ELMONT, N.Y. - War Emblem arrived in New York amid great fanfare as the potential 12th winner of racing's Triple Crown. After winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with impressive front-running performances, he looked to the Belmont to make history.
Instead, War Emblem stumbled at the break, and an unheralded colt who started his career in England made history of his own. Sarava, ridden by the former Maryland jockey Edgar Prado, captured the 134th Belmont Stakes yesterday at Belmont Park at odds of 70-1. His win payoff of $142.50 was the largest in the history of the Belmont.
For racing, a sport bereft of heroes, another Triple Crown was denied. War Emblem, who covets the lead, stumbled and nearly fell at the start of the 1 1/2 -mile marathon. Although he rushed into contention and briefly gained the lead on the backstretch, the near-black colt never threatened history.
"Before the race I told Victor [Espinoza, jockey] the only thing that can beat us is a bad break," said Bob Baffert, trainer of War Emblem. "This horse, he just can't run like that. He needs to be out there running free. He just can't be behind horses."
War Emblem, the 6-5 favorite, ended up eighth after Espinoza eased off him in the stretch. He became the 18th horse to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but fail to capture the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont, including two horses who bypassed the third race. Since Affirmed swept the series in 1978, eight horses have lost the Belmont after claiming the first two jewels.
For Baffert, perhaps racing's most recognizable figure with his white hair, sunglasses and California tan, this was the third time he had come agonizingly close to snaring racing's holy grail. Silver Charm and Real Quiet won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 1997 and 1998, respectively, but the former lost the Belmont by three-quarters of a length, the latter by a nose.
War Emblem's attempt drew a record crowd to Belmont Park, the majestic track on Long Island. On a beautiful spring day, 103,222 patrons attended the races. The previous record was 85,818, established in 1999 when Charismatic tried - but failed - to win the Triple Crown.
"I feel empty," Baffert said. "I feel like I let the fans down. I wanted to do it. But it's tough."
The wise-cracking trainer momentarily lost his composure. He paused and took a drink of water.
"It's a tough loss, because I really expected this horse to do it," Baffert said. "When he stumbled like that, I just knew it was going to be too much for this poor guy to overcome.
"It was just gut-wrenching to watch the whole race. If I'd had a walkie-talkie I would have told Victor to pull him up and not make him go a mile and a half like that."
As War Emblem began losing ground around the far turn, an obscure colt who last raced in a minor stakes at Pimlico began launching his bid. Sarava, winner of the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard, entered the far turn behind five horses.
Prado steered him off the rail and between foes, and when he turned for home it was a two-horse race with Medaglia d'Oro on the inside and Sarava on the outside. Two former riding stars from Maryland crouched low at the controls: Kent Desormeaux on Medaglia d'Oro and Prado on Sarava.
The colts matched strides in dramatic fashion that suffered only because it was anticlimactic. War Emblem was fading, his Triple Crown hopes in ruins.
Sarava edged Medaglia d'Oro, another long shot at 16-1, by a half-length, creating a $2,454 exacta. Sunday Break finished third at 8-1 and the Maryland-based Magic Weisner fourth at 7-1, completing a trifecta worth $25,209 and a superfecta worth $145,334.
For Ken McPeek, trainer of Sarava, the victory culminated the ultimate roller coaster ride. While McPeek nursed Sarava through a severe crack in his right-front hoof earlier this spring, he devoted most of his attention to Repent and Harlan's Holiday, his two leading Kentucky Derby contenders.
When Repent suffered an injury in the Illinois Derby, Harlan's Holiday moved to No. 1 on McPeek's depth chart. The Ohio-bred colt won the Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes, and then he finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby as the favorite and fourth in the Preakness.
Four days before the Belmont, McPeek learned that Jack Wolf, owner of Harlan's Holiday, had fired him as trainer and was transferring the colt to Todd Pletcher. McPeek was stoic in his reaction, thanking Wolf for the opportunity.
After training Repent and Harlan's Holiday, McPeek said, "to win with a horse that was 20 stalls down from those guys is awesome. I am pinching myself, of course. Who wouldn't at 70-1?"
