Carnations Are For Girls
June 11th, 2007By Jude T. Feld
Two young gals are regular visitors to Belmont Park. For the last few years, they have created custom sweatshirts to wear on Belmont Stakes day. Last year, they sported Barbaro memorial ones. This year’s edition said, “Carnations are for Girls.â€
Heidi and Jessica and the 46,000-plus fans who eschewed Roger Clemens return at Yankee Stadium for a day at the races were not disappointed. Their beloved filly, Rags to Riches, hooked up with Preakness (G1) winner and public favorite Curlin at the top of the long stretch and ding-donged it down the lane. Even when Curlin fought hard to put his head in front nearing the eighth pole, Rags to Riches rebuked his challenged and seemed to find another gear – a tribute to her family – her sire, A.P. Indy, who won the Belmont and her dam, Better Than Honour, who had produced last year’s Belmont winner, her half-brother, Jazil.
It had been 102 years since a filly wore the blanket of carnations and although I wasn’t around for the last filly victory, I dare say that Rags to Riches is probably more beautiful than and twice as game as Tanya and Ruthless, the other two girls who have accomplished this feat.
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Although Yankee manager Joe Torre had to work Saturday, there were plenty of other celebrities in attendance. International bloodstock agent Demi O’Byrne, who had plunked down $1.9 million dollars of Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s money for Rags to Riches at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was pensive before the Belmont (G1) but grinning from ear to ear afterwards. Daily Racing Form cartoonist, Pierre “Peb†Belloq, was making mental notes for future artwork after a three-month vacation out of the country. Television chef and Thoroughbred owner Bobby Flay was also in the Belmont paddock, cooking up a trifecta play.
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There was a lot of pre-race buzz about Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner and third-place Belmont finisher Tiago drinking Fiji water. It seems he wasn’t happy with Louisville city water at the Derby, so trainer John Shirreffs packed hundreds of bottles for the trip to New York. Tiago reportedly drinks three cases a day of the stuff which comes from an artesian well in the Yaqara Range of the Nakauvadra Mountains. Fiji water retails for $3.50 a bottle, which is a $126 a day water habit. Good thing Tiago doesn’t drink Ciroc vodka.
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One sharp-eyed New York railbird suggested mistress of Live Oak Plantation, Charlotte Weber, and Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, were twins separated at birth.
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There are always a lot of characters at the track but this year’s Belmont seemed to bring out some doozies. A middle-aged, short, fat, bald guy with a tall, leggy, tanned every inch gal in a short grey dress – He musta had a ton of dough and she had to be the best money could buy.
Gotta love those transvestite hookers. You never see them at Keeneland or Santa Anita – only in New York…Baby! One of them – with a light five o’clock shadow was a REAL racing fan even if her smokin’ body wasn’t. She was there Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Pinks suits must be the new fashion trend in the Big Apple. Three different guys were seen paddock-side looking like Easter eggs.
