Belmont Stakes 2014: Where it all went wrong for those seeking a Triple Crown

The Belmont Stakes has come to be known for heartbreak rather than elation in recent years. Twelve horses have come to Belmont Park with a chance to win the Triple Crown for the first time since Affirmed last completed the feat in 1978. But not every Triple Crown is lost in the same way. The mile-and-a-half journey provides plenty of time for a 3-year-old, and in many cases its jockey, to make a fatal mistake on the quest to gain immortality. Whether it be War Emblem's slip out of the gate in 2002 or Big Brown being eased at the top of the stretch six years later, the Belmont Stakes always lives up to its reputation as 'The Test of the Champion.'

I'll Have Another Scratched day before race

Winner: Union Rags

It was one of those disappointing 'that's horse racing' moments that racing fans have become accustomed to when owner J. Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O'Neill announced I'll Have Another would not start the Belmont due to tendonitis in the colt's left front leg. The injury was not life-threatening, but the connections decided unanimously to retire I'll Have Another due to his valuable breeding rights. Jockey Mario Gutierrez did saddle the colt on Belmont day, but it was only for a somber retirement ceremony rather than a run for the elusive Triple Crown.

'I'm afraid history is going to have to wait for another day.'

- J. Paul Reddam, owner of I'll Have Another Big Brown

Winner: Da'Tara

He was rank and fighting jockey Kent Desormeaux right out of the gates, but it was all over for Big Brown just before entering the far turn when he was not responding to Desormeaux's urging. Desormeaux decided to ease the previously undefeated horse at the top of the stretch, creating one of the most mysterious flops in racing history. A photo showing that one of Big Brown's front shoes was loose, which could result in a painful trip for the horse, and a quarter crack in Big Brown's left front hoof that was discovered the week of the race provided two excuses. But his connections were never able to pinpoint a definitive reason for the last-place finish.

'Long before we went into the last turn, I had no horse.'

- Kent Desormeaux, jockey of Big Brown

Smarty Jones

Winner: Birdstone

Smarty suffered perhaps the most heartbreaking loss of any Triple Crown try in recent memory. The Triple Crown looked won when Smarty Jones opened a four-length lead at the top of the stretch in front of a record 120,000 fans, but a 36-1 long shot in Birdstone loomed to his outside. As the finish line neared, Birdstone continued to gain and eventually passed a tiring Smarty Jones 50 yards before the wire. The ride of jockey Stewart Elliot came into question after the race as the final quarter-mile was run in an extremely slow 27 seconds. Elliot pushed Smarty to the lead along the backstretch and did not give his horse a break as Rock Hard Ten and Eddington pressed him the entire way.

'I'm very sorry, but I had to do my job. This is part of the business.'

- Edgar Prado, jockey of Birdstone

Funny Cide

Winner: Empire Maker

The New York-bred gelding had to deal with a sloppy track and his nemesis, Empire Maker, in his attempt for the Triple Crown. Jockey Jose Santos sent Funny Cide to the lead on the backstretch, but Empire Maker looked like a winner the whole way. It was over for Funny Cide as jockey Jerry Bailey slightly nudged Empire Maker midway through the far turn and passed Funny Cide without much effort. The biggest threat to the winner came from Ten Most Wanted, who made a strong stretch drive but finished second. After the race, questions arose surrounding an extremely fast workout Funny Cide had a few days before the Belmont that may have made him too sharp to get the mile-and-a-half Belmont.

'I don't know if it was the mud or the extra quarter-mile that got him. I don't know whether he liked it.'

- Barclay Tagg, trainer of Funny Cide

War Emblem

Winner: Sarava

Victor Espinoza's first attempt at a Triple Crown ended as soon as it started. War Emblem, who won the Derby and Preakness by taking the early lead, stumbled out of the gate and bumped Preakness runner-up Magic Weisner to his outside. Espinoza only got his horse to the lead briefly at the start of the far turn, but after the terrible start, War Emblem was clearly spent when he reached the stretch. Sarava, a 70-1 long shot, charged on through the stretch and battled Medaglia d'Oro on his way to becoming the longest shot to win the Belmont Stakes. The loss for War Emblem marked the third time in six years that trainer Bob Baffert brought a horse to Belmont Park with a Triple Crown chance but failed.

'I was using the horse early. It cost me everything at the start.'

- Victor Espinoza, jockey of War Emblem Charismatic

Winner: Lemon Drop Kid

The long-shot winner of the Derby and Preakness was passed by a surging Lemon Drop Kid and Vision and Verse, who battled to a close finish, but the real drama started just after the wire. Charismatic's jockey, Chris Antley, who was making a comeback of his own after a battle with drug use, hopped off the horse and held Charismatic's left front leg as the other horses passed by. As it turned out, Charismatic suffered two fractures in his ankle. Antley's decision to place the horse close to the leader, Silverbulletday, was questioned by trainer D. Wayne Lukas after the race, but Antley's actions immediately after the race may have saved Charismatic's life.

