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The Triple Crown Game 2022
 ↬ JADE - TTCG is back! May 1st, 2022 10:06:47am 3,792 Posts |
 The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of US-based horse races for three-year-old thoroughbreds. It consists of the Kentucky Derby (held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY), Preakness Stakes (held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD), and Belmont Stakes (held at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY). The three Triple Crown races have attracted over 4,200 entrants since they were established. Of these, 292 horses have won a single leg of the Triple Crown, 52 horses have won two of the races, and 13 horses have won all three races. The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Justify in 2018. Secretariat holds the fastest speed records for each of the Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5), the Preakness Stakes (1:53), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24).  Welcome back for another year of TTCG! This event has been hosted by me almost every year since it was established in 2012 and it is something that I truly look forward to running for the community. PREAKNESS STAKES: BELMONT STAKES: 6/5 THROUGH 6/11 6:00 PM EST  In order to participate, you will need to purchase draws for each race. EACH DRAW WILL ASSIGN ONE HORSE TO YOU AT RANDOM USING A GENERATOR. You can have a total of three draws per race. DRAWS CANNOT BE PURCHASED UNTIL THEIR RESPECTIVE RACE IS OPEN FOR DRAWS (THIS IS TYPICALLY A WEEK BEFORE THE RACE WILL RUN; SEE THE TENTATIVE DATES ABOVE). I.E. When I post a reply to this thread stating that the Kentucky Derby draws are open, you can send the HPD to #113 for 1-3 draws for the Derby depending on how many you would like. YOU CAN REPEAT THIS STEP AGAIN WHEN DRAWS OPEN FOR THE PREAKNESS AND BELMONT (AGAIN, WHEN I MAKE THE POST TYPICALLY A WEEK BEFORE THE RACE RUNS STATING DRAWS ARE OPEN FOR THAT RACE). DRAW 2: 12 MIL DRAW 3: 16 MIL If you are a newer player (joined in the past twelve months), you are eligible for a 50% discount on your draws! You can view your join date on your home page. ALL FUNDS RECEIVED ARE ADDED TO THE JACKPOT FOR THE RESPECTIVE RACE WHICH IS AWARDED AS PART OF MANY PRIZES FOR THE WINNERS. Every jackpot will automatically begin at 250mil (150 provided by me and 100 provided by Koni via admin donation). This is a 150% increase from the starting jackpot in 2021! 1. Blitz sends 16mil to #113 for a Draw 3 for the Kentucky Derby.  IF YOUR HORSE WINS FIRST PLACE:
PLEASE GIVE THEM ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD FOR HELPING MAKE TTCG A SUPER REWARDING EVENT!  |
↬ JADE - TTCG is back! May 18th, 2022 12:32:02am 3,792 Posts |
Medina Spirit did lose his Kentucky Derby win posthumously. It was unfortunate, but due to the circumstances surrounding the situation, it felt inevitable. ):
My mom has always been a fan of the Triple Crown races (she also worked on a horse farm who bred and trained race horses when she was a teen); I have fond memories growing up watching it with her for as long as I can remember. We've always dreamed of going to all three races in one year, but alas it hasn't happened yet! In fact, I haven't even been to one yet which is a shame considering I've been living only a couple hours away from Churchill Downs where the Derby is held for nearly six years now! xD
To be honest, most of my knowledge regarding the sport was very superficial up until 2016. After American Pharoah broke the 37 year dry spell in 2015 by successfully earning the Triple Crown, I became way more invested! It was around then that I began vigorously researching the sport during the Triple Crown months. Since last year's event, I have easily quadrupled my knowledge just because I'm making so many informative news posts for TTCG. The extensive information I provide is not only beneficial towards the participants; it has been very gratifying and advantageous for me as well!
For me, there is something majestic and timeless about horse racing. It gives me the same feeling I would feel if I visited a very old city; it’s a wistfulness for a long bygone time. It’s listening to an old song and becoming entangled in the story. It draws out the essence of human emotion. There is no argument that horse racing has a long and distinguished history; it has been practiced in civilisations across the world since ancient times. It is also seen in myths and legends, such as the contest between the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology.
