Belmont Park

Chasing the Triple Crown THE PREAKNESS Pimlico Race Course Date: May 21 Distance: 1 3/16 miles. BELMONT STAKES Belmont Park Elmont, N.Y. Date: June 11 Distance: 1 1/2 miles

Pimlico Race Course officials were mum yesterday after the New York Racing Association broke with its partner Triple Crown tracks and signed a separate deal with ABC Sports to broadcast the Belmont Stakes in 2006 and 2007. The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park have negotiated television-rights agreements since 1986 through the Kentucky-based Triple Crown Productions. The current deal with NBC Sports runs through next year's Triple Crown series.

ELMONT, N.Y. - This was supposed to be different. This was going to be the one. Smarty Jones, the compact chestnut colt from Pennsylvania, had won all eight of his races. His story had captured the country's imagination. Although nine other horses since 1978 had come to the Belmont Stakes with a chance to win the Triple Crown - and failed - he was the one who would succeed. Instead, the rigors of the Triple Crown, especially its final 1 1/2 miles, thwarted another bid yesterday at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. - When Smarty Jones won the Preakness by a record 11 1/2 lengths, he finished with his ears pricked, a sign he was having fun. In the ensuing three weeks leading to the Belmont Stakes today at Belmont Park, he became a national sensation. People have compared him to Seabiscuit because of the richness of their stories. They've compared him to Seattle Slew because Slew, too, was 8-for-8 entering the Belmont. And they've compared him to Secretariat because of the power with which Smarty Jones drew away in the Preakness and the potential of his doing the same in the Belmont.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Barclay Tagg never stopped working through the Triple Crown. He wouldn't meet with reporters until 10:30 each morning, explaining that he had other horses besides Funny Cide to train, that he couldn't take time from them just because Funny Cide was going for the Triple Crown. Yesterday, with the Triple Crown trek over, Tagg spent his morning at Belmont Park's Barn 6 as usual - working. He couldn't understand how reporters could have any more questions for him, and he showed little tolerance for them.

Funny Cide prepared for victory in the Kentucky Derby in the relative quiet of Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. His final two works for the Derby were spectacular, but because they weren't at Churchill Downs, they went largely unnoticed. Yesterday, Funny Cide turned in another eye-opener, breezing four furlongs in 47.32 seconds, galloping out five furlongs in 59.20 seconds and six furlongs in 1 minute, 11.80 seconds. That was his only work between the Derby on May 3 and the Preakness on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

Moves Baseball ROYALS: Purchased contract of C Dusty Wathan from Triple-A Omaha. Horse racing NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION: Suspended jockey Jose Espinoza 10 days for careless riding during first race at Belmont Park on Saturday. Espinoza has appealed the suspension, and a stay has been granted.

ELMONT, N.Y. - War Emblem arrived in New York amid great fanfare as the potential 12th winner of racing's Triple Crown. After winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with impressive front-running performances, he looked to the Belmont to make history. Instead, War Emblem stumbled at the break, and an unheralded colt who started his career in England made history of his own. Sarava, ridden by the former Maryland jockey Edgar Prado, captured the 134th Belmont Stakes yesterday at Belmont Park at odds of 70-1.

ELMONT, N.Y. - For the fourth time in the past six springs, a horse has come to New York with a chance of winning the Belmont Stakes and becoming the 12th winner of racing's Triple Crown. The candidate for immortality this spring is War Emblem, a lanky, nearly black colt with overpowering speed and seemingly limitless stamina. That combination proved unbeatable in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Today, in the 134th Belmont at majestic Belmont Park on Long Island, War Emblem will likely face assault at every stage of the 1 1/2 -mile "Test of the Champion."

ELMONT, N.Y. - The draw reverted to total luck yesterday, and Bob Baffert still received exactly what he wanted. War Emblem's trainer got the second random choice out of the pillbox for the 134th Belmont Stakes and drew the No. 10 slot in the 12-horse field. "I'm happy with the draw," said Baffert. "I wanted outside. He's a fast horse and can leave there and dictate whatever he wants to do." If War Emblem wins Saturday, he'll become racing's first Triple Crown winner in 24 years. At the Preakness, Baffert had a choice after his name surfaced first in the picking order.