'He broke down just after the wire. It's just a sad thing when these things happen. He gave us a lot, he gave America a lot.'

- Chris Antley, jockey of Charismatic

Real Quiet

Winner: Victory Gallop

The most exciting Belmont finish in recent memory was decided by a nose, the closest of margins in horse racing. Bob Baffert's second consecutive chance at a Triple Crown looked like a clear winner at the top of the stretch as Real Quiet broke away from the field to a four-length lead. But just as his lead looked to be secure, Derby and Preakness runner-up Victory Gallop launched his run. Even as the horses reached the wire, it appeared Real Quiet had won the head bob at the finish, but the photo showed Victory Gallop barely got his nose in front at the wire. Jockey Kent Desormeaux may have misjudged the wide and lengthy turns at Belmont Park as his early asking of Real Quiet may have cost him the race.

'Too tight to call! On the inside, was it Real Quiet? Did he win the Triple Crown? On the outside, Victory Gallop. Neither jockey indicating that they think they've won it. That's a photo finish!'

- Dave Johnson, race-caller for ABC Silver Charm

Winner: Touch Gold

The dark gray colt was locked in a stretch drive with Free House after seemingly putting away early front-runner Touch Gold around the far turn. But just as jockey Gary Stevens and Silver Charm seemed to have the race won, jockey Chris McCarron angled Touch Gold, who had suffered through a terrible trip in the Preakness, to the outside for one final surge. With about 50 yards left before the wire, Silver Charm relinquished the lead and the first chance at the Triple Crown in eight years. Stevens was at a loss for words after dismounting from what he believed was Silver Charm's best effort in all the Triple Crown races.

'If anyone ever had any doubt about how hard it is to win the Triple Crown ...'

- Gary Stevens, jockey of Silver Charm Sunday Silence

Winner: Easy Goer

After a thrilling stretch drive in the Preakness, Easy Goer finally got the best of Sunday Silence at the Belmont. Jockey Pat Valenzuela tried to get Sunday Silence out in front of Pat Day and Easy Goer before both horses made their move on the far turn. That strategy proved futile when Easy Goer quickly rushed past Sunday Silence on the far turn and never looked back on his way to a dominant, eight-length victory. It was clear that Easy Goer was the best on that day, and there was nothing Valenzuela or Sunday Silence could have done that would have changed the result. Sunday Silence's connections, however, did receive a $1 million performance bonus for the Triple Crown that was in use at the time.

'I'm trying to feel bad, but they handed me this check for a million dollars. The horse is fine, and I plan on waking up tomorrow.'

- Charlie Whittingham, trainer of Sunday Silence Alysheba

Winner: Bet Twice

Trainer Jack Van Berg claims he instructed jockey Chris McCarron to take Alysheba to the lead from the start, but the Derby and Preakness winner sat fourth for the run down the backstretch. It probably wouldn't have mattered, though, as Monmouth Park-based Bet Twice, partially-owned by Pete Rose, stormed to the lead at the top of the far turn and was never challenged on his way to a monstrous 14-length victory. McCarron later said he misunderstood Van Berg's instructions, but even a forwardly placed Alysheba would not have been able to hang with Bet Twice, who found redemption after second-place finishes in the Derby and Preakness.

'No matter how bad I might have ridden Alysheba, it didn't cost him 14 lengths.'

- Chris McCarron, jockey of Alysheba Pleasant Colony

Winner: Summing

It never looked good for Pleasant Colony from the break, and it looked even worse as the field went down the backstretch. Jockey Jorge Velasquez had his horse last of 11 through the first mile of the race, which was run in slow fractions that would doom any run from the back of the pack. Pleasant Colony made a run around the far turn and through the stretch, but was never going to catch long-shot winner Summing, who held the early lead, surged around the turn and never looked back. After the race, Velasquez was replaced by Angel Cordero, who rode Pleasant Colony to a second-place finish in the Travers.

'What could I do? My horse had no speed.'

- Jorge Velasquez, jockey of Pleasant Colony

Spectacular Bid

Winner: Coastal

Urban legend has it that Spectacular Bid stepped on a safety pin in the paddock prior to the race and didn't run like himself because of that. But most would point to the overly aggressive ride of 19-year-old jockey Ronnie Franklin down the backstretch after he pushed Spectacular Bid to catch long shot Gallant Best. Spectacular Bid is widely considered the best horse to win the Derby and Preakness but fail in the Belmont. Because of the early urging, Spectacular Bid ran out of gas midway down the stretch when Coastal surged past along the inside. Spectacular Bid went on to do great things in his career, but the third-place finish in the Belmont may still remain his most famous race.

'I hurt him by running him, and Ronnie Franklin hurt him the way he rode him.'

- Bud Delp, trainer of Spectacular Bid