The highs manifest so much hope and joy, but the lows can completely devastate millions of hearts in a matter of seconds. In spite of my deep fondness for the sport, I am very aware that it clearly has its issues and at times needlessly endangers the lives of both horse and jockey. Despite its lengthy history, proper strides have not been made to regulate and improve the safety of the sport for everyone involved. When the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was passed at the end of 2020 (reminder: it will not take effect until 07/01/2022), I became very hopeful for the sports future. It will introduce sets of training and racing safety standards consistent with the humane treatment of horses, a system to maintain track surface quality, programs for injury and fatality analysis, investigation and disciplinary procedures, and an evaluation and accreditation program.
There is no reason the sport can’t exist but also be safe.
I hope that we will see much less tragedy on the tracks in future years and a greater care taken to safeguard each horse's wellbeing. I have absolutely no animosity towards Rich Strike's owners/trainer opting to skip the Preakness; it warms my heart to see several people making the decision to skip the Preakness in favor of their horse's wellbeing vs greed and fame. ♥
P.S. Sorry for the length! I may have rambled a little. LOL Thank you for asking about my past with and interest in the sport. That was very sweet of you! (: |
 kuryakin ☀ main | playing catchup May 20th, 2022 1:52:51am 221 Posts |
I agree Prynne, of course it would've been awesome if Rich Strike would've won the Triple Crown coming from those odds and that insane KD win, but I really admire his owner/trainer team for keeping the horse in mind. They honestly seem like very neat down to earth people and I think it's a big difference between certain controversial big-shot trainers/stables that clearly don't care about the horses' health near as much. I admire their decision and I look forward to rooting for him in the Belmont! Anyway!!! I have been wanting to return from my unexpected/emergency-induced hiatus for about a month and tbh after seeing the Derby I remembered this game from last year and it encouraged me to hurry up and come back, so I'm so glad I didn't miss the Preakness!!! Sending in the 16mil for 3 draws to you now. :)
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↬ JADE - TTCG is back! May 21st, 2022 12:49:57am 3,792 Posts |
Welcome back, Kuryakin! It warms my heart that you thought of TTCG! ♥ Reminder everyone! Last day to get your draws! :D Preakness runs later today. |
↬ JADE - TTCG is back! May 22nd, 2022 1:29:39pm 3,792 Posts |
  You can watch the official race replay on YouTube here if you missed it! With a winning time of 1:54.54, Early Voting, a colt owned by the billionaire hedge fund investor Seth Klarman, repelled the challenge of the heavily favored Epicenter to capture the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes as his third win in four career starts. Early Voting went off at 5-1 and was well rested six weeks after his most recent race, winning the Preakness by 1 1/4 lengths. "Cloud Computing (who won the Preakness in 2017) was a once in a lifetime and now I have a twice in a lifetime," said Klarman, who grew up three blocks from Pimlico and was celebrating his 65th birthday. "Really hard to believe it could've happened." Early Voter’s jockey, Jose Ortiz, along with his brother Irad, are perennially among the top 10 riders in the nation. He has been aboard Early Voting for each of his three previous starts and knew he had a gift horse. “We always knew he was very talented, but we knew he was going to be a late developer,” Ortiz said. Klarman had the foresight and iron will to resist the lure of the Derby. With only three starts, two of them victories, Klarman and the colt’s trainer, Chad Brown, decided Early Voting was not ready to face 20 horses and the mayhem of America’s most famous race. “They had an option to run in the Derby and passed,” said Ortiz, wiping away tears in the moment after the race. “It’s very hard to get a winner to pass on the Derby and they made a right choice by the horse.” The colt had never really sat behind horses, preferring