2009 Belmont Stakes
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Belmont Stakes was the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes
. The race took place on June 6, 2009, and was televised on ABC
and ESPN360.com. The value of the race was $1,000,000 in stakes. Post time was 6:19 p.m. EST
. As the final jewel in the Triple Crown
, this year's event was run without the elusive championship at stake as 2009 Kentucky Derby
winner Mine That Bird
was defeated in the Preakness
. The attendance at Belmont Park was 52,861.
Summer Bird
closed stoutly in the stretch and was victorious over Dunkirk and Mine That Bird, who battled on for the minor placings.
, connections of winner Rachel Alexandra
were not committed to the race.
With a week before the race they decided not to enter the filly.
Among the possible challengers to Mine That Bird are Summer Bird, who shares the same sire—Birdstone
, and Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Flying Private, Brave Victory, Charitable Man, Luv Gov, Miner’s Escape, Mr. Hot Stuff and Nowhere To Hide.
in 2005.
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. The race took place on June 6, 2009, and was televised on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
and ESPN360.com. The value of the race was $1,000,000 in stakes. Post time was 6:19 p.m. EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
. As the final jewel in the Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
, this year's event was run without the elusive championship at stake as 2009 Kentucky Derby
2009 Kentucky Derby
The 2009 Kentucky Derby was the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. The value of the race was $2,177,000 in stakes. The race was sponsored by Yum! Brands and hence officially was called Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. The race took place on May 2, 2009, and was televised in the United...
winner Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird is a retired American racehorse. He is best known for being one of only nine geldings to win the Kentucky Derby, and the second gelding to win the race since 1929...
was defeated in the Preakness
2009 Preakness Stakes
The 2009 Preakness Stakes was the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. The value of the race was $1,100,000 in stakes. The race was sponsored by BlackBerry and hence officially was called Blackberry Preakness Stakes. The race took place on May 16,...
. The attendance at Belmont Park was 52,861.
Summer Bird
Summer Bird
Summer Bird is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone. He was bred by retired cardiologist Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, retired pathologist Vilasini Jayaraman, at their Tiffany Farm near Ocala, Florida...
closed stoutly in the stretch and was victorious over Dunkirk and Mine That Bird, who battled on for the minor placings.
Pre-race announcements
After winning the Preakness2009 Preakness Stakes
The 2009 Preakness Stakes was the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. The value of the race was $1,100,000 in stakes. The race was sponsored by BlackBerry and hence officially was called Blackberry Preakness Stakes. The race took place on May 16,...
, connections of winner Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra is a retired American Thoroughbred filly racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year. She is renowned as the May 16, 2009 Preakness Stakes winner, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the first filly to win the race in 85 years history...
were not committed to the race.
With a week before the race they decided not to enter the filly.
Among the possible challengers to Mine That Bird are Summer Bird, who shares the same sire—Birdstone
Birdstone
Birdstone is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and is gaining notoriety as a fantastic sire....
, and Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Flying Private, Brave Victory, Charitable Man, Luv Gov, Miner’s Escape, Mr. Hot Stuff and Nowhere To Hide.
Results
| Results | Post | Horse | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 4 | Summer Bird Summer Bird Summer Bird is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone. He was bred by retired cardiologist Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, retired pathologist Vilasini Jayaraman, at their Tiffany Farm near Ocala, Florida... |
$600,000 |
| Place | 2 | Dunkirk Dunkirk (horse) Dunkirk is an American Thoroughbred Racehorse born in 2006. He is the son of graded stakes winner and major sire Unbridled's Song and multiple Grade 1 winner Secret Status. He is owned by a syndicate composed of John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor and trained by Todd Pletcher during... |
$200,000 |
| Show | 7 | Mine That Bird Mine That Bird Mine That Bird is a retired American racehorse. He is best known for being one of only nine geldings to win the Kentucky Derby, and the second gelding to win the race since 1929... |
$100,000 |
| Fourth | 6 | Charitable Man | $50,000 |
| Fifth | 5 | Luv Gov | $30,000 |
- Margins – 2¾ lengths, Neck
- Time – 2:27.54
- Track – Fast
- All other runners received $4,000 in stakes
- There was an inquiry filed by Charitable Man’s jockey Alan Garcia against Dunkirk for interference, but it was disallowed by the racing stewards
Payout
$2 prices:| Post | Horse | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Summer Bird | $ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... 25.40 |
$9.30 | $4.70 |
| 2 | Dunkirk | $5.40 | $3.60 | |
| 7 | Mine That Bird | $2.60 |
- $1 ExactaParimutuel bettingParimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
(4-2): $121.00 - $1 TrifectaTrifectaIn horse racing terminology, a trifecta is a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order. The word comes from the related betting term, "perfecta". A trifecta is known as a tiercé in France and Hong Kong and as a tris in Italy.It...
