Smarty Jones lost the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, marking the fifth time in seven years that a horse failed to close out the Triple Crown after winning the first two races.
Horse racing is, I think we can all agree, pretty much a dying sport. The success of “Seabiscuit” notwithstanding, the only time anyone has cared about the sport the last few years has been that one week out of the year in which a horse was going for the Crown- only to dissipate once the horse loses.
Which is why I think the best thing for the sport would’ve been for the other owners, trainers, and jockeys in the Belmont to throw the race, and hand it to Smarty. No, not as any kind of gambling-related collusion; Smarty’s team wouldn’t even have to know about it. But if Smarty Jones had been allowed to win, it would have lifted the sport so much that every single person associated with it would’ve benefited in the long run.
Posted by Stephen Silver at June 7, 2004 02:37 AMPie o My, had she lived, would have won.
Posted by: LilB at June 7, 2004 09:05 AMThere was a piece on All things considered last week pointing out that while track attendance is way down, betting money is way up. Horse racing has become a mainly off-track/simlucast/internet sport.
Posted by: Ivan at June 7, 2004 11:43 AM