Creator Wins Belmont Stakes

The jockey was delighted to capture his first Belmont Stakes.

2015 was the year of American Pharoah – America’s Triple Crown victor. “The truth was that I had planned to bring about 15 to 20 people to the Belmont Stakes, which I do every year, and I had a horse named America, a filly, who was going to run in the Gr1 Ogden Phipps, but I retired her just last month”.

“I was glad to see them put our number up”, said Asmussen, who ranks second on the all-time trainer win list with 7,317.

Horses charge out of the starting gate at the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Belmont Park, Saturday, June 11, 2016, in Elmont, N.Y. Creator won the race.

“He [Creator] was the ideal horse by inches”, Asmussen told reporters.

Asmussen also recalled the journey for the gray colt, which wasn’t always an easy one. Governor Malibu was on the rail looking for room.

Destin had spent most of the race battling near the front. After the race, however, he noted Gettysburg took the field though a satisfyingly quick half mile in 48 seconds.

Exaggerator, the 6-5 favorite, ran most of the race on the outside but when they turned for the stretch he just didn’t fire.

Exaggerator, the colt who had finished second in the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness, ran the worst race of his life in the Belmont.

Nyquist was held out of the Belmont after developing a fever in late May, robbing the finale of a final showdown between the two. “I know he’s going to WinStar for a freshening and it will be Elliott’s decision what he does after that”.

Or perhaps not. Exaggerator was parked wide for much of the race.

In the stretch, when defeat was a certainty, Kent Desormeaux, the trainer’s brother, decided enough was enough. On Sunday, Pletcher said he was not interested in having the horse back. “Exaggerator is very intelligent, very athletic, very sound and has the pedigree to get the distance”. His last race at Woodbine was a almost 10-length win in the Coronation Futurity. He will be aboard expected favorite Exaggerator on Saturday. He endured a disgusting trip, fighting his rider throughout and racing four wide, closer to the pace than usual, after breaking from gate 11 in the 13-runner field.

The reality is pre-race excitement paled in comparison to previous year for a reason. American Pharoah had done it. Kentucky Derby. But Victory Gallop – second in each of the first two legs – gained ground steadily, and the two crossed the wire together. He was aboard Real Quiet in 1998 when Victory Gallop ran down the Derby and Preakness victor and won at the wire by the slightest nose, spoiling what looked to be a certain Triple Crown. The Creator-Destin exacta was worth $269 for $2.

The win also only further muddies the horse of the year conversation, as Creator now has claim to the title.

It’s unknown what race is next for Creator, but traditionally horses take a bit of a rest after running in any of the Triple Crown races. “He made the difference”.

Keith Desormeaux added that Exaggerator was still “vibrant” on Sunday morning and that the plan was still to have the dark bay colt remain in NY to point for the Jim Dandy and the Travers.