Ruler on Ice - 2011 Belmont Stakes (G1)

Ruler On Ice, dismissed at 24-1, sat a perfect trip under a patient Jose Valdivia, Jr., taking the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off another longshot, Stay Thirsty, to win Saturday's 143rd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.

Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, the 5-2 favorite, fell back to last shortly after the start when he clipped heels with Mucho Macho Man, who was bumped by Isn't He Perfect. Under jockey John Velazquez, who lost his left stirrup and didn't regain it until the first turn, Animal Kingdom made a gallant run to gain third on the far turn, but couldn't sustain his bid and finished sixth in the third and final leg of racing's Triple Crown.

With Preakness winner Shackleford setting moderate fractions of 23.92, 49.08, 1:14.51, 1:39.95 and 2:05.09, Valdivia bided his time and didn't ask Ruler On Ice for run until the field straightened for home. The gelding, running with blinkers for the first time, eagerly began picking up the pace and struck the lead approaching the eighth pole, going on to a three-quarter length victory over Stay Thirsty and completing the 1 ½ miles in 2:30.88 over the sloppy, sealed main track.

The win, Ruler On Ice's first in a stakes race, made him only the second gelding ever to win the Belmont, joining 1985 winner Creme Fraiche.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• nyra
• horse
• racing
• belmont
• stakes
• ruler
• on
• ice
• park
• triple
• crown
• 2011
• 143

[dickran2142battle]

JUST IMAGINE!

30 years ago this was the racetrack in which Secretariat was racing on...im just so amazed

[RunLikeAFilly]

@siroptimistic Ak at a fracture, and he one impressively in the two other triple crown races. MTB doesn't even hold up to AK

[Wookieestatus]

@JonesDolph its wierd because when i was there live tom wasnt calling it and the announcer actually pointed that out that he almost lost john velazquez

[JonesDolph]

Can't believe the racecaller failed to see that Animal Kingdom got smashed into a few leaps out of the gate and nearly fell. (see this a 5 seconds into the video) Jockey came out of the saddle and lost his stirrup.  Still the colt put in a brilliant effort despite suffering a cracked bone in the mishap.

[siroptimistic]

@rcschumann...Notwithstanding MTB's superlative Derby win, even MTB's 2nd place finish in the 2009 Preakness was more impressive than AK's win in the Derby, since it involved a monster move along the outside lane (not along the rail) from dead last to make-up a huge amount of ground on the speedy Rachel Alexandra...a most remarkable achievement. MTB had a brilliant career as a two-and-three year-old thoroughbred racehorse, and so far much better than many racehorses, including AK.

[rcschumann]

@siroptimistic AK's win at the Derby was more impressive, as he won it giving up ground on the outside - and he still clocked a faster time than MTB who skimmed the rail all the way through. Secondly, nobody cares about 2nd and 3rd place finishers at the major races (only the winners are remembered). Lastly, MTB won nothing after the Derby. Lets see what AK does as a 4 yr old - I predict quite a lot.

[siroptimistic]

@rcschumann As I said, Animal Kingdom was unable to do what Mine That Bird did three times in the 2009 Triple Crown, which is to run from dead last and finish in the top three. Enough said.

[rcschumann]

@siroptimistic Mine That who?! And Secretariat didn't have a "style". He could win from any position on the track. At the '73 Derby he broke last and made a giant outside move on the backstretch. At the Gotham Stakes he lead wire to wire. At the Preakness he broke last as well, but made a massive last-to-first surge round the treacherous first turn at Pimlico. Oh, Mine That Bird, the little gelding that Borel rode on the rails to win the Derby in 2009. What happened to him after the TC?

[siroptimistic]

@rcschumann...More accurate to say that Animal Kingdom is no Mine That Bird. Secretariat's style was to run at (or near) the front of the pack, but MTB was comfortable running from the back of the pack in last position, which is where Animal Kingdom found himself in this race. AK made a bold try to win this race from the last position, but he doesn't have the late acceleration that MTB showed in the 2009 Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

[rcschumann]

@siroptimistic If Ruler on Ice had almost fallen at the start and ended up DEAD LAST, I guarantee you he wouldn't have won the race. Also, that surge AK made on the backstretch took a lot out of him in the final quarter, and he wasn't able to keep the momentum going - you see, this horse is no Secretariat. Anyway, the injury he sustained in that race has taken him out for the season. But the talented Derby champ is aiming for the Dubai World Cup in 2012, and I think he'll be great as a 4 yr old.