ELMONT, N.Y. _ It's a throwback that goes way, way back. They've been running the Belmont Stakes since 1867, so the longest Triple Crown event also has the longest history. Next Saturday at Belmont Park, it will be staged for the 151st time, compared to 145 for the Kentucky Derby and 144 for the Preakness.
Making 3-year-olds take a 1 {-mile lap around North America's biggest racetrack is an anachronism in an era in which speed, not stamina, is king. It's been a long time since breeders focused on producing thoroughbreds who excel at 12 furlongs on the dirt. Now a Belmont winner tends to be the one that dislikes the marathon distance the least.
In 2015 and last year, Triple Crown heroes American Pharoah and Justify validated their claims for immortality by acing "The Test of the Champion" for Bob Baffert. The platinum-haired wizard, America's most successful and most recognizable trainer, won't be in Elmont this weekend. He'll be in Southern California for his son Bode's eighth-grade graduation. Baffert's longtime assistant, Jimmy Barnes, will be here to saddle some runners, but not in the big race.
