Belmont Stakes Top Ten

- This is the Left at the Gate Belmont Top Ten of horses, people, and things I think will be in the news on or around Belmont day:

1) After previously distancing himself from the comments of Michael Iavarone and Richard Dutrow, Big Brown resigns from I.E.A.H. following the latest controversy. Dutrow was quoted mocking Casino Drive, saying: "I really believe that he just always thought ‘This is mine. I’m Better Than Honour's son!' Then out of nowhere came Big Brown, and he said, ‘Oh damn! I’m entitled! There’s a big brown horse stealing my show’!”

2) Tale of Ekati has been way up and way down to this observer. I soured on this colt after his lethargic return return to the races at three, and his win in the awful Wood Memorial did nothing to change my mind about that. But now I'm coming back around. His 4th in the Derby wasn't bad at all, and you can make a case that he's rounding into top form....and he certainly hasn't left it on the racetrack in his morning workouts! The class and stamina in this one's pedigree could get him to break up those chalky exactas.

3. Denis of Cork gets Robby Albarado in place of Calvin Borel for the Belmont, not the first time that Calvin has been replaced in the irons on this horse. Albarado did so for his win in the Southwest, easily the most impressive race of this colt's career. In fact, it was so good, that it threw this horse right off course with the ill-fated attempt to use the Sheets to time his bounce and recovery. The time off since his rail-skimming third in the Derby seems to have served him well based on his workouts, which drew raves before the Derby as well. We don't generally see deep closers win the Belmont, but Denis of Cork seems primed for a minor share, and at a fair price too.

4. Michael Iavarone is ejected from the grounds and misses the race. He's slips on a penny and is apprehended while trying to run away from the Nathan's stand without paying for his hot dog.

5. The record crowd for the Belmont is the 120,139 who came to see Smarty Jones' hopes dashed by Birdstone in 2004. But this year, I think they'll be doing well if they crack the six figure mark at all. It's hard to say if the fact that Big Brown's story is the stuff of Chiller rather than Lifetime will have any effect. But I think that gas prices and the general bad times is going to persuade people who might otherwise have undertaken a long journey not to do so. The fact that you can't bring cheap six-packs into the track won't help either. (And remember, those rebate checks are for stimulating the economy, not the mutuel pools!)

6. Hillary Clinton attends the race, but is disappointed when she receives seating for only half of her delegation.

7. Ready's Echo is a go for Pletcher; this son of More Than Ready has been progressing ever so slowly, at least on the Beyer scale. He was no threat to Casino Drive in the Peter Pan. But if his past exploits are any indication, the big stretch out should only help his chances. His best effort was his only one around two turns, a sharp second closing into fast fractions at Keeneland. Continued improvement could have him in the hunt late for a share.

8. Macho Again looked like he was flying home to get second in the Preakness. The fact is that his closing three furlongs of 44 3/5 seconds was more than two seconds slower than he closed in the Derby Trial, and his 92 Beyer was seven points lower. However, he gets due credit for winning the race within the race. I still think this colt's potential is as a sprint/miler type; but he's an in-form closer with a chance to get a piece.

9. For Casino Drive, the mind and body gets the nod over the genes, and the colt finds the mile and a half journey to be too much. Win the Belmont Stakes off just two races and a workout regimen seemingly more appropriate for the National Horse Show, are you kidding me?


10. Ian McKinlay is summoned to the White House to patch up that ever-present quarter crack protruding up from Vice-President Dick Cheney's mouth. "It's a walk in the park," says the confident McKinlay. "He'll be talking out of both sides of his mouth again in no time."