The Triple Crown Ain't Broke
On Saturday, June 7, 2014 at 6:55 PM Eastern Time,
California Chrome stood at the cusp of greatness — 1 ½ miles away from Triple
Crown glory. Two and a half minutes later, he was just another in a long line
of horses to fail in the Belmont Stakes after triumphing in both the Kentucky
Derby and the Preakness.
2014 Belmont Stakes
And, according to California Chrome’s co-owner Steve
Coburn, the Belmont result was a travesty.
“This is his third very big race,” Coburn said of
California Chrome immediately after the Test of Champions. “These other horses they always
sit ‘em out. They sit ‘em out and try to upset the apple cart.
“I'm 61 years old and I’ll never see in my lifetime … another
Triple Crown winner because the way they do this. It's not fair to these horses
that have been in the game since day one. I look at it this way: if you can’t
make enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby, you can’t run in the other
two races.
“… It's all or nothing,” Coburn went on. “It's all or
nothing. Because this is not fair to these horses that have been running their
guts out for these people and for the people that believe in them… this is a
coward's way out in my opinion. This is a coward's way out.”
Coburn has since apologized for his post-race tirade… and
for a subsequent tirade on the “Today” show the following morning. Sadly, however,
the substance of his comments appear to be drawing quite a bit of consideration
from racing fans and non-fans alike — apparently, nothing creates a consensus
quite like whining and moaning about the “unfairness” of it all.
So, I’m writing today to set the record straight: the
Triple Crown is not an event, it is an accomplishment.
Consider: When Sir Barton won the Kentucky Derby,
Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1919, it wasn’t even called the Triple Crown. That term wasn’t widely used — in American
racing, at least — until Charles Hatton of the Daily
Racing Form popularized it in the 1930s.
What’s more, when Gallant Fox captured the Crown in 1930,
the Preakness preceded the Derby and, for many years, all three races were separated
by less than 30 days (versus the five weeks of today). How cowardly were the
“fresh” horses in those years?
The fact is “winning” the American Racing Triple Crown is
no different than “winning” the Triple Crown in Major League Baseball (bestowed
upon the player with the highest batting average, most home runs and most runs
batted in during the season). It is no different than “winning” the Grand Slam
of tennis (Australian Open, French Open,
Wimbledon and US Open), which, by the way, has been accomplished exactly three
times in men’s singles since 1938 — twice by the same guy (Rod Laver).
OK, Derek, I hear some of you protesting, but you’re
missing the point: horse racing has changed. Thoroughbreds are being bred for
speed these days and simply aren’t as durable as in year’s past.
Alright, then what are the English breeding for, sluggishness?
Because there hasn’t been an English Triple Crown (2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby
and St. Leger Stakes) winner since Nijinsky in 1970 — and he was the first English Triple champ since Bahram in 1935.
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| Dennis Rodman |
Likewise, among the 30 NFL receivers to average 18+ yards
per reception during their careers, only Flipper Anderson played predominantly
in the 1990s or later.
I won’t get into the reasons for this as they’re not
germane to this discussion, but trust me when I say we will see the 12th Triple Crown winner before we will witness the 29th .400 hitter in Major
League Baseball.
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes are independent events, all boasting a purse
of $1 million or more and all worth winning on their own merit. The list of
Preakness and/or Belmont winners that didn’t capture the Triple Crown is
legendary: Colin, Man o’ War, Native Dancer, Bold Ruler, Northern Dancer,
Damascus, Needles, Nashua, Conquistador Cielo, Spectacular Bid and Sunday
Silence… just to name a few.
Rather than tinker with the Triple Crown format to get
more champions, which would represent the ultimate sports asterisk, let’s just salute
those great horses that accomplished it… and appreciate those who tried and
failed.
