2008 Belmont Stakes Results
Hopes for the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years were dashed on Saturday, June 7 when 1-4 favorite Big Brown, winner of both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, was eased off in the 140th Belmont Stakes and instead became the first Triple Crown hopeful to finish last. The huge upset saw 38-1 longshot Da' Tara blanketed in carnations after a wire-to-wire win. Denis of Cork finished second, and Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo finished in a photo dead heat for third.
Belmont Stakes Race Results
| Finish Position | Horse Name | Gate Position | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | Da' Tara | 6 | Garcia Alan | Zito Nicholas P |
| Place | Denis of Cork | 4 | Albarado R J | Carroll David |
| Show | Anak Nakal | 8 | Leparoux J R | Zito Nicholas P |
| Show | Ready's Echo | 9 | Velazquez J R | Pletcher Todd A |
Belmont Stakes Payouts - Win / Place / Show
| Gate | Horse Name | Min | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Da' Tara | $2 | $79.00 | $28.00 | $14.80 |
| 4 | Denis of Cork | $2 | $5.40 | $4.10 | |
| 8 | Anak Nakal | $2 | $7.60 | ||
| 9 | Ready's Echo | $2 | $6.20 |
Belmont Stakes Payouts - Exotic Wagers
| Min | Bet | Results | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | Daily Double | 10-6 | $787.00 |
| $1 | Exacta | 6-4 | $329.50 |
| $1 | Superfecta | 6-4-8-9 | $24,318.50 |
| $1 | Superfecta | 6-4-9-8 | $23,654.50 |
| $1 | Trifecta | 6-4-8 | $1,851.50 |
| $1 | Trifecta | 6-4-9 | $1,977.00 |
| $1 | Pick 3 | 5-10-6 (3 correct) | $3,237.50 |
| $1 | Pick 4 | 1-5-10-6 (4 correct) | $17,143.50 |
Belmont Stakes Race Recap
An anxious crowd of over 94,000 elbowed their way into historic Belmont Park on a hot and humid afternoon to see the first Triple Crown sweep since the immortal Affirmed achieved the feat in 1978. What they witnessed, however, was everybody's favorite Big Brown joining a long list of Derby and Preakness winners to be humbled in Thoroughbred racing's elusive test of champions.
The upsetter on this occasion was Da' Tara, a lightly raced colt with only a maiden victory to his credit prior to the Belmont. Ridden by Allan Garcia for conditioner Nick Zito, the winner quickly assumed command from the start and was never pressured on the lead as he cruised to a decisive 5 1/4-length victory at odds of 38-1.
The unshakable confidence Big Brown's connections had in their magnificent colt quickly eroded when Kent Desormeaux declined to take control of the race after breaking sharply from his inside post. The rider wrestled Big Brown back and donated the lead to Da' Tara, a horse he had beaten by 23 lengths in their previous meeting, and the favorite was rank as they passed the grandstand. Desormeaux then checked Big Brown behind the heels of Tale of Ekati, bumped with Anak Nakal and pulled his colt to the outside. The favorite never fired after that and was eventually eased in the long stretch.
Denis of Cork, who suffered from the lack of a contested pace, made a good rally from mid-pack to finish next under Robby Albarado and was clearly second best, finishing 2 3/4 lengths clear of Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo, who dead-heated for third.
Preakness runner-up Macho Again raced in a good position behind the leaders and reached a contending position turning for home, but he couldn't sustain his bid and failed to