Triple Crown failures

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Posted 5:44AM on Thursday, June 3, 2004

NEW YORK - Eleven 3-year-olds have won the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes). Sixteen have failed by losing in the Belmont. How they raced in the Belmont. Failure 2003 - Funny Cide led to the far turn, relinquished the lead to Empire Maker at the three-sixteenths pole, battled along the inside to the top of the stretch then weakened finishing third, five lengths back. 2002 - War Emblem stumbles badly out of the gate then bumps Magic Weisner at start in an 11-horse field. Is rank for three-quarters of a mile and takes brief lead nearing the half mile pole. Remains a factor to the turn and gives way finishing eighth, 19.5 lengths back. 1999 - Charismatic takes the lead briefly at the turn but Lemon Drop Kid and Vision and Verse flew by him on the outside and finishes third 1.5 lengths back. 1998 - Four lengths ahead with an eighth-mile remaining, Real Quiet gets nipped by a nose at the wire by Victory Gallop in a nine-horse field. 1997 - Silver Charm fails to hold off Touch Gold in the final eighth-mile and finishes second three-quarters of a length back in a seven-horse field. 1989 - Sunday Silence can't match Easy Goer in final quarter of a mile and finishes second 8 lengths back in a 10-horse field. 1987 - Checked sharply on final turn, Alysheba finishes fourth 14 lengths behind winner Bet Twice in a 10-horse field. 1981 - Pleasant Colony, never better than third, finishes a little more than 1.5 lengths behind Summing, with Highland Blade second in an 11-horse field. 1979 - The 1-5 favorite, Spectacular Bid leads with a quarter-mile left, weakens finishes third in an eight-horse field, 3.25 lengths behind Coastal and another head behind Golden Act. 1971 - Canonero II leads 12 rivals for the first mile before finishing fourth, 4.25 lengths behind winner Pass Catcher. 1969 - Majestic Prince closes to second in a six-horse field with an eighth-mile remaining, but he can't catch Arts And Letters and is beaten by 5.25 lengths. 1968 - Forward Pass leads until eighth-pole, then finishes second by 1.75 lengths to Stage Door Johnny in nine-horse field. 1966 - Leading 10 rivals with a quarter-mile remaining, Kauai King fades to fourth, 7 lengths behind winner Amberoid. 1964 - Northern Dancer is second in a nine-horse field with an eighth-mile remaining, but he finishes third 6 lengths behind Quadrangle and 4 lengths behind Roman Brother. 1961 - Carry Back never gets into contention and finishes seventh in a nine-horse field, 13.75 lengths behind winner Sherluck. 1958 - Tim Tam is unable to cut in Cavan's lead and finished second by 6 lengths in an eight-horse field. 1944 - Pensive leads with a quarter-mile remaining, but he loses by a half-length to Bounding Home in a seven-horse field.