I got into horse racing way back in 2004 thanks to a plucky little chestnut horse named Smarty Jones who swept through the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with devastating ease I thought for sure even with my limited horse racing knowledge at that time that he would be racings 12th Triple Crown winner. My hopes were dashed as another plucky little colt named Birdstone swept on by him and dashed all my hopes in that final heartbreaking furlong. The Triple Crown is part of what fueled my love for this sport at such a young age, and after Smarty Jones I spent most of my life thinking I would never have the privilege to witness a Triple Crown winner. So when American Pharoah came along I relished every hoofbeat, every race-call, and every heart stopping moment along the trail. I probably have watched his Belmont over a hundred times, and I could probably recite it word for word by now. I remember exactly where I was when he crossed that wire first I was hot walking a horse named Castlederg who had just run in the Brooks Fields Stakes at Canterbury Park I was walking him while watching the live feed of the Belmont on NBC Sports as I turned the corner of the shed row just after Pharoah crossed the wire I burst into tears as the weight of his accomplishment hit me like a ton of bricks.
After American Pharoah crossed the wire first that day I thought it would be another 37 years till I'd see another one never in a million years did I think I would have the privilege to witness two Triple Crown winners in my lifetime. Justify winning the Triple Crown will easily go down as the greatest training achievement in horse racing and one I highly doubt we will ever see again. For him to have just started racing in February and just a short 112 days later cross the wire and breach the pantheon of greatness is a testament to how spectacular a trainer Bob Baffert is.
I've got many heros and icons that I look up to in this sport, but of all of them I have the most respect and appreciation for Mike Smith he's such a class act and for him to get a Triple Crown makes me so happy. I fell in love with his riding back when he was riding Zenyatta and he's been on top of a lot of my favorite horses since then like Shared Belief, Arrogate, and Songbird just to name a few. No one and I repeat no one deserves a Triple Crown more than Mike Smith. Who I might add rode for many years at none other than Canterbury Park.
The Triple Crown is the hardest achievement in horse racing and one that has rightfully earned its place in history from Sir Barton all the way back in 1919 and now to Justify just short of a hundred years later. It's an achievement that really takes one special horse and a team of people from the moment that foal hits the ground to the moment he crosses the wire first at Belmont Park everything in that horses life has to go exactly to perfection. The Triple Crown is long hours of feeding, brushing, nurturing, training, caring and loving for these beautiful animals it's an accomplishment that is a collection of dreams and hopes from people who spent everyday with that horse. Thinking one day he could potentially be all that they hoped, dreamt, and worked for.
So here's to Justify showing us that impossible dreams can become a reality! Fingers Crossed he comes back swinging in whatever race he shows up in next because whatever else he does is just icing on an already impressive cake.
After American Pharoah crossed the wire first that day I thought it would be another 37 years till I'd see another one never in a million years did I think I would have the privilege to witness two Triple Crown winners in my lifetime. Justify winning the Triple Crown will easily go down as the greatest training achievement in horse racing and one I highly doubt we will ever see again. For him to have just started racing in February and just a short 112 days later cross the wire and breach the pantheon of greatness is a testament to how spectacular a trainer Bob Baffert is.
I've got many heros and icons that I look up to in this sport, but of all of them I have the most respect and appreciation for Mike Smith he's such a class act and for him to get a Triple Crown makes me so happy. I fell in love with his riding back when he was riding Zenyatta and he's been on top of a lot of my favorite horses since then like Shared Belief, Arrogate, and Songbird just to name a few. No one and I repeat no one deserves a Triple Crown more than Mike Smith. Who I might add rode for many years at none other than Canterbury Park.
The Triple Crown is the hardest achievement in horse racing and one that has rightfully earned its place in history from Sir Barton all the way back in 1919 and now to Justify just short of a hundred years later. It's an achievement that really takes one special horse and a team of people from the moment that foal hits the ground to the moment he crosses the wire first at Belmont Park everything in that horses life has to go exactly to perfection. The Triple Crown is long hours of feeding, brushing, nurturing, training, caring and loving for these beautiful animals it's an accomplishment that is a collection of dreams and hopes from people who spent everyday with that horse. Thinking one day he could potentially be all that they hoped, dreamt, and worked for.
So here's to Justify showing us that impossible dreams can become a reality! Fingers Crossed he comes back swinging in whatever race he shows up in next because whatever else he does is just icing on an already impressive cake.
Wow, Christina, this is SO beautifully written! I thought of you so much today as we watched the history-making moment. Thank you for putting it all into such a wonderful piece of writing.
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