Pacesetting decision benefits Creator in Belmont

ELMONT, N.Y. - When unbeaten Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist finishes third in the Preakness after getting involved in an enervating pace duel and incredibly consistent Preakness winner Exaggerator finishes 11th in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, appreciation grows for what American Pharoah did last year by winning the first Triple Crown in 37 years.

Either something goes wrong during a race or a horse hits the Triple Crown wall in the Belmont Stakes racing for the third time in 5 weeks, a concept completely foreign to top class American racehorses in the 21st century, or we get American Pharoah who manages to survive the Derby when he was at less than his best and dominate the final two legs with his speed, power and stamina.

Run at a mile and half at Belmont Park, once around America's only mile-and-a-half racetrack, the Belmont Stakes has become a horse racing lottery where just about any result is possible, if there is no Pharoah in the field. Saturday, it was 16-1 Creator over 8-1 Destin by a nose, with 12-1 Lani third, 17-1 Governor Malibu fourth and 7-5 favorite Exaggerator essentially eased in the stretch by jockey Kent Desormeaux.

The Pick 6, ending with the Belmont, paid $640,034. The superfecta in the Belmont paid $27,935.

Absolutely every star was aligned for Creator and whoever needed him to hit the Pick 6.

Early in the week, celebrity chef/horse owner Bobby Flay, who typically brings 15 to 20 friends to the Belmont Stakes to see the race and one of his horses run on the card, knew he had nothing for the day. So he bought a share in Creator and ended up in the winner's circle.

Elliott Walden, who runs WinStar Farm for owner Kenny Troutt, was not thrilled with the lack of early speed in the Belmont so he transferred Gettysburg from superstar trainer Todd Pletcher to superstar trainer Steve Asmussen and entered Gettysburg in the Belmont for the sole purpose of setting the pace and hopefully setting it up for Creator's late run.

It certainly helped Creator and Asmussen win the race and conversely probably cost Pletcher the race. Gettysburg, at 55-1, did his job, setting the pace before tiring in the stretch to finish eighth. The Pletcher-trained Destin had to contend with Gettysburg for a mile and a quarter before finally getting clear in the stretch only to get caught on the last stride by Creator.

Walden said after the race that Gettysburg would be going to back to Pletcher's barn. On Sunday, Pletcher said he was not interested in having the horse back. Pletcher would not have run Gettysburg in the race because his two horses for other owners, Destin and Stradivari, both have early speed. But Walden made the call that won the race for WinStar.

And Creator, 13th in the Derby, was enough of a talent to get there after an absolutely brilliant ride by Irad Ortiz Jr., yet another great call by the Creator team. Ortiz, who only started riding in 2011, has already won 1,251 races and his mounts have earned $80 million. This was his first Triple Crown race win. It won't be his last.

"I thought Irad gave him a perfect trip," Asmussen said. "I thought he saved yards and won by inches. He made the difference."

The trainer has won 7,317 lifetime races, second all time. He had the Horse of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2009 - Curlin twice and then Rachel Alexandra. Curlin and Rachel each won the Preakness. Creator gave Asmussen his first Belmont. He is still looking for a Derby win.

"The great thing about racing is you have a bad day, bad week, bad month, they don't put you behind the gates, they line you up even and give you a chance to prove yourself," Asmussen said.

By the numbers, Cathryn Sophia's third in Saturday's Acorn Stakes was identical to her win in the Kentucky Oaks with a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. She just happened to run up against a faster filly in Carina Mia. Trainer John Servis said Cathryn Sophia will get a short rest and then probably be pointed for the Aug. 6 Test Stakes at Saratoga and definitely the Sept. 24 Cotillion at Parx.

There were amazing performances all day during the great card at Belmont Park, but none like what 2015 Pennsylvania Derby winner Frosted did in the Metropolitan Mile. Frosted, like Creator, a son of Tapit, America's premier sire, won the race by 14 1/4 lengths, running the mile in 1:32.73, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 123, the highest in nine years.

@DickJerardi