McPeek began training Sarava, named after a song in a Brazilian musical, last winter. The son of Wild Again and Rhythm of Life had run his first three races as a 2-year-old on turf in England.
Sarava came to McPeek with a cracked and infected hoof. Blacksmiths carved away a third of the hoof, and then McPeek delayed training so some of it could grow back. Still, Sarava races with a patch on the hoof.
The Sir Barton Stakes on Preakness day was Sarava's first stakes. He won authoritatively. Only then did McPeek consider the Belmont, which at the time was seen as War Emblem's final hurdle to history.
But War Emblem stumbled coming out of the gate, and history, in the form of a coveted 12th Triple Crown winner, was delayed.
Belmont Recap
Sarava - Settled just off the early pace, was rated behind Medaglia d'Oro along the backstretch, angled to the inside nearing the far turn, waited patiently while edging closer on the turn, split rivals to challenge leaving the quarter pole, battled heads apart from outside in upper stretch, surged to the front nearing the furlong marker then turned back Medaglia d'Oro under steady right hand encouragement.
Medaglia d'Oro - Rushed up from outside to contest the early pace, stalked three wide along the backstretch, surged to the front nearing the half-mile pole, maintained a slim advantage along the inside on the turn, fought heads apart inside the winner through the stretch and yielded grudgingly.
Sunday Break - Bumped with Perfect Drift at the start, was unhurried for six furlongs, gradually worked his way forward while five wide leaving the backstretch, made a run while continuing wide to threaten at the top of the stretch but couldn't sustain his bid.
Magic Weisner - Bumped with the favorite at the start, raced in the middle of the pack along the backstretch, swung six wide for clear sailing while gaining a bit on the turn then lacked a strong finishing response.
Proud Citizen - Moved up from the outside going into the first turn, stalked the leaders while five wide along the backstretch, raced in close contention while just outside the winner approaching the quarter pole then steadily tired thereafter. Proud Citizen pulled up in distress after the finish and was vanned off.
Essence of Dubai - Never reached contention while being outrun for a mile and a quarter then passed only tiring horses.
Like a Hero - Was bumped off-stride at the start and was never close thereafter.
War Emblem - Stumbled badly then bumped with Magic Weisner at the start, rushed up between horses, was under a snug hold while rank for three-quarters of a mile, moved through along the rail to gain a brief lead nearing the half-mile pole, remained a factor to the turn then gave way.
Wiseman's Ferry - Rushed up along the inside after being bumped at the start, set the pace under pressure for six furlongs, relinquished the lead approaching the far turn and steadily tired thereafter.
Perfect Drift - Was bumped at the start, steadied in tight between horses on the first turn, raced well back for a mile, swung wide on the turn and lacked a further response.
Artax Too - Stumbled then broke outward causing crowding at the start, steadied along the inside on the first turn and was never close thereafter.
Long shots
Highest payoffs for winners of the Belmont Stakes since 1940 for $2 mutuel bets:
Winner Year Payoff
Sarava 2002 $142.50
Sherluck 1961 $132.10
Temperance Hill 1980 $108.80
Pass Catcher 1971 $71.00
Lemon Drop Kid 1999 $61.50
Commendable 2000 $39.60
Bounding Home 1944 $34.70
Colonial Affair 1993 $29.80
Avatar 1975 $28.40
One Count 1952 $27.60
Belmont blues
Sixteen horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness before missing the Triple Crown by failing in the Belmont Stakes:
Year Horse Belmont
1944 Pensive 2nd
1958Tim Tam 2nd
1961 Carry Back 7th
1964 Northern Dancer 3rd
1966 Kauai King 4th
1968 Forward Pass 2nd
1969 Majestic Prince 2nd
1971 Canonero II 4th
1979 Spectacular Bid 3rd
1981 Pleasant Colony 3rd
, 1987 Alysheba 4th
1989 Sunday Silence 2nd
1997 Silver Charm 2nd
1998 Real Quiet 2nd
1999 Charismatic 3rd
2002 War Emblem 8th
Note: Burgoo King (1932) and Bold Venture (1936) won the first two legs but did not run in the Belmont.