty right after the finish line where you can see

Umberto behind him, you know, getting pass to journalism and

showing journalism his appreciation for running for

him. That's just, I think, two class

acts, jockeys between the two of them.

We've been lucky to both of them on the show.

And great guests, too. Yeah, Great guests, great, great

jockeys. And to see their connection with

the horses sovereignty and journalism throughout this

Triple Crown trail has been. To me it was confirmation to

this is for them it was a rivalry.

Yeah, right. And and in this sport, it's very

difficult to have year over year rivals, right?

It's not something we get to, we get to glean on to very often.

We don't get those moments in our sport too terribly often.

So even in a five week sort of data set where we do get an

opportunity for these two horses to run against one another, it

at least set up for that. And you could tell, you know,

based on his comments with us a week ago this time and then

after the race to junior, it does respect journalism a lot,

frankly, like a lot, a lot. And it's, it's, it was, it was

cool to see that in such a public display on.

That and you know, I'm big on racing history as well and you

think about 30-50 years in the future when people look back at

this, the two of them are going to elevate each other's their

stories. That's the fact that the two of

them went at it in these races. They were the two big horses in

this, you know, the junior's going to be attached to this

story forever umberto's going to be attached to this story

forever. And so from a historical

standpoint, there does have to be respect of one of the horses

to the other, because they're going to be whatever history

remembers them as in the future. They're going to be remembered

for that because of the other horse.

As well, in the same way, frankly, that I think affirmed,

his Triple Crown is elevated by the by Elidar being in those

races and being so competitive, right, having to overcome that

horse over and over. I think you're right.

We're going to look back on the Derby and the the Belmont wins

as, oh, he beat journalism in both of those races.

Exactly. Well, a lesser extent because he

stands alone on his own. But you think about Secretariat

and Sham, you know, when Sham runs as well as he does, I know,

runs the second fastest Kentucky Derby.

That really does elevate. Why you can claim secretary,

it's the greatest of all time because you had a horse who ran

one of the greatest Kentucky Derbies in history and lost

because Secretariat was just that good.

And so, you know, obviously Secretariat would stand on his

on his own anyway. But Sham does help to elevate

him a little bit because we did see a real kind of unnatural

talent and Sham that was easily handled by.

Secretary blood horse Monday, Sean Collins.

I'm Louis Rabo. Thanks for hanging out with us.

Starting your racing week with us.

We're presented today by FanDuel Racing.

Download the app right now and bet today with FanDuel Racing.

Speaking of journalism, here is Mike McCarthy the day after.

And of course they did. The thing we all were rooting

for was that they brought a really good horse to the Derby,

the Preakness and the Belmont, finishing second, first and

second. Here he is, Michael McCarthy,

today after the Belmont. Seems like he's come out of race

in good order. OK What were your thoughts about

and looking back on everything? Yeah, Look, the whole, it's been

a fantastic five weeks, you know, proud of, proud of the

horse, proud of my team, you know, very grateful for the

owners. Go ahead and let us participate

in all three races. I thought early on that he was a

horse that can handle something like this, Certainly didn't.

You're going to go back to California, but there's really

not much out there for a horse like him until you get to late,

late in August. Would you think of coming back

east with something like the Haskell?

Everything will be in play. He'll go back home for a few

weeks and we'll kind of come up with a game plan.

How about the rivalry? How important this sport is,

that rivalry? Yeah, I think any kind of, you

know, I'm not. I think anytime good horses line

up against each other, it's good for the game.

You know, obviously a lot of respect for the connection.

So wherever they meet up again, I hope both horses are doing as

good as they can possibly be doing.

See what happens. You know, we've had away games

for the last five weeks here, so you know, maybe we both get to

the Breeders Cup and good order and it's in our backyard and you

know, maybe it suits us a little bit better.

Michael, do you have a favorite personally?

Do you have a favorite moment or two through this whole Triple

Crown? I don't know if I have a

favorite moment. I mean, all of it was was great.