(4-2-7): $295.00 - $1 SuperfectaSuperfectaThe superfecta is a type of wager in parimutuel betting in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence...
(4-2-7-6): $852.00
The Field
The draw for The Belmont Stakes was done on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. Mine That Bird was made the morning line 2-1 favorite and tried to become the 61st favorite to win and the first since Afleet AlexAfleet Alex
Afleet Alex is an American thoroughbred race horse who, in 2005, won two of America's classic races, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes...
in 2005.
| Post | Horse name | Trainer | Jockey | Opening Odds | Starting Odds | Finishing Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chocolate Candy | Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer is an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and trainer. He has the most wins in the history of Northern California race horse trainers.... |
Garrett Gomez | 10-1 | 9.50 | 9 |
| 2 | Dunkirk | Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. His horse Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, the first of his 24 horses... |
John Velazquez | 4-1 | 4.60 | 2 |
| 3 | Mr. Hot Stuff | Eoin Harty | Edgar Prado | 15-1 | 22.60 | 8 |
| 4 | Summer Bird | Tim Ice Tim Ice Tim A. Ice is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer. While in his early teens his family moved to Louisiana where he lived near Louisiana Downs in Bossier City where he now makes his home. However, Tim Ice began his career in racing at tracks in the American Midwest... |
Kent Desormeaux Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:... |
12-1 | 11.90 | 1 |
| 5 | Luv Gov | D. Wayne Lukas D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S... |
Miguel Mena | 20-1 | 22.40 | 5 |
| 6 | Charitable Man | Kiaran McLaughlin Kiaran McLaughlin Kiaran P. McLaughlin is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He currently has a blog website, at http://kiaranmclaughlin.com where he updates what horses he has racing for that particular day... |
Alan Garcia Alan Garcia (jockey) Alan Garcia is a thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He was Peru's leading apprentice jockey in 2003 and in that same year he began racing in the United States at the Meadowlands Racetrack where he was also the leading apprentice. His father and grandfather were both jockeys in Peru... |
3-1 | 4.60 | 4 |
| 7 | Mine That Bird Mine That Bird Mine That Bird is a retired American racehorse. He is best known for being one of only nine geldings to win the Kentucky Derby, and the second gelding to win the race since 1929... |
Bennie L. Woolley, Jr. Bennie L. Woolley, Jr. Bennie L. "Chip" Woolley Jr. is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer best known for conditioning the 2009 winner of the Kentucky Derby. One of the five children of Ann and Bennie Woolley, Sr., he grew up in Dalhart, Texas where his parents still live... |
Calvin Borel Calvin Borel Calvin H. Borel is an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the 2010 Kentucky Derby... |
2-1 | 1.25 | 3 |
| 8 | Flying Private | D. Wayne Lukas D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S... |
Julien Leparoux Julien Leparoux Julien R. Leparoux is a Champion jockey currently racing in the United States.Leparoux, grew up in a racing family, the son of a jockey turned assistant trainer. He worked at the Chantilly Racecourse as a stable hand and in January 2003 emigrated to California to work as an exercise rider for... |
12-1 | 17.30 | 6 |
| 9 | Miner's Escape | Nick Zito Nick Zito Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer... |
Joze Lezcano | 15-1 | 22.00 | 10 |
| 10 | Brave Victory | Nick Zito Nick Zito Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer... |
Rajiv Maragh Rajiv Maragh Rajiv Maragh is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. An Indo-Jamaican, he is the son of a jockey who rode in Jamaica before relocating to Florida where he began a career as a horse trainer.... |
15-1 | 27.50 | 7 |
Performance
- Winner Summer Bird never ran as a 2YO
- First graded stakes victory for winning trainer Tim Ice
- Attendance at Belmont Park dropped 44% from 2008 due to no Triple Crown contender
- Second placed Dunkirk sustained a non-displaced condylar fracture of the left hind cannon bone.