Gary Stevens has been at both ends of the Triple Crown curse. As a jockey aboard Silver Charm in 1997, he was denied at Belmont by Touch Gold. A year later, Stevens halted Real Quiet’s bid for history on Victory Gallop. The NBC analyst breaks down this year’s Belmont Stakes as I’ll Have Another goes for the Triple Crown.
Q: How difficult is it dealing with all the added pressure between the Preakness and Belmont with a Triple Crown on the line?
A: You don’t really feel the enormity of it until it’s over with, at least that’s how it worked for me. I was pumped up, I was excited and thought we were going to be able to pull it off, so it was very, very disappointing.
Q: Do you think I’ll Have Another is a clear favorite tomorrow?
A: I like this horse, but I have a ton of respect for Union Rags and Dullahan and so it’s still going to be a huge task for him. But if I was riding, I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone, ‘Another’ is the horse I would want to be on.
Q: Given the Belmont is 1 1/2 miles, should that favor ‘Another’ since he is a closer?
A: Everyone calls him a closer, but he’s very tactical. I don’t consider him a closer. He’s a horse that sits and then pounces. Against Bodemeister, he seemed like a closer.
Q: Do you think this race loses some juice without Bodemeister entered?
A: I sat with Bob Baffert recently and he’s kind of flying under the radar with Paynter. He’s very bullish on him. Bob is very confident that he has a horse that’s going to be very competitive on Saturday. So I don’t blame him for not running Bodemeister.
Q: There’s been a lot of extra build-up leading into the race, but what would it mean if ‘Another’ can pull off the Triple Crown?
A: I don’t even know the word. It’s been 34 years in the sport and for fans, and this is drawing a lot of new people to the sport. There’s parents out there who were kids when Affirmed won the Triple Crown and they’re going to have their kids watching it. And if he could pull it off, those will hopefully be fans that watch racing throughout the year. (Owner) Mr. Reddam said he would race him next year and hopefully two more years. That’s what our sport needs and that’s why I’m rooting for him.