You know, obviously just, you know, the last 20 seconds

Maryland, something I don't think, you know, many people

have seen before. I might not see again, something

like that. That was performance for the

ages. So that was obviously very

special. But just all, the whole 5 weeks,

all, all of it's been very rewarding.

Very. Fulfilling, you know.

Do you think the win in two seconds in Triple Crown races is

going to hold up over time? Do you think that's something

people are going to look at? Yeah, I, I look, it holds up

with me. I really don't have, you know,

like we're beating, you know, same horse twice, you know, only

a couple lengths separating us, you know.

So yeah, it holds up for me. I'm.

Yeah. Imagine you've got a mile and a

quarter race here at Saratoga under your belt, which is the

Travers. That make the.

Haskell more appealing over the gym dandy which, you know a lot

of times they use that to get a race over the track.

I don't have an opinion of one way or the other obviously.

See, he doesn't need to take his racetrack with him.

So yeah, we're just going to go ahead and.

Just. Let him tell us when he's ready

to roll again. All right, thanks.

Trainer Michael McCarthy there. Obviously with the connections

of journalism, and I want to say this, and I mean it without a

single bit of judgement, I think he's also tired.

I think that's a guy who needs a little bit of rest after a

Triple Crown run of five weeks. He said something at the end

there that I think is unbelievably true about

journalism. He doesn't need a certain track.

He just brings in every race. We're lucky, frankly, to have

him as part of true race horse. He's just a true race horse.

And I think you can just hear in the same way that Belmont talked

about with sovereignty, the relief of winning the Belmont.

I, I think you heard a little bit of, oh man, we ran 2nd and I

feel like we have the best horse here.

I, I really think they think that about journalism and I

don't know that they're crazy to think that way.

I think there's a little bit of disappointment that he, I think

the, the final margin probably bothered him a bit, right?

Just just the just how, how, because you bring it up, how

easily he passed him in the stretch is not emblematic of how

good of a horse journalism is. It just isn't.

But that's how good. That's how good sovereignty was

on Saturday. It's OK to say too.

Oh, man, a man who was up there as well, a colleague of our

Frank, a colleague of ours. Frank Gangs joins us now from

Blood Horse. bloodhorse.com, of course, just got back from

Saratoga, so my man's near a coffee maker.

That's a good idea, Frank. Yeah, yeah, that's needed today.

I'm like getting up at 3:30 for a flight.

Trainers do that regularly, but turf riders are a little bit

later. A little later than that.

That's exactly right. What was your your impressions?

Second trip to Saratoga for the Belmont?

How was the week? Yeah, just, I mean just another

terrific week weather didn't totally agree.

I wish we could have had the the weather that we saw on Wednesday

and Thursday would have been just fine.

But the, the rains arrived Friday, Friday afternoon and

pretty well, they were really heavy to start there and then

kind of continued in a steady manner through Saturday morning.

So I put a little bit of damper on things.

But the sun came out later in the afternoon on Belmont day and

they, they had, I mean they cap it at 50,000 anyway and they,

they nearly reached that again. So strong All in all.

Yeah, no, it's a spectacular set up up there for sure within

Saratoga Springs. Sovereignty gets the win.

We talked with you last week about the three weeks and the

five weeks off. Do you agree that the winning

margin kind of puts that away, Frank, that he was just that

much better on Saturday? I mean, I mean, he clearly has

been the best horse both times he's faced journalism.

I I don't put a whole big thing into the margin.

I mean, OK, they, they both both times they hooked up in the

stretch and sovereignty passed him.

And no, I mean there's still some unknowns here that that the

journalism camp can use, but I, I mean, at this point

sovereignty is clearly better. I mean typical.

I, I, I was trying to think this morning, the years that I voted

in NTRA poll, I really the three-year old division.

If somebody has won two or three, I pretty well go with

that. I'm not because I'm, I'm

Breeders' Cup and all that. That's terrific.

But really the chip from when I see it, the championship for

three-year olds is this is the Triple Crown.

