Summer Bird beats Borel’s ‘Bird

The Belmont Stakes has always had a cruel and sneaky sense of humor. The track nicknamed “Big Sandy” is so gorgeous and picturesque that it almost encourages its competitors to dream big, right before it punches them in the face, steals their wallet and breaks their heart.

Few jockeys understand this better than Kent Desormeaux, a 39-year-old Hall of Famer who twice has had a Triple Crown snatched from his grasp on the 1 1/2 -mile New York track. And so as Desormeaux galloped Summer Bird to an unlikely victory Saturday in the 141st running of the Belmont -- passing Mine That Bird and Dunkirk on the final stretch -- a small part of him understood what Calvin Borel was going through.

Borel was attempting to become the first jockey in history to win all three legs of the Triple Crown while riding two different horses, a feat dubbed the “Triple Calvin” by those desperate to inject some buzz into horse racing’s final summer classic.

But Mine That Bird couldn’t quite muster enough energy to hold a late lead, and Summer Bird and Desormeaux slid to the outside down the stretch and breezed to the wire, leaving Borel crestfallen, and the majority of the 52,861 in attendance feeling noticeably deflated.

“I thought I had it won when I got to the quarter pole,” Borel said. “When I moved, I was happy. No excuses. He ran his eyeballs out. Turning for home, I thought he was home free. He ran his heart out. We just got outrun. Don’t take anything away from the little horse.”

Dunkirk, ridden by jockey John Velazquez finished a hair in front of Mine That Bird for second place, while Charitable Man came in fourth. Summer Bird, at 11-1 odds, paid $25.80.

For Desormeaux, the victory offered a little slice of validation, considering it was the one Triple Crown race he had not won, and also a little slice of redemption. In 1998, Desormeaux won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes aboard Real Quiet, and the duo looked like a good bet to sweep the Triple Crown races for the first time since Affirmed in 1978. But in one of the most thrilling photo finishes ever, Victory Gallop won by a head bob, prompting years of second-guessing about Desormeaux’s ride.

A year ago, Desormeaux was, once again, a Belmont victory away from a Triple Crown, this time with Big Brown, but the powerful colt never looked right during the race, and Desormeaux shut him down on the back stretch and jogged him to the wire.

“Last year’s Belmont was like swallowing a spoon sideways,” Desormeaux said. “I had a horse I thought could not lose. . . . I slept very well with Real Quiet. I thought that, given the opportunity, I’d do it the same way all over again.”

Much like Desormeaux did in 1998, Borel may have to live with some second guessing. Mine That Bird wasn’t content to lay well back off the pace the way he’d run in the Derby and the Preakness, and Borel conceded he might have made his closing move a bit early.

“Maybe might have moved a little tad early, but he took me there,” Borel said. “He run like I thought he would. I love the horse to death. He’s an animal like a human being, just like me. I put him in a position to win and we just got outrun.”

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kevin.vanvalkenburg@baltsun.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

141st Belmont Stakes

(Copyright) 2009 Equibase Co. LLC, all rights reserved.

11th race at Belmont Park

1 1/2 miles. Purse $1 million-added 3-year-olds.

Stake value of race: $1 million. Value to winner: $600,000; Second: $200,000; Third: $100,000; Fourth: $60,000; Fifth: $30,000.

RACE INFORMATION

Time: 23.410; 47.130; 1:12.430; 1:37.860; 2:01.660; 2:27.540

Winner: C, 3, by Birdstone-Hong Kong Squall; Trainer: Tim Ice; Scratched: None.

EXOTICS

Daily Double 5-4 $152.50

Daily Double Brooklyn-Belmont 3-4 $337.50

Exacta 4-2 $121.00

Superfecta 4-2-7-6 $852.00

Trifecta 4-2-7 $295.00

Pick 3 2-5-4 (3 correct) $2,577.00

Pick 4 4-2-5-4 (4 correct) $17,085.00

Pick 6 6-7-4-2-5-4 (5 correct) $2,482.00

Pick 6 6-7-4-2-5-4 (6 correct) $969,345.00

HOW THE RACE WAS RUN

* Summer Bird steadied between horses on the first turn, angled in entering the backstretch, steadied along the inside while saving ground midway down the backstretch, raced in hand in traffic along the inside to the far turn, swung to the outside for clear sailing at the five-sixteenths pole, circled six wide while rallying at the top of the stretch, made a strong move to challenge inside the furlong marker, surged to the front leaving the sixteenth pole then edged away under strong right hand encouragement in the final 70 yards.

* Dunkirk sprinted clear along the rail, set the pace along the inside to the turn, dropped back a bit at the quarter pole, fought back gamely while drifting out a bit in midstretch then outfinished Mine That Bird for the place.

* Mine That Bird was brushed a bit at the start, trailed for a half, began his move from outside leaving the backstretch, made a strong middle move four wide on the turn, surged to the front approaching the quarter pole, continued on the lead into midstretch then weakened under pressure through the final sixteenth.

* Charitable Man broke outward at the start, angled out leaving the first turn, raced in good position while three wide for six furlongs, made a run between horses to challenge on the turn, battled between horses into upper stretch, steadied outside the runner-up in midstretch and gradually tired thereafter.

* Luv Gov was taken in hand on the first turn, raced far back while saving ground, gradually gained leaving the far turn, swung four wide between horses at the quarter pole then improved his position with a mild late rally.

* Flying Private steadied in traffic on the first turn, raced in the middle of the pack for six furlongs, was in traffic while within striking distance on the turn, lodged a mild move in upper stretch and flattened out.

* Brave Victory was outrun for a half, lodged a brief move four wide on the far turn then faltered at the top of the stretch.

* Mr. Hot Stuff raced just off the pace along the rail, dropped back a bit leaving the far turn and steadily tired thereafter.

* Chocolate Candy steadied repeatedly along the inside entering the backstretch and for a good portion of the opening seven furlongs while saving ground, swung five wide on the turn then flattened out.

* Miner’s Escape pressed the pace in the two path for seven furlongs and gave away on the turn. Following a stewards inquiry into the stretch run there was no change in the order of finish.