Ruler On Ice - 2011 Belmont Stakes

Ruler On Ice, dismissed at 24-1, sat a perfect trip under a patient Jose Valdivia, Jr., taking the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off another longshot, Stay Thirsty, to win Saturday's 143rd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, the 5-2 favorite, fell back to last shortly after the start when he clipped heels with Mucho Macho Man, who was bumped by Isn't He Perfect. Under jockey John Velazquez, who lost his left stirrup and didn't regain it until the first turn, Animal Kingdom made a gallant run to gain third on the far turn, but couldn't sustain his bid and finished sixth in the third and final leg of racing's Triple Crown.
With Preakness winner Shackleford setting moderate fractions of 23.92, 49.08, 1:14.51, 1:39.95 and 2:05.09, Valdivia bided his time and didn't ask Ruler On Ice for run until the field straightened for home. The gelding, running with blinkers for the first time, eagerly began picking up the pace and struck the lead approaching the eighth pole, going on to a three-quarter length victory over Stay Thirsty and completing the 1 ½ miles in 2:30.88 over the sloppy, sealed main track.
The win, Ruler On Ice's first in a stakes race, made him only the second gelding ever to win the Belmont, joining 1985 winner Creme Fraiche.

[@ScotchIrishTarheel]

Animal Kingdom was clipped at the start of the race, and ended up dead with no momentum and a jockey half-out of the saddle and with a fractured bone on a muddy track. No way he could have won. What's extraordinary is that he STILL managed to close to sixth down the stretch.

[@WolfCreekCity]

Well done Ruler On Ice :)

[@siroptimistic]

@rcschumann...More accurate to say that Animal Kingdom is no Mine That Bird. Secretariat's style was to run at (or near) the front of the pack, but MTB was comfortable running from the back of the pack in last position, which is where Animal Kingdom found himself in this race. AK made a bold try to win this race from the last position, but he doesn't have the late acceleration that MTB showed in the 2009 Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

[@siroptimistic]

@rcschumann...Notwithstanding MTB's superlative Derby win, even MTB's 2nd place finish in the 2009 Preakness was more impressive than AK's win in the Derby, since it involved a monster move along the outside lane (not along the rail) from dead last to make-up a huge amount of ground on the speedy Rachel Alexandra...a most remarkable achievement. MTB had a brilliant career as a two-and-three year-old thoroughbred racehorse, and so far much better than many racehorses, including AK.

[@siroptimistic]

@royals1219 Announcing is a matter of style. Tom Durkin rightly called Animal Kingdom's surge on the final turn, yet Larry Collmus made no mention of this. Horses bumping into each other at the beginning of the race happens all the time, that is why Durkin preferred to call Shackleford's bolt for the lead at the beginning of the race. Many things happen at once at the beginning of the race, so the announcer has to quickly decide what to focus on, which is usually the front end of the race.

[@siroptimistic]

No excuses for Animal Kingdom....he had a good chance to win....coming out of the final turn he was with the lead pack of horses, but he couldn't close on the final stretch....the other horses simply pulled away from him.

[@Dikranovski]

JUST IMAGINE! 30 years ago this was the racetrack in which Secretariat was racing on...im just so amazed

[@siroptimistic]

@rcschumann As I said, Animal Kingdom was unable to do what Mine That Bird did three times in the 2009 Triple Crown, which is to run from dead last and finish in the top three. Enough said.

[@jmarlow2153]

I had the trifecta collected just over $2000.00

[@LyndaP31]

Wow, he totally missed Animal Kingdom's problems at the start.

[@irshgrl500]

Why so much discussion on Animal Kingdom? Ruler on Ice was an incredible upset @ 24-1, wins the Belmont. And, he's a GELDING; UNBELIEVABLE!

[@clintrichardsonclintfromny203]

Who is here because of what Mike said?

[@spicetruckin]

AK almost fell because of a bump.. Rajiv maragh (jockey of Isnt he perfect) was suspended) by stewards after the race...

[@EXPOSEDBYGABRIELPEREZ]

Animal kingdom got tired after a tremendous move from the outside at the curve. the same with the preakness winner could not keep up the speed in the straight the belmont stakes is the very hard race to win.

[@keyonmitchell4349]

he definitely almost fell! would have been a different story!

[@marcosponce960]

And remember he won at dubai, he one of several that could do the tc, given a fair chance , i saw smarty jones and funnycide and sunday silence and silver charm clearly got beat but ak was injured bigbrown and chrome were injured, be fair fool root for the horse no horse no sport.

[@phxmaster9684]

Did you see American Pharaoh

[@spicetruckin]

you have to make "monster moves" if you are caught napping at the start. I admire horses like Holy Bull more which lead from the wire..like a true racehorse should :P

[@spicetruckin]

and Count Afleet before that..

[@Caroni100]

Ruler on Ice (April 2, 2008 - ) * Sire: Roman Ruler * Grandsire: Fusaichi Pegasus * Dam: Champagne Glow * Damsire: Saratoga Six * Sex: Gelding * Breeder: Liberation Farm & Brandywine Farm * Owner: George and Lori Hall * Trainer: Kelly John Breen * 23 Starts * 4 Wins * 5 Seconds * 3 Thirds * $ 1,709,566 earned Regards From Venezuela. Ruler on Ice (2 de Abril, 2008 - ) * Padre: Roman Ruler * Abuelo paterno: Fusaichi Pegasus * Madre: Champagne Glow * Abuelo materno: Saratoga Six * Sexo: Castrado * Criador: Liberation Farm & Brandywine Farm * Propietarios: George and Lori Hall * Entrenador: Kelly John Breen * 23 Salidas * 4 Primeros * 5 Segundos * 3 Terceros * $ 1,709,566 producidos Saludos desde Venezuela.

[@RunLikeAFilly]

@siroptimistic Ak at a fracture, and he one impressively in the two other triple crown races. MTB doesn't even hold up to AK

[@ghostzapper2006]

AK fractured a bone at the start of this race you clueless goofballs who say he had no excuse.

[@saveus228]

so you don't think MIne that Bird was impressive in the DERBY??? he won by like 6 lengths. You don't think MTB was impressive in the Preakness? he got blocked and steadied on the turn and lost to Rachel Alexandra by a length. And at least he hit the board at Belmont.

[@RunLikeAFilly]

Yeahh, I really don't think MTB is that impressive. Good yeah but i don't really like him.