Betty's Critters - & History Views

 Dornoch became the third winner of a Triple Crown race in 2024, while racing the winners of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.  The third leg of the 2024 was run at Saratoga this year due to rebuilding at Belmont Park, and the Belmont Stakes was shortened from the traditional 1 and 1/2 miles down to 1 and 1/4 miles - the same length as the Kentucky Derby.  The purse for the race was a cool $2 million.    Surprisingly, the second-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, Sierra Leone, was the betting favorite in the field of ten colts.  Unfortunately, Sierra Leone stumbled coming out of the starting gate, and then was bumped hard when he caught up with the back of the field.  Seize the Grey, winner of the Preakness, took the early lead and ran the quarter in 22.99 seconds, the half in 47.25 seconds, and the 3/4 in 1:10.67.  That's when Dornach, who had been in second place following the gray colt for the first 6 furlongs, started to move up.  Dornoch took the lead at the mile marker

 Thorpedo Anna, the bay daughter of Fast Anna and Sataves (by Uncle Mo), won the Acorn Stakes by 5 and 1/2 lengths this afternoon.  It was the first time the Acorn Stakes was run at Saratoga - due to the rebuilding at Belmont Park - and the distance of the race was increased from the usual 1 and 1/16 miles to 1 and 1/8 miles.  Thorpedo Anna was the betting favorite when the gates opened this afternoon, after winning the Kentucky Oaks on 3 May.    A field of nine fillies was originally entered, but Becky's Joker, who had drawn post position 1 in the field, scratched from the race.  Just F Y I, last year's 2-year-old champion filly, went to the lead out of the gate, and led for 3/4 mile, with times of 23.53 seconds, 46.75 seconds, and 1:10.24 for 3/4s mile.  Thorpedo Anna had stayed in second from the break, and took the lead just past the 3/4 mark.  Leslie's Rose had stayed in third behind the two front runners for the first 6 furlongs.  As Just F Y I weakened, and Thorpedo

 This year's running of the 155th edition of the Belmont Stakes will, once again, have an asterisk beside it.  The Belmont Stakes began running at old Jerome Park in 1867, and the first winner of the Belmont was a filly named Ruthless.  Horse racing was banned in New York state in the years 1911 and 1912, and the race was not run.  It had been run at various distances between 1867 and 1920, but in 1921 it was decided that the length of the Belmont Stakes would be 1 and 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) and would stay at that length.  The 12 furlong length was decided to be used as a "grueling test of champions" as the climax of the Triple Crown races.  If a thoroughbred could run and win at 10 furlongs on the first Saturday in May in Kentucky; run and win a race of 9.5 furlongs two weeks later in Maryland; and then run and win a race of 12 furlongs on the track known as "Big Sandy" in New York 5 weeks after the first one - then that horse was truly  a champion .  That'

 With Belmont Park closed, Saratoga will be hosting the the Acorn Stakes and the Belmont Stakes this weekend.  The Belmont will run Saturday, at a quarter-mile shorter than the normal distance.    The Acorn Stakes used to be the last part of the fillies "Triple Tiara" races, following the Kentucky Oaks and the Black-Eyed Susan, at Churchill Downs and Pimlico Race Courses.  It is now the first  race of the "Triple Tiara" races, followed by the American Coaching Club Oaks and the Alabama Stakes.    The Acorn began running in 1931, and it used to be run at the distance of 1 mile, with a usual purse of  $750,000.  This year, at Saratoga, it will be run at 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs), with a purse of $500,000.  This year's Acorn will face off the winners of the Kentucky Oaks, Thorpedo Anna, and the winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, Gun Song.    There are nine entries in this year's Acorn; eight were bred in Kentucky and My Mane Squeeze was bred in New York.

 It's Monday, 3 June 2024, and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has been blessed with an extremely large number of foals this year - foals #79 and #80 were first seen yesterday, and foal #81 today.  Of course, as in all things on our world, death is also near at hand.      This is something no one likes to talk about, but deaths of ponies do  happen.  On 9 April, WH Wildfire, a direct descendant of Misty of Chincoteague, gave birth to a chestnut filly sired by Riptide.  The last day of April, it was noted that Wildfire was on the ground, and her baby looked distressed.  Our local fire company, who own the ponies, immediately went to work to try to save the mare.  Despite more than 48 hours of round-the-clock veterinary care, volunteer care, IVs, and sling for the mare, it was decided that it was best to euthanize her.  Her filly, #11, is doing extremely well with a domesticated Chincoteague pony nurse mare and a "step-brother" a few days older.    On 8 May, 4 foals