2007 BELMONT STAKES
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HORSEPHOTOS/NTRA

Rags To Riches (left) gets up to beat Curlin at the wire to win the 139th running of The Belmont Stakes.

RAGS TO RICHES VICTORIOUS IN 139TH BELMONT STAKES

THE BELMONT STAKES OFFICIAL RESULTS

JUNE 9, 2007

BELMONT STAKES

GRADE I

BELMONT RACETRACK, ELMONT, NEW YORK

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS

ONE AND ONE-HALF MILES

MAIN TRACK: FAST

 

Pgm Horse Win Place Show
7 RAGS TO RICHES 10.60 4.40 3.20
3 CURLIN   3.00 2.30
2 TIAGO     3.70

$2 EXACTA  7-3

$25.00

$2 TRIFECTA  7-3-2

$131.50

RAGS TO RICHES

Winner

139th Belmont Stakes

Jockey: John Velazquez

Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher

Owners: Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith

Three Year Old Chestnut Filly - February 2004

Bred by Skara Glen Stables (KY)

A.P. Indy- Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH

Program Number Horse Lengths Behind
7 RAGS TO RICHES  
3 CURLIN Head
2 TIAGO 5.50
6 HARD SPUN 10
4 C P WEST 14.50
1 IMAWILDANDCRZYGUY 16
5 SLEW'S TIZZY 33

 24.74, 50.14, 1:15.32, 1:40.23, 2:04.91, 2:28.74

THE FILLY IS THE CHAMP

Belmont Stakes 139

June 9, 2007

Belmont Park - Elmont, NY

 

It took some time but Todd Pletcher finally won a triple crown race and all it took was a filly to get it done.  Rags To Riches overcame a stumble at the start of the 139th running of The Belmont Stakes to go into the record books as only the third filly to win the Belmont.  Twenty two fillies have tried the mile and one-half marathon and none since 1905.  That's right 1905.  The previous two female winners of the Belmont were Ruthless (1867) and Tanya (1905).  The filly covered the distance in 2:28.75 and returned $10.60 on a win mutuel to her backers.  Not only was this Pletcher's first win in a triple crown event but also a first for Rags pilot John Velasquez who got the mount after regular rider Garrett Gomes opted for Hard Spun.  The 1.9 Million dollar purchase of Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith earned her connections $600,00 of the $1,000,000 purse.

 

Cp West led the field for the opening seven panels before Curlin took the lead in the far turn.  Hard Spun and Rags to Riches were moving closer to the lead as the field made its way into the lane.  Rags To Riches pulled even with Curlin passing the eighth pole and  then dug in gamely to get her head on the wire first to win in a heart stopping finish.  Curlin and Hard Spun would be the only two colts to run in all three triple crown races while the winner had not run for five weeks prior to the Belmont.  Street Sense, the Kentucky Derby winner, who lost to Curlin in the Preakness, was a no show for the Belmont. 

 

This crop of three-year-olds will now get to regroup and get ready for the fall campaigns.  Hopefully Monmouth Park will be looking at a few of these horses for The Haskell.  Either way we saw some great racing on this years Triple Crown trail and next year we will get to do it all over again.  See you at Belmont in the fall for Futurity before we head to Gulfstream for the winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
138th Belmont Stakes Race Recap:

Seven colts and one filly entered the gate for the 139th running of the Belmont Stakes.  At the break Rags To Riches stumbled while Tiago hit the gate on the way out and bumped Imawildandcrzyguy.  CP West would go the front and lead the field through sensible early fractions of  24.74, 50.14, 1:15.32 and the mile time in 1:40.23 as Slew’s Tizzy pressed the leader four wide into the far turn.  It was another length and three-quarters back to Hard Spun and Curlin.  Rags To Riches was six wide down the backside out of trouble an in striking position of the leaders.  Through the far turn  Curlin was saving ground and then split his rivals approaching the quarter pole as Rags To Riches was four wide moving into the lead.  In the lane Curlin and Rags To Riches fought heads apart as Curlin would drift in under his jocks right handed urging passing the three-sixteenths pole as Rags To Riches continued on the lead as the pair passed the eight pole.  Curlin and Rags To Riches would exchange mild bumps in deep stretch as Rags To Riches would get up in the final twenty yards under right handed urging to become only the third filly in history to win The Belmont Stakes.  Curlin yielding grudgingly to finish a game second while Tiago rallied for third but was no match for the top two.  Rags To Riches is a three-year-old chestnut filly owned by Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, trained by Todd A. Pletcher and was ridden by John Velazquez.