Now, the one thing that makes this year interesting is

journalism ran in all three and he has 2 seconds and a win.

So he's not tremendously behind. So it's so you know, it's going

to take a lot of thought at the end of the year.

So, so I mean, it was really terrific Triple Crown that it

was, you know, in a year that there wasn't a Triple Crown

winner, I think I'd go back to the to the street sense curling

regs to riches year. I think, I think that was until

that, I mean, I, I think that's how far you go back to find one

that wasn't a Triple Crown sweep that was as compelling as this

one. Yeah, I agree with that.

Now, you mentioned kind of the voting and everything like that

that we'll do throughout the rest of the year.

I know we've talked to you a couple times on this show about

the weekly NTRA polls. The three-year old poll should

be coming to a close here with a Triple Crown over.

When you look at sovereignty and journalism in relation to the

top thoroughbred poll, after we see like fierceness and white

barrio get beat this past weekend in the Met Mile, when do

you start adding the three-year olds kind of to the top ten of

the top thoroughbred pole or they're just at that point?

Yeah, I probably could have done it this week.

I didn't think much about it, but I I think it probably makes

sense for the three-year old pull to end and then we can

start putting them in there. But I I think both horses are

among the 10 best horses right now.

No, I think that's totally fair. I think that we.

And that's with a tremendous, that's with a tremendous group

of older horses this year. It's the best we've seen in that

division for quite some time on the on the dirt side, the dirt

older horses, it's a really good group.

So, but these two, they're right there, you know, they're,

they're going to be vying for the the top, but for the

second-half of the year for sure.

How hopeful is Frank Anks that we'll see these two not just a

couple more times this year, but maybe 3-4 more races each horse

going? Oh yeah, I, I think that's the

goal for sure. And, and I, I mean, I, I, I

would be surprised if both horse, I think both horses are,

I think the connections of both horses would like to run into

traverse reading, hearing what people said.

And I mean, Bill not for sure wants to win the traverse.

He hasn't won it. So that's there.

And then Michael McCarthy has had a lot of experience in the

East and knows what that race is all about.

And there's really not a whole lot of options on the West Coast

for races are restricted to three-year olds.

You could go the route where you do a three-year old race and

then point to the Pacific Classic against older, which is,

would be a tremendous route that would get him a prep at Del Mar

ahead of the Breeders Cup. And, and that is the other thing

that I find a little intriguing that and I mean, there's so many

unknowns as it's both of us, as we all know.

But the one thing in the back of my head is, you know, maybe it's

journalism and sovereignty again at Saratoga, which is basically

sovereignty's home. And then they meet in in

Southern California, you know, where, where journalism would be

a bit more familiar that that would at least be his region.

Yeah, I've, I've wondered the same thing for sure.

Do you think there's any chance they they keep journalism out

West for a campaign that that includes the Pacific Classic,

Something like that? I mean, I, I, I think as Michael

said, you know all, you know, all options are on the table,

but I, I think the traverse is the most likely big target.

The Haskell. I heard you guys talking

earlier. I that might be a quick turn

around for horses. Had three classics in five

weeks, but I agree, we'll see. Yeah, No, we've seen crazier

things than that for sure as we head to the Jersey Shore next

for the big next big, big graded stakes on the three-year old

side. We had them at win in town here

yesterday, Frank, and East Avenue gets the win there as we

get into. I don't the state derbies, you

know, the West Virginia's, the Ohio's, the Indianas, the

Illinois, the the Iowas, whatever you want to call it.

As we get into that season, I got to admit, even, you know,

after that drop off from say a sovereignty and a journalism, I

don't know who's in that next group.

But obviously E Avenue is trying to stake a claim to that.

Baez is obviously trying to as well.

I think we're set up for a bunch of these, you know, the Grade 3

type of derbies, Frank, for a pretty exciting summer, frankly.

Yeah, you know, race put two of my favorites against the one.

Another cold battle on East Avenue mid stretch.

I thought cold. Battle.

I mean. Yes, you look great.

