Creator catches Destin at wire to win Belmont; Exaggerator 11th

[mentalsolstice]

Source: AP

NEW YORK -- Creator closed with a rush and caught Destin at the wire to win the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, with Preakness winner Exaggerator finishing well back in the field.

A 3-year-old gray colt trained by Steve Asmussen, Creator came flying down the stretch as Destin tried to hang on to the lead. But it was Creator, who finished 13th in the Derby and skipped the Preakness, who won by a nose. It was the fourth time the Belmont was decided by a nose -- the closest possible margin of victory.

Preakness winner Exaggerator was sent off as the 7-5 favorite in the field of 13. He was closer to the lead than usual, but wound up 11th.

Read more: http://espn.go.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/16133156/creator-catches-destin-wire-win-belmont-stakes-nose

[Rex]

1. How did Embellishment do?

[alfredo]

2. How they finished

Creator,
Destin,
Lani,
Governor Malibu,
Stradivari,
Brody's Cause,
Cherry Wine,
Gettysburg,
Suddenbreakingnews,
Trojan Nation,
Exaggerator,
Seeking the Soul and Forever d'Oro

[Ken Burch]

4. So...does anyone think there will ever be another Triple Crown winner?

Or has this cycle of races changed too much now for that to happen?

[ReRe]

5. Of course there will be another Triple Crown winner...

... in the future. Might be one next year, or the next three years, or maybe not for 30 years. But there will be another one.

[Ken Burch]

6. Just asking because it's been so long since the last one.

Sometimes, the owners of the Kentucky Derby winner won't even race it in the Preakness and the Belmont...which is weird, since those three races are pretty much the only reason they bothered raising that horse in the first place.

[ReRe]

7. If the winner of the Derby...

... doesn't go on to the Preakness & Belmont, then there's is something wrong with the horse. Believe me, if there's nothing wrong with the horse (healthwise) they go on to the next one. I live in horse country, though I don't have anything to do with the horse industry.

[twogunsid]

8. American Pharoah won the Triple Crown last year....

....Becoming the 12th TC winner in history and the first since Affirmed won it in 1978.

[GreatGazoo]

9. Not likely

It was 37 years between TC winners and will likely be even longer before the next one. So many great horses are broken down at age 3 now.

Horses are not as healthy or durable as they were 80 years ago. Same for humans.