Рет қаралды 38,839
Bet Twice, a narrow runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, reversed those decisions with a vengeance in the 119th running of the Belmont Stakes yesterday to deprive Alysheba of racing's Triple Crown.
Bet Twice took the lead before traveling a mile and stretched it into a 14-length runaway over Cryptoclearance, with Gulch finishing a nose back in third place. Alysheba, who had won the Derby by three-quarters of a length and the Preakness by half a length over Bet Twice, finished fourth as the 4-to-5 favorite, missing a $5 million payday by a huge margin and a $1 million bonus by inches.
Alysheba, who would have earned purses and bonuses totaling $5 million had he become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, was steadied in traffic turning for home, but the incident was minor and did not affect his chances of victory.
Bet Twice, whose lopsided margin was the fifth largest in the history of the race, paid $18 for $2 to win as the fifth choice in the betting and covered the mile and a half 1 under Craig Perret in 2:28 1/5. The son of the Nijinsky II stallion Sportin' Life and the Dusty Canyon mare Golden Dust is owned by Blanche P. Levy, the Cisley Stable and numerous minor partners, including the baseball personalities Pete Rose and Garry Maddox. Warren A. (Jimmy) Croll Jr. trains the New Jersey-based colt, who became the first Derby and Preakness runner-up to win the Belmont since Arts and Letters in 1969.
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