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TRIPLE CROWN WRAP-UP JUNE 11, 2009 by James Scully The Triple Crown concluded with an upset from the lightly raced SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone), who recorded his second career win by rallying to a 2 3/4-length decision in Saturday's Belmont S. (G1). After saving ground along the rail on the backstretch, the one-run closer got caught in traffic rounding the far turn at the same time that 6-5 favorite MINE THAT BIRD (Birdstone) was launching an early bid to the lead. Jockey Kent Desormeaux, who became the only active rider to win all three races in the Triple Crown, steered Summer Bird toward a clear path at the head of the lengthy stretch run at Belmont Park, and the chestnut colt began to wear down the leaders, overhauling Mine That Bird and DUNKIRK (Unbridled's Song) in the final furlong. Experience was inconsequential as three of the top four finishers entered the 1 1/2-mile Belmont with only four lifetime starts apiece. Third-placer Mine That Bird was the exception, and he stands out like a sore thumb next to Summer Bird, Dunkirk and fourth-placer CHARITABLE MAN (Lemon Drop Kid). While those three-year-olds have hardly raced, Mine That Bird was making his 11th career outing in the Belmont, including his ninth consecutive stakes appearance. The Chip Woolley-trained gelding gave a solid account of himself in defeat, and Mine That Bird proved to be the real deal in the Triple Crown, as hard-hitting as any three-year-old in training. He looked terrible five weeks earlier, entering the Kentucky Derby (G1) at 50-1 off three disappointing performances, including a last in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and a fourth in the Sunland Derby, but backed up the 6 3/4-length Derby whooping with top-class performances in Baltimore and New York. The little guy just missed with a flying finish in the Preakness (G1), and he led the final leg of the Triple Crown with a furlong left to run. Summer Bird didn't make his first career start until March 1. He was training last May and posted 16 workouts, but no starts, in 2008, and didn't make it to the races in either January or February. This isn't the picture of a sound, durable Thoroughbred. The Jayaraman homebred broke his maiden on March 19 and wheeled back three weeks later in the Arkansas Derby (G2), recording a non-threatening third from off the pace. That earned him a spot in the Kentucky Derby, and Summer Bird passed a lot of rivals for sixth after losing ground on both turns at Churchill Downs. I give trainer Tim Ice a lot of credit and hope Summer Bird goes on to win more stakes races. He looks more legitimate than recent Belmont surprises like Da' Tara (Tiznow), Jazil, Sarava and Commendable, but still needs to prove it. And Summer Bird must remain healthy in order to do so. Belmont runner-up Dunkirk, who didn't make his career debut until January 24, is already on the sidelines. He exited the race with a non-displaced condylar fracture, and there's no guarantee he'll ever make it back to the races. Fourth-placer Charitable Man didn't enjoy the dream trip on the front end that many expected and was out of gas by the top of the Belmont stretch, but he remained well clear of fifth and is certainly eligible to improve upon only his second attempt around two turns. Unlike Summer Bird or Dunkirk, Charitable Man was already a stakes winner, winning both the Peter Pan S. (G2) and Futurity (G2) for his connections, and he won't have to worry about running 12 furlongs again. He'll be one of the top three-year-old performers the rest of the season if he stays healthy. Everybody would love to see these horses run more, but times have changed. The best two-year-olds last fall -- Midshipman (Unbridled's Song), Old Fashioned (Unbridled's Song), Vineyard Haven (Lido Palace [Arg]), Street Hero (Street Cry [Ire]), Square Eddie (Smart Strike) and Charitable Man -- were all unable to make this year's Derby, and leading prospects like I Want Revenge (Stephen Got Even) and Quality Road (Elusive Quality) were scratched in the days leading up to the main event. Making 10 career starts is a real challenge for top-class Thoroughbreds nowadays. The 2009 Triple Crown still delivered some fantastic moments. Mine That Bird, a New Mexico-based longshot who traveled by trailer to Louisville, Kentucky, scored one for the underdogs in the Derby and never showed any signs of fatigue while plugging his way through all three legs in admirable fashion. The filly, RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro), added great excitement with her inclusion and victory in the Preakness, and Calvin Borel, who fell short of an unprecedented personal milestone, provided plenty of theater to the Belmont festivities. Trainers like Woolley, Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito were entertaining and insightful, and the five-week stretch remains one of my favorite times of the year. The current Triple Crown format works. Thoroughbred racing is in the spotlight for five weeks, but people won't care as much about the Preakness or Belmont if they're spaced further out. The 31-year-old drought is irrelevant; it's the pursuit of the Triple Crown that matters. Eleven horses have reached the threshold, only to fall short in the Belmont, since Affirmed swept the series in 1978, but none of those horses would've improved the sport by winning it. It's the difficulty of the chase that everybody gets caught up in, and the Triple Crown will become less interesting if you make it easier.
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