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| Belmont Stakes: Remembering Sunday Silence
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If you know Sunday Silence, thoroughbred extraordinaire, take a moment
to think about him at the Belmont Stakes. As Big Brown heads for his
final Triple Crown challenge, I must remember Sunday Silence and
how his TC bid came to an end. Here's what happened. There was another
horse, a future hall of fame horse named Easy Goer who came in second
to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Now was
Easy Goer's chance to play the spoiler. Fate helped Easy Goer's plan.
First, Easy Goer drew the inside rail, ensuring he would run a shorter
distance--important in a Mile-and-a-Half race. Then, a European horse
was entered into the race called Le Voyageur. The problem with this is
that European horses typically run longer distances, so Le Voyageur was
sure to be fresh at the end of the race. He was. When the starting gate opened,
Le Voyageur worked his way to the front and set a good pace. Since the
Triple Crown was on the line, Sunday Silence's jockey Pat Valenzuela could
not let Le Voyageur get away from the field, so Sunday Silence was made
to give chase. Side-by-side, they battled, I am sure Pat V. thought that
Le Voyageur would fade and give Sunday Silence a short rest before the
final push down the stretch. NOPE. Again, Le Voyageur was European
and able to get the long distace. Down the stretch they came, Le Voyageur in
a slight lead over Sunday Silence and Easy Goer stalking from behind and
rapidly gaining. Sunday Silence now found himself between Le Voyageur
and Easy Goer. Then came the brain fart which doomed Sunday Silence.
I don't blame Pat V., he is only human, but here is what happened. Pat V.
moved Sunday Silence next to Easy Goer so his horse could look Easy Goer
in the eye and run him down--like he did in the Preakness. Unfortunately,
Easy Goer paused for a moment from his acceleration and just then
Le Voyageur had a smart spurt of speed, Pat V. then broke off from Easy Goer
to get next to Le Voyageur. At that precise moment, Easy Goer, took off like
a rocket and was gone. Could Sunday Silence have beaten Easy Goer. I
say yes. Why? Because Sunday Silence sped up to beat Le Voyageur and
take second. If Sunday Silence had stayed with Easy Goer throughout the
race and paid no attention to Le Voyageur, we would have had Sunday Silence
as the last TC winner, not Affirmed. My advice to Big Brown's connections.
Since the Belmont is a long race, let your horse run his own race lest some
oddity, event, or surprise spoil his trip. Sunday Silence was the best horse
and could have won that day, but several factors spoiled his day. Remember
that before believing Big Brown is invincible. (By the way, if you disagree with
my summary, go back and watch the video of Sunday Silence final movements
down the stretch.)
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Posted by paul3249 on 2008-06-03 15:43:51 | Rating: | Views: 57
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Actually it was on the turn that this happened. At the top of the turn, Pat V. moved his horse next to Le Voyageur,
then Easy Goer came up alongside, as they came out of the turn Sunday Silence moved slightly towards Easy Goer who ever so briefly slowed his acceleration, Sunday Silence moved then slightly towards Le Voyageur and Easy Goer quickly accelerated and was gone. You have to look closely at the video to see that Pat V.'s focus was not on the finish line, but instead the horses on either side of him.
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Posted by paul3249
on 2008-06-04 08:17:05
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