It was a battle of the sexes, as the filly Rags to Riches gamely took on eventual Horse of the Year Curlin in the stretch and fought to the wire, emerging with a head victory and becoming the first of her sex to win the Belmont in 102 years. Both Rags to Riches and her half-brother Jazil had the same mother — Better Than Honour.
Final time: 2:28.74
Owner: Michael Tabor
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
source
Brilliant. So exciting! A Great Filly. 102 years after Tanya 105. Hear it for the Girls! Ya!
Exciting news- Rags To Riches and Curlin mated in 2018 and she is pregnant! Due early 2019.
This is still one of the best horse races in history. She was magnificent.
Ruffian will always be better but, rags was born to race as well.
Johnny V the best money rider in the game!!!
I love this!!!
She is a legend. Love you Rags.
I just read Jay Hovdey's article about this filly and decided to watch the race again. Wow what a filly, what a race. amazing.
One of the best Belmont's ever. Durkin at his best also.
I just read the Haskens piece he wrote after this race.
In the stretch, Curlin's rider was whipping him on his left side, which made Curlin bump Rags repeatedly–and it only made her madder.
She wasn't a sweetie like Zenyatta; she'd tear your head off if you crossed her.
Tom Durkin was brilliant with his call
*of
She definitely had the bloodlines for this! Granddaughter of the undefeated Seattle Slew and the great granddaughter or the immortal Secretariat all on her sire side!
Moral of the story: Never mess with a redheaded Thoroughbred mare on a mission! lol
she's a beast!
To this day Asmussen cannot believe that for the length of the Belmont stretch Curlin could not get by a filly!!! Â She was AMAZING for 5 weeks..DUSTING the good hoss Octave in the KY Oaks in a common gallop,(as ridiculously easy as Babaro's Derby win. Never set down!!) then in the 5 weeks outworkin Pletcher's derby crew. Winning The Belmont!!And never that flash of greatness again.
It's because Tom's call during the race was like something is brewing after Smarty Jones quick fractions during the race where they ran the fastest half of the race in Belmont history. So as Birstone started to rolled he was getting a little nervous then you hear "Birdstone wins The Belmont Stakes"
Wow! Filly stumbled out of gate and out-dueled Curlin. Incredible!
Tom's best call is "Birdstone Wins The Belmont Stakes"
I was at this race. Lost almost all my $ on the previous races, so I placed one last big bet on Rags to Riches. It was awesome!
Virginia, please shut up. Thanks
Hard Spun had one of if not the worst ride that I have ever witnessed. Â I am pretty sure that was Garrett Gomez, he should be ashamed of himself.
Eat that Boys, We Girls Rule!!
quite common, yes
Its a great finish but why only 7 runners, did Curlin scare everybody off?
What a call by Durkin.
Curlin is a bigger horse with more experience. Rags to Riches may have just come off a 5 week break but that does not mean as much as you think. Rags to Riches came wider around the turn and stayed with him to the wire matching every stride. If Curlin were really that tired he would not have been run and if anything he was probably in the shape of his life. I would argue that there was not a time when he was more prepared.
Rags To Riches defeated Curlin because Curlin was in all 3 legs of the triple crown and was worn out while Rags to Riches was coming off of a 5 week freshining.
I still get goose bumps every time i replay that race. What a filly.
she's related to secretariat!!
Ran like a girl 🙂 This was so amazing to watch…what a race and finish!
Hard Spun was all over the place at the start.
you just sound sexist haha 🙁
Ok make an all girl football team..Then have them play a NFL team..Or any sport for that matter…
Up yours, Curlin! Huge "freak" male defeated by supermodel filly!
Can barely breathe watching this. THE CRUEL, so punishing length of the Belmont … Do we all realize how terribly dangerous to an animal these pounding, heart-busting races are, to these delicate legs? – So darned awful to me … tho' they do LOVE to run, that's the "unholy amazement of it" – to quote "Phila. Story" – K. Hepburn/Grace Kelly — But "Rags to Riches" … Ahhh — 1 of the Greatest of ALL time. What guts.
VCH & Midlantic Theatre Co.
Renaissance Newark
I don't suppose that AP Indy's sire had anything to do with the pedigree? After all, historically, Slew was the much better sire.
Yeah! That's the Secretariat large heart she got from AP INDY – who got it thru his Dam Weekend Surprise. You want a Secretariat – filly – to colt – to filly to get his heart. It's on the X chromosome. That's why Big Red was a top brood mare sire.
A Filly wins the Belmont!!!!!!
TYPICAL SECRETARIAT GRANDDAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!
the stretch call gets me everytime.