You, you will not find a horse that tries harder than cold

battle. I I don't know that his talent

level is where some of these other horses are, but he boy, he

really gives in this all. I mean, and that was a that was

a tremendous race. I mean, especially for, you

know, it was a tremendous race. Yeah, it was fun.

Even you you could see it even in Banahan the day after winning

the Belmont, still being really pleased with how E Avenue ran

and how how you know the prospects moving forward.

Brendon Walsh sitting on Gosgar as well.

I mean, this is an interesting 3 year old group Sean, that I

think sets up for, like I said, a really fascinating summer.

Yeah, we have the clear top horses, but if you were to take

those two horses out of it, the second tier 3 year olds this

year are of the level of what the top tier 3 year olds have

been usually the last couple years.

So it makes for a really exciting summer because we're

going to have the sovereignty journalisms, biases and the big

races and then kind of these smaller derbies are going to

have a lot of a lot of intrigue with some of these top horses

like your E Avenues, Burnham Squares.

What does Rodriguez do moving forward?

There's so many horses in that next year, Frank, that I think

are just ready to pounce. And we we haven't talked much

about biases around in the Belmont.

I the horse still strikes me as green and is, I think he still

needs experience And you know, they were kind of on various

interviews or talked to junior and Bill about who, who might

pop up by Asus on everyone's radar.

I, I don't think we've seen his best race.

I, I think the horse is still improving and he's run some big

races already. So I, I think he's one to really

watch and, and I'll tell you this, John Sheriffs loves

Saratoga. He says there's no better place

to be with a horse. So I think the traverse is on

his radar too. I'm not saying that's where they

end up, but obviously he's very much based in Southern

California, so he has options too.

But we'll see. It's going to be a fun summer,

it looks like. Well, I, I was wondering, you

know, if journalism ends up going the route of the Travers,

do you think it would make any sense at all for the Baeza

connections to stay West and kind of aim at that Pacific

classic kind of in his absence? You know, I, I think, well, you

know, I should. John Sheriffs is going to go

where he he needs to go, though. To me, though, to me, that horse

looks like he needs a win. He could really use a race where

maybe he's maybe he's the two to five favorite and and just

really goes out there and puts things together and put some

horses away. He could really benefit from a

prep race I think at this point. Well, there you go Frank, what

should we, what should we be watching for right now at the

website? Yeah, you know, for dollars and

cents. So it'll come out in the daily

1st and then on the website tomorrow.

I just was really impressed with Naira making the some tough

decisions on on the rain with, you know, on the turf that it

was a huge day and it really wasn't on the inundated just

with steady rain for 18 hours or something.

And and some of it was quite heavy.

And you know, it made sense to to take, you know, so they took

four races on Belmont day off the turf.

They moved the two grade ones to the next day.

They knew it was going to cost them handle, but they're also

they're thinking long term, you know, a we're protecting horses

and riders on that day. I think accidents happen in the

sport, but you wouldn't want an accident to happen where people

are saying, well, is the turf course safe?

We really need to be out there. So they checked that box.

And then there's also the long term concern about the courses

themselves. They're going to be racing there

in July and you know, it's important to have the inner turf

and the melon turf both in good shape for that and in safe

condition there so that they protected those things.

They protected safety on the front end and the back end.

And then and I I mean, when that decision that occurred that

morning, you know, goodbye late pick four, goodbye, pick six,

goodbye late pick five, several other pick fours and pick fives.

My favorite the Grand Slam not on others list I.

Like the Grand Slam, too? But I mean, I was like, this is

going to be a handle disaster. And talking to Dave O'Rourke,

the Naira president, yesterday, he he thought handle might go.

So last year Belmont Day handle was 125 million.

He thought it might go as low as 80 million.

But the good news is people, people were really into this

race in the least three-year olds really into the car that

Belmont put that Naira put together and it actually reached

101 million, which just 24,000,000 less than last year.

And I mean, it was higher than 2022 Belmont card.

