Triple Crown loses three contenders before first race is run

The races leading to the Triple Crown and the series itself always have placed extraordinary demands on the equine athletes who compete in them.

But the loss of three leaders of the 3-year-old division before the first leg of the series — the Belmont Stakes on June 20 — is even run feels excessive

Nadal was the first to go, suffering an ankle injury during training at Santa Anita Park on May 28, triggering an announcement of his retirement. The brilliant Bob Baffert-trained son of Blame was 4-for 4 in his too-brief career, including victories in the San Vicente and Rebel Stakes, both Grade 2s, and a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.

The bad news continued to pile up for Baffert on Saturday with the announcement that Charlatan, himself 3-for-3 and a Grade 1 winner, had developed “filling” on an ankle and would undergo surgery to remove microscopic bone chips. Down time will prevent him from competing in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5, Baffert said, but the Preakness Stakes on Oct. 3 remains a possibility.

Last of the trio was Maxfield, yet another undefeated Grade 1 winner, whose withdrawal was announced Wednesday after he suffered an injury similar to Nadal’s — a condylar fracture. Trainer Brendan Walsh said the Godolphin homebred underwent surgery early Wednesday and indicated he was hopeful the colt would fully recover and race again.

Admission to the equine ER isn’t limited to superstars, though. Wells Bayou, 3-for-6 and the winner of Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March, is beginning a 90-day layoff due to bone bruising that makes it highly unlikely he will make any of the Triple Crown races, trainer Brad Cox said Wednesday.

You can debate until you’re blue in the face whether more permissive medication rules in the U.S. or breeding trends that emphasize speed and precociousness over soundness or something completely different is behind the emergence of the modern brittle thoroughbred. But I suspect that the on-again, off-again pattern of racing amid the pandemic has likely contributed to this year’s spate of injuries, with trainers being forced to ease back on the conditioning of their 3-year-olds to work around racing shutdowns, rescheduled races and the like, then trying to crank them back up to their former fitness levels.

Meanwhile, the field for next weekend’s Belmont Stakes is taking shape, with eight likely starters and one potential add-on as of Thursday.

Likely starters and their trainers: Basin (Steve Asmussen); Dr Post (Todd Pletcher); Farmington Road (Pletcher again); Max Player (Linda Rice); Modernist (Bill Mott); Sole Volante (Patrick Biancone); Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg); and Tap It to Win (Mark Casse). The possible addition is Pneumatic (Asmussen).

The race was shortened to 1⅛ mile this year and moved into the leadoff position in the Triple Crown series for the first time in its long history.

#RJhorseracing featured races

The #RJhorseracing handicapping crew is spending another Saturday at Belmont Park, but we’ll be dining on competitive meat-and-potatoes races rather than stakes.

The races include the eighth, a 6-furlong allowance race for New York-bred fillies and mares who have not won $13,000 once. The second puzzle is the Race 10, a 1-mile turf race for fillies and mares who have started for a claiming price of $50,000 or less and have not won two races.

In the former, expected to go to post about 2:04 p.m. PT and be broadcast by Fox Sports 2, the crew likes 4-1 morning line second choice Officer Hushy, figuring the 4-year-old Linda Rice-trained filly can hold off favored Behind the Couch (5-2) and Quality Stones (8-1).

Officer Hutchy does look like a serious threat, with two wins and two places from four starts,but I am going with Good Credence (9-2), a stakes-placed runner who prepped for this in Florida and draws J.R. Velazquez to ride. I’ll use Officer Hutchy and Wailing Josie (10-1) to fill out the top three.

In the 10th (post time approximately 3:05 p.m., and also on Fox Sports 2), the crowd ’cappers are taking a stand against the 8-5 morning line favorite Bean Counter with Hurricane Breeze (4-1). They have Bean Counter second and Corey Scores (5-1) to show.

Brace yourself, because I like the chalk. The Todd Pletcher-trained lass is stepping up slightly in class, but she turned in a determined performance at Gulfstream in her return to action, and I’m hoping jockey Jose Ortiz can ration her speed for a gate-to-wire score. I’ll use Gloriously (8-1), another Gulfstream shipper with speed, to place and Corey Shores to show.

Mike Brunker’s horse racing column appears Fridays. He can be reached at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.