10 Horses Ran Into Spoilers at Belmont

Thirty-four horses have won two of the three legs of the Triple Crown, but only 10 horses have won the first two races in the series--the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness--and then failed to win the Belmont Stakes.

Here’s a look at those 10 and the horses that spoiled their bids:

1944--Pensive had the lead with a quarter mile to run in the Belmont. But Bounding Home, who hadn’t run in the Derby and Preakness, stayed close to the pace all the way, overtook Pensive at the eighth pole and won by half a length.

1958--Tim Tam went lame in the Belmont, still finishing second to Cavan, who won by six lengths. The Belmont was Cavan’s first Triple Crown appearance.

1961--Carry Back was a sore horse in the Belmont. He struggled home seventh, more than 16 lengths behind the winner, the 65-1 longshot Sherluck. Sherluck had been fifth in both the Derby and Preakness.

1964--Northern Dancer, who set a track record in the Derby, was in contention throughout the Belmont but finished third as Quadrangle won the race. Quadrangle had experienced bad luck while finishing fifth in the Derby and had been fourth in the Preakness.

1966--Kauai King won the Derby and Preakness, but Don Brumfield, his jockey, said the other day that the horse was too tired to run in the Belmont and he wouldn’t have started him had he been the trainer. But owner Michael Ford couldn’t resist the lure of the Triple Crown and Kauai King finished fourth in the Belmont, about 7 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Amberoid. Stumbling out of the gate, Amberoid had run seventh in the Derby and third in the Preakness.

1968--Forward Pass became the Derby winner when Dancer’s Image, after finishing first, was disqualified because he had raced with illegal medication in his system. After winning the Preakness--Dancer’s Image ran third and was penalized again, this time to eighth place because of interference--Forward Pass led from the start of the Belmont, but was passed by Stage Door Johnny in the stretch and lost by 1 lengths. Stage Door Johnny had not run in the Derby and Preakness.

1969--Majestic Prince had barely beaten Arts and Letters in the first two races, surviving a foul claim to win the Preakness. In the Belmont, their 1-2 positions were reversed, with Arts and Letters winning by 5 1/2 lengths.

1971--Canonero II, so lightly regarded in the Derby that he was placed in the pari-mutuel field, won in a gallop and set a track record taking the Preakness. Before 82,694, which is still the record crowd in New York, Canonero ran fourth in the Belmont, which was won by Pass Catcher. The Belmont winner, who was 34-1, had not competed in the Derby or Preakness.

1979--Spectacular Bid was called “the greatest horse to ever look through a bridle” by trainer Bud Delp after winning the Derby and Preakness by combined margins of 8 lengths. Coastal, a supplemental starter at a cost of $5,000, won the Belmont by about 3 1/2 lengths over Spectacular Bid, who finished third. Afterward, Delp suggested that Spectacular Bid’s Belmont chances had been compromised because he had punctured the bottom of a hoof by stepping on a large safety pin in his stall. Coastal had skipped the first two Triple Crown races.

1981--Pleasant Colony hadn’t faced Summing while winning the Derby and Preakness, then finished third, about two lengths behind him, in the Belmont.