to rush to the front and force the other horses to run him down. Not on Saturday. Early Voting and Ortiz stalked the early pacesetter Armagnac and waited for their opportunity to move. “Honestly, I was never worried,” Brown said. “Once we had a good target, I actually preferred that. We were fine to go to the lead but I thought down the backside it was going to take a good horse to beat us.” And a couple of good ones, indeed, took up the challenge. The filly Secret Oath spun wide and rushed up around the turn, but alas she lost steam towards the end and finished fourth. "She made a big, sweeping run," trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. "It just wasn't her day." Epicenter, hugged the rail and spurted into contention but could not catch Early Voting in the stretch. Epicenter's trainer, Steve Asmussen, was disappointed in the reigning Eclipse Award winning champion jockey Joel Rosario's ride, saying his horse "just had too much to overcome" after a rough start. "I couldn't get my position," Rosario said. "I had nowhere to go. You just have to stay there and hopefully at some point it opens up. It was really tight the whole way." What happens next? Check back on 6/5 for the Belmont Stakes portion of TTCG! The order of finish for the 147th Preaknesss Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore, Maryland, was: 01. Early Voting
1. Early Voting - Jaya #2021, N.adhima #20643, mango #180, Lynelle #15247 2. Epicenter - Jaya #2021, N.adhima #20643, vanity #15782, Lynelle #15247 3. Creative Minister - Tifisati #44944, Vexation #48841, vanity #15782, Koni #33, blitz #2049 Participation Raffle: Kayla Gayle #4312 (Results) |
 Kayla Gayle ~~ One Piece Greyhounds ~~ May 27th, 2022 3:06:17pm 353 Posts |
Any sign ups for the Belmont yet?  |
 Jaya May 27th, 2022 3:17:50pm 24,632 Posts |
The post about who won for the Preakness says to check back on 6/5 for the Belmont portion.  |
↬ JADE - TTCG is back! May 27th, 2022 4:22:38pm 3,792 Posts |
What Jaya said! ♥ The Belmont runs three weeks after the Preakness runs. Draws will open a week beforehand. (: |
↬ JADE - TTCG is back! June 5th, 2022 10:22:08am 3,792 Posts |
 DRAWS CAN BE PURCHASED UNTIL 6/11/2022 6:00 PM EST.  Post Position Draw will occur on TUESDAY 6/7/2022 AT 11:00 AM EST. This draw will finalize who will be participating and determine which position each horse will start from. This can be very important in determining how well a horse will run the race. For more information on the importantance of post position, click here! Morning-line (starting) odds for the race will be announced shortly after the draw. I will update the list of horses to reflect their post draws the same day. Post time for the race is set for approximately 6/11/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:50 PM EST. This is when the horses will begin making their way to the gate to start the race. NBC is providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on TV, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Pea before, during and after. Coverage begins on Saturday, June 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. ET on CNBC and moves to NBC from 5 to 7 p.m. ET.  WHY IS THE HORSE RACE TRACK KNOWN AS THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRACK? Belmont is also sometimes known as "The Championship Track" because almost every major champion in racing history since the early 20th century has competed on the racecourse – including all of the Triple Crown winners. WHAT IS THE RACE DISTANCE? The Belmont Stakes is the longest of the Triple Crown horse races, reaching 1 ½ miles. The longer distance is what historically has put speed horses at a disadvantage, and is the main reason why the Belmont is also known as "The Test of the Champion." WHAT IS THE AVERAGE FIELD SIZE IN BELMONT TRIPLE CROWN WINS? The average number of horses in Triple Crown victories is 5.4 starters. HOW MANY HORSES HAVE WON THE FIRST TWO LEGS OF THE TRIPLE CROWN, BUT LOST AT BELMONT? There have been 23 total near misses of the Triple Crown. Of those 23 horses, eight finished the race in a heartbreaking second place, while four others didn't even get the chance to compete and were forced out of the race altogether due to injury. WHAT