Rags to Riches is the Filly of the Moment
By Ally White
No doubt this was a very significant Triple Crown Competition that marked a beginning with the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner to capture the Kentucky Derby and concluded with the first filly to pound the big guys in the Belmont Stakes in 102 years.
Rags to Riches became the talk of racing with her victory over Curlin, Preakness Stakes’ winner, in the Belmont Stakes. The year is not even half over, and Rags to Riches has already secured the 3-year-old filly championship, so there is the enticement to aim for Horse of the Year, too. Rags to Riches did well on the Belmont Stakes and will now be pointed for the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for fillies at 1 ¼ miles at Belmont.
The $1 million Travers, like the CCA Oaks, is a Grade 1 race at 1 ¼ miles and they are planning on setting Rags to Riches up for it. If Pletcher decides to choose out of the Travers and keep Rags to Riches with fillies this summer, she would be heading to the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes, also at 1 ¼ miles at Saratoga.
As good as she have been doing Pletcher can’t get caught up in the Horse of the Year emotion, she still has to do the best for her the rest of the year. But we understand if they can’t help it he did something that hasn’t been done for 102 years and that has to carry an extra amount of weight in the balloting.
Rags to Riches got a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 in the Belmont. She also completed the final quarter-mile in 23.83 seconds, the first time the winner had shaded 24 seconds for the final quarter-mile of the Belmont since Peace Chant in 1934.
All three Triple Crown races were terrific this year and yet three different horses won and two races were decided by photo finishes. Street Sense unleashed a powerful closing rush to win the Derby, Curlin outbattled Street Sense to narrowly win the Preakness, and then Rags to Riches defeated Curlin after a terrific stretch duel in the Belmont.
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer on sportsbook action for http://www.instantactionsports.com
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