So it's not, I mean, it's, you know, comp last year was a

record for a non Triple Crown on the line year, you know, the

newness of Saratoga and what have you.

So there were only 24,000,000 behind that on Friday.

They were two million over last year's Friday and then yesterday

with the two grade ones added on that end, they were 9 million

higher than the corresponding Sunday.

So they pretty well got, you know, quite a bit of it back and

ran a safe cut. You know, that is it was the

wise decision And the handle numbers are really strong

throughout the Belmont, Preakness and Derby this year.

The ratings were up, social media, there was a lot of

attention, so I think it was a really strong year for this

year's Triple Crown. I think the last group that they

really protected by putting those grade ones, especially on

Sunday, are the owners. Yeah.

Because if you move off the turf, you lose that grade one,

it drops, right. And so I that's a that's a move

as well. That really does protect the

owners who were willing to enter their horses in those spots as

well. So I'm sure some appreciation on

those ends as well. And I think we'd be remiss not

to mention Miguel Clemont getting that first Grade 1

yesterday, his wife being in the winner's circle with him.

What an absolute whirlwind. And Acacia Clement, of course.

Every man in horse racing a little jealous of Miguel

yesterday. Grade one wife being nice to him

on TVI mean, that's not that doesn't happen very often.

How long? How often has your wife been

nice to you, Sean? Never.

How about that? Yeah, that's exactly right.

So there you go. Well, Frank, we're.

Glad you're back here. It was a cool scene for sure.

Yeah. And, and you know, come as as

they it's probably most likely that we're that it's probably

most likely that Saratoga is going to host one more year, the

Belmont Stakes day and then back to Belmont Park in 2027.

At that point, as if all goes as planned, they'll have an all

weather track. So they won't have the same

conundrum that they had yesterday.

They'll have the option of moving turf races to that track.

I don't know that they would move grade ones.

I think that would probably be more just for what you said, you

want to protect that Grade 1. And so I I would think those

might be more likely to do what they did again and put them off

a day, but but it having that all weather surface will be a

nice extra option. There you go.

Please, Frank Inks, make sure you check out the daily

bloodhorse.com. There's a tab for it right at

the top left of the homepage. You get signed up, comes to your

e-mail completely free every single day.

Get in on the Blood Horse daily and of course, dollars and cents

with our guy Frank Inks as he walks you through everything

affiliated with the Belmont Festival itself.

Frank, thanks a bunch. We'll talk to you next week,

guys. There you go.

Frank Eckst joining us there. And of course, we always remind

you at this time of the program to get the Blood Horse Magazine,

the QR code at the bottom of the screen there.

Make sure you get in with that, beautify that coffee table in

your house with the Blood Horse Magazine, all the beautiful

photos and all the great stories from around our sport as well.

All right, well, we're getting into the nitty gritty of the

summer as I rub my hands together coming up on the

Stephen Foster, a bunch of great races there at Aqueduct as part

of that Belmont thing before they had, as Frank mentioned to

Saratoga, nice racing in Maryland right now as they start

to wrap up, get into that Virginia season next month as

well. And of course, Southern

California, tons going on at Santa Anita and all the good

things. But of course, Blood Horse

Magazine, get in on the QR code right there that you had on

screen. Well, Sean, wrap it up here.

Nice job on the Triple Crown my friends.

I know this is going to be uncharted territory for us, so

if we're done with the Triple Crown, if only there was another

event coming up later in this year that had qualifying races

to leading into it. If only we had that to talk.

About I stroked my very mediocre beard, wondering what that might

be. Oh, wait a second, isn't there

something going on in California in November?

How about that? Well, we will get after that for

sure. All summer with you will be

covering the Indian Derby. All kinds of fun stuff this

summer, Sean. Very much looking forward to the

next steps here on Blood Horse Monday for Sean, for Frank, My

name is Louis Rabo. Thanks for hanging out with us

for another week here on the program.

Next week, we're going to start doing a man.

We're going to start talking Breeders' Cup qualifiers.

We'll do it here on Blood Horse Monday.

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