2002 BELMONT STAKES

© 2002 Photo by Cindy Dulay

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Sarava outlasts Medglia D'Oro to win The 134th running of the Belmont Stakes.

SARAVA STUNNER IN THE BELMONT STAKES 

THE BELMONT STAKES OFFICIAL RESULTS

JUNE 8, 2002

BELMONT STAKES

GRADE I

BELMONT RACETRACK, ELMONT, NEW YORK

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS

ONE AND ONE-HALF MILES

MAIN TRACK: FAST

SARAVA

Winner

Belmont Stakes

Jockey: Edgar Prado

Trainer: Kenneth McPeek

Owners: New Phoenix Stable & Mrs. Susan Roy

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH

 24.11, 48.09, 1:12.38, 1:37.01, 2:03.50, 2:29.71

A Belmont Saturday To Remember

This was to be the day for the coronation of a champion. War Emblem rode into the Belmont Stakes on a roll winning the first two legs of this years triple crown and was a resounding favorite to walk what many thought to be little more than an average field in the Belmont. The only two horses to be even near the champ at the finish line in either race were the D. Wayne Lukas trained, Proud Citizen, and Nancy Albert's, Magic Weisner. Of the two Magic Weisner looked to have the best form going into the race as he just barely ran out of room at the wire in the Preakness running a very game second. Excuses surrounded Proud Citizen and his camp thought that this would finally be the day that he put it all together. Also back for another try would be Medaglia D'Oro and the Peter Pan winner, Sunday Break, trained by Neil Drysdale. And then there was the Kenny McPeek trained Sarava. McPeek seemed to be the trainer of the moment early in the year having such notable triple crown horses as Harlan's Holiday and Repent. McPeek sent out Sarava, a relatively unknown European 

As the posttime favorite War Emblem was surprised at the start, went to his knees out of the gate and then brushed with Magic Weisner all within the first twenty yards of the race. After that the favorite tried to play catch up and dragged jockey, Victor Espinoza, into early contention as the field entered the first turn. Down the backside, War Emblem fought his jockey and by the far turn had found an opening on the rail and tried to squirt through and take the lead. In the far turn, War Emblem looked like a winner, as he had finally taken the lead, and you expected to see that final gear where he just accelerates and leaves the field behind. However, midway through the turn jockey Espinoza realized that he didn't have any horse left. His energy spent gaining the lead had cost them the race. As Espinoza went to work in the turn on War Emblem, Medaglia D'Oro, Proud Citizen and Sarava were now at his neck as the field was entering the stretch. In the stretch, War Emblem was simply out of gas and Espinoza using good judgment shut the champ down knowing it would not be their day. That left Medaglia D'Oro to slug it out with long shot Sarava in a duel to the wire. Track announcer, Tom Durkin, was beside himself as the leaders made their way through the lane as 70/1 shot Sarava outlasted his counterpart to the wire by a half length while Sunday Break was another nine plus lengths back in third while Magic Weisner gained for the fourth spot.

A shocker for sure but not to the McPeek barn who had complete confidence in their horse. An amazing feat in itself considering just four days before the Belmont his star Harlan's Holiday was abruptly taken away from McPeek and placed with Todd Pletcher for future training. The disappointment of losing Harlan's Holiday was a reminder that this game is a business as well.  A long and rocky Triple Crown road it had been for Kenny McPeek: Repent out with injury, Harlan's Holiday unexplainably running poorly in the first two legs of the crown and removed from his barn, and then breaking his ankle and needing crutches on top of all that. Yet his concentration never wavered and for that he was rewarded with a Belmont winner named Sarava. The 70/1, longest shot to ever win the Belmont, paid an astronomical win price of $ 142.50. His parting words to Edgar Prado before the Belmont were, "Go shock the world". Nothing like sticking to the plan. A plan that produced a great victory.

After reviewing the tape during the NBC coverage it looked as if War Emblem no doubt lost the race at the start. That is easy to say looking at the video but who is to say that Sarava couldn't have won this race even if War Emblem had broke sharply. At some point War Emblem would need to come down to earth and Sarava ran a very good race. Could it be the karma surrounding the champ? Let's see there is the well publicized dispute over the sale of the horse and his new connections being accused of buying the Derby and the Preakness that has not sat well with many in the industry. Could it have been The Thoroughbred Corp.'s refusal to split the Sportsman Park's bonus with War Emblem's previous owner? Or maybe the cocky prediction by Bob Baffert's sons that War Emblem would win the Belmont "Easy" on NBC a half-hour before the race, or the relaxed, laid back attitude of jockey, Victor Espinoza, as he was attempting racing immortality? Perhaps the absence of Prince Ahmed bin Salman was to blame. It could be all, none or a combination of these factors, who knows and who cares. The fact remains that this was a very exciting Triple Crown and the fans will come to see that this crop of three-year-olds is a deep talented group and racing this summer and fall will be very exciting with them in the game.

* NBC Sport's coverage of the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) earned a final rating of 7.6 and captured 21% of the viewing audience. The rating was highest since 1989 when Easy Goer's victory over Sunday Silence, who was seeking the Triple Crown title, earned an 8.5.

* The entire Visa Triple Crown series earned a collective rating of 6.8 and an 18% market share, according to Nielsen Media Research. The rating was 11% higher than the 6.1/17 share earned by last year's series, which was the first year NBC took over coverage of the Triple Crown from ABC. This year's combine rating also was the highest since 1990 when the three races averaged 7.5/21 share on ABC.

For the recap of the race see below.

The field was sent on their way in the 134th running of the Belmont Stakes. The field was off in good order except for Artax Too, who stumbled at the start, and War Emblem, the betting favorite, who went to his knees right out of the gate. Entering the first turn War Emblem had recovered and dragged Victor Espinoza into third behind Wiseman's Ferry and Medaglia D'Oro. The opening quarter was run in a casual 24.11. On the backside War Emblem continued to fight Espinoza as the jockey was straight legged in the stirrups. Wiseman's Ferry, the early leader, gave way down the backside as Medaglia D'Oro put a head in front at the mile marker as War Emblem was now running on the inside in second getting through an opening in the fence when Wiseman's Ferry started his retreat. Proud Citizen was in good position running relaxed in third as Sarava was now running fourth. In the far turn Medaglia D'Oro opened up a half-length as Proud Citizen overtook betting favorite, War Emblem, in second. Sarava moved into third position and was now gaining on the leaders as Sunday Break was running in fourth position. War Emblem was retreating in fifth as Espinoza was in big trouble as the field turned for home. The leader ran the opening mile and on-quarter in 2:03.50. In the stretch, Sarava took the lead and hooked up with Medaglia D'Oro as the two would duel through the stretch and to the wire. At the wire Sarava persevered through the long drive to win the 2002 Belmont Stakes by a half-length over the super game Medaglia D'Oro. It was another nine and one-half lengths back to Sunday Break who ran third. Sarava is a dark bay/brown three-year-old colt owned by New Phoenix Stable and Mrs. Susan Roy, trained by Ken McPeek and was ridden by Edgar Prado.