POST POSITION HAS PRODUCED THE MOST BELMONT STAKES WINNERS? Post #1 has proven to be the most successful position in Belmont Stakes history, producing a total of 23 winners. WHO WAS THE BIGGEST ODDS WINNER IN THE HISTORY OF THE BELMONT STAKES? The largest upset in Belmont Stakes history was Sarava in 2002. Sarava spoiled War Emblem's chances of winning the Triple Crown with 70-1 odds. WHO HOLDS THE RECORD FOR BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN IN THE BELMONT STAKES? Secretariat, one of the best race horses of all time, won the race in 1973 by 31 lengths. Each length, or distance between horses, is about 8ft.  01. Before 1921, the horses ran in a clockwise manner, as they did in English racing. 02. In 1993, Julie Krone became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race at Belmont Park. In 2013, Rosie Napravnik was the first female jockey to ride in all three Triple Crown races. 03. The inaugural stakes race and eventually, the racetrack itself were named after August Belmont. He served as a prominent New York horseman, financier, and as a pioneering chairman of The Jockey Club. 04. The record for the largest crowd came in 2004. That year 120,139 fans went to watch Smarty Jones attempt to win the Triple Crown only to be upset by Birdstone. 05. The Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the three Triple Crown races, with its first run taking place in 1867. The White Pine in Belmont Park's paddock is even older than that. The iconic tree, which became the Belmont Park's logo in 1968, is estimated to be about 200 years old. 06. Despite the fact the Belmont is the oldest of the three Triple Crown races, it isn't known for its longstanding traditions — mainly because its traditions have repeatedly changed throughout history. This includes traditions such as the post parade song, official drink, and even the track. 07. More than half of winning horses have been bred in Kentucky. 08. The winner of the race has a large blanket of white carnations draped over them. More than 700 carnations are needed to create the 40-pound blanket. The process of constructing the blanket takes around five hours. 09. At the top of the trophy is a silver figure of Fenian, winner of the 1869 Belmont Stakes. The bowl is supported by three additional horses — Herod, Eclipse and Matchem — who represent the three Thoroughbred foundation sires: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian and the Godolphin Barb. The winning owner may keep the trophy for a year until the next Belmont Stakes winner is crowned. The winning owner, trainer and jockey also receive a silver miniature version of the trophy to keep permanently. 10. Secretariat's 2:24 winning time not only set a world record for 1 1/2 miles on the dirt, but also set a Belmont record for his 31-lengths margin of victory. In addition, Secretariat also set Belmont records in 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile, 1 mile and 1 1/4-mile fractions.  While the Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is going to be in the field for the Belmont Stakes on June 11, the Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting won't be. Epicenter, who finished second at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, is also unlikely to race in the Belmont. Ethereal Road who was the winner of the Sir Barton Stakes on the same day as the Preakness as well as the horse who scratched which allowed Rich Strike to enter and win the Kentucky Derby, Creative Minister who was 3rd in the Preakness Stakes, Mo Donegal who placed 5th in the Kentucky Derby, Skippylongstocking who placed 5th in the Preakness Stakes, and Barber Road who placed 6th in the Kentucky Derby will all return to challenge Rich Strike in the Belmont Stakes. Newcomers to the field include Kentucky Oaks runner-up Nest, Peter Pan Stakes winner We the People, Peter Pan Stakes runnerup Golden Glider, and allowance winner Kuchar. Will Rich Strike, the 80-1 long-shot Derby winner, storm to victory again at the Belmont? Or will each of the three Triple Crown races have a different winner in 2022? We will find out soon! |
↬ JADE - TTCG is back! June 7th, 2022 10:54:11pm 3,792 Posts |
 DRAWS CAN BE PURCHASED UNTIL 6/11/2022 6:00 PM EST.
The post position draw has finished! Here is a list of the official Belmont Stakes lineup and their starting odds. Due to the limited field and potential for scratches prior to when the race runs, I am personally adding an additional 100mil HPD to the jackpot to make sure the jackpot pays out enough to all winners.  RICH STRIKE AIMS TO CAPTURE ANOTHER G1 WIN While there's no Triple Crown on the line in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, there's no shortage of intriguing storylines associated with the 154th running of the "Test of Champions." None is more compelling than the rags-to-riches tale of Rich Strike, who stunned the Kentucky Derby field at 81-1 with an epic late surge. Rich Strike, a talented closer, rallied from 17th to win the Run for the Roses with a dramatic stretch drive. The $30,000 claim-to-fame will attempt to be the first non-Triple Crown winner to capture both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont since Thunder Gulch in 1995. “He's doing really good since he's been here, he's training better every day,” trainer Eric Reed, seated alongside owner Richard Dawson, said at Tuesday's well-attended post-position draw from Belmont's Triple Crown Lounge. “I don't think the pace will be nearly as fast. He's still probably going to drop back, that's just his style of running. Turning for home, if he's close enough, he'll have a real good shot at it. It's definitely not a race where you want to come from way, way back. But we've tried a couple of times to get him going early and it didn't work.” WE THE PEOPLE BECOMES THE MORNING LINE FAVORITE The morning line favorite, however, is We the People. Post #1, the post position We the People has drawn, has proven to be the most successful position in Belmont Stakes history; it has produced a total of 23 winners. Normally a horse on the very inside has to break quickly to avoid being trapped against the rail, but the starting gate at Belmont gives the horse some room to maneuver. Justify was in the one when he completed the Triple Crown sweep in 2018. We the People is coming off a victory in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on May 15. With another wet track possible Saturday, We the People’s France-born trainer, Rodolphe Brisset, said he “wouldn’t be upset” if rain is in the forecast. "He's 3-for-4, he's won by 10 lengths, and he's been here training very well," said trainer Rudolphe Briset. "I was actually thinking he would be the second choice." The Belmont distance of 1½ miles is likely the farthest that any of these horses will ever run on the dirt and it’s the first time for all of them. So, there is the normal anxiety, usually tempered, to see if the horse can go that far. "The way he galloped out last time, it’s always a question mark, but based on what we saw last time, and what jockey Flavien Prat said to me after the race, we are hoping he is going to be OK at a mile-and-1/2." ANOTHER FILLY TAKES ON THE BOYS Nest is the lone filly in this year's Belmont coming off a runner-up to Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks. Before the Oaks, she won four of her previous five starts. A triumph from the daughter of Curlin would make trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled Rags to Riches to beat the boys in the 2007 Belmont, the only trainer to win dual Triple Crown races with a filly. Pletcher also won the Belmont Stakes with Tapwrit in 2017 and Palace Malice in 2013. “She’s a filly that’s really well bred for this race,” Pletcher said. “I think she’s got the right kind of disposition for it. She’s given us every indication she’s doing really well. … With this filly everything has gone perfectly since the Oaks.” MO DONEGAL LOOKS TO REDEEM HIMSELF Todd Pletcher-trained Mo Donegal closed to finish fifth in the Kentucky Derby. "I thought Mo Donegal ran a very credible race in the Derby," Pletcher said. "He was still closing at the end. Unfortunately, he drew the one hole, he didn’t break well and we dropped back and were 19th going into the first turn, ahead of eventual winner, and ended up having to go a little wide. But what I liked is he kept running to wire and kept finding a little more." EPICENTER'S JOCKEY TO RIDE BARBER ROAD IN BELMONT Jockey Joel Rosario, a two-time winner of the Belmont Stakes, is booked to ride Barber Road in this year's 1 1/2-mile "Test of a Champion." Rosario's pair of Belmont wins came aboard Sir Winston in 2019 and Tonalist in 2014. In both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Rosario finished second as the favorite aboard Epicenter. Barber Road, who skipped the Preakness, rallied to be sixth in the Kentucky Derby under jockey Reylu Gutierrez. Daily Racing Form noted Barber Road will run without his customary blinkers in the Belmont. "Part of my job is to run in these high-profile races and Epicenter wasn't running back," Anderson told Horse Racing Nation. "I tried a couple of people and knocked on the door and that one answered." Barber Road is winless in five starts this year for trainer John Ortiz, but has been runner-up in three stakes including the Arkansas Derby. In the Kentucky Derby, Barber Road was last of 20 after a quarter mile and still in 14th with 440 yards to go. The chart notes Barber Road went "11-wide" at the quarter pole and rallied "mildly" through the lane to finish sixth and be beaten less than five lengths. |
↬ JADE - TTCG is back! June 11th, 2022 11:50:12pm 3,792 Posts |
 You can watch the official race replay on YouTube here if you missed it! The odds were in Mo Donegal's favor, as historically, the betting favorite had won the Belmont Stakes more than 42% of the time. He came into the race as the top pick with 5/2 odds and also had a solid resume in New York, as all three of his previous wins had happened there. He also had a good teammate in Irad Ortiz. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican jockey has a solid reputation in the Empire State and had won the Belmont Stakes in 2016 with Creator. Ortiz is a three-time Eclipse Award winner, receiving the honor in three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020. Success runs in the family as his brother, Jose Ortiz, won this year's Preakness Stakes with Early Voting, who did not compete this weekend. Mike Repole, who owns Mo Donegal and filly Nest, got to see his two horses finish first and second in New York's biggest race. He watched as Mo Donegal passed We the People and Skippylongstocking on the outside in the stretch of the 2022 Belmont Stakes. Once clear, Mo Donegal powered ahead, leaving the rest of the field well behind. The filly Nest finished second after tripping out of the gate at the beginning of the race. Repole, born and raised in New York, came close to winning a little more than a decade ago. He was emotional as he talked about finally achieved his dream. Repole said he watched replays of the 2011 Belmont Stakes 150 times when his horse, Stay Thirsty, finished second. He said the first- and second-place finishes Saturday make up for the narrow loss 11 years ago. "Honestly, this is the biggest goal I had in my racing life and I just accomplished it and I ran 1-2," Repole told the NBC broadcast. Mo Donegal is trained by Todd Pletcher. It is his sixth victory in the Triple Crown races and his fourth at the Belmont Stakes. "The one thing I told Irad is be patient," Pletcher said of jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. "I think you have the best last quarter of any horse in the race." We the People led out of the gate and was battling on the front with Skippylongstocking for much of the race before Mo Donegal and Nest made their moves. Rich Strike stood a slim chance of winning the Belmont Stakes, even after skipping Preakness to rest up. Had he won, Rich Strike would’ve been the first horse since 1995 to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont but not the Preakness. He finished in sixth place. "I think we just made a tactical error," trainer Eric Reed said after the race. Saturday marks the fourth consecutive year when three different horses have won a race in the Triple Crown. The last time that happened was 1926 through 1929. The order of finish for the 154th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, was: 01. Mo Donegal
1. Mo Donegal - Peach #9484, Lynelle #15247, BV #22700, kuryakin #1984, apothie #46150, Concourse #1639 2. Nest - Jaya #2021, lostcause #1249, shadow fox #48484, N.adhima #20643, apothie #46150, blitz #2049 3. Skippylongstocking - Moorfine #1212, mango #1802, shadow fox #48484, kuryakin #1984, Koni #33, Concourse #1639 Participation Raffle: BV #22700 (Results) Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the 2022 TTCG! I believe this year may have been the highest amount of participation the event has ever seen. A big thank you yet again to Broken Vow and Koni for their additions to the prize pool! It's a pleasure to run this every year and I hope you all enjoyed it just as much as I did. (: See you all again next May! ♥ |
 apothecary 𖤓 moon made June 12th, 2022 1:45:53am 976 Posts |
Thank you Prynne! 💚  |
Jaya June 12th, 2022 7:07:22am 24,632 Posts |
Thank you so much for doing this, Prynne!! |
 shadow fox [v a n n e r s] blue ghost for mascot ⚡️ June 12th, 2022 10:16:47am 131 Posts |
Yassss, thank you! This was a nice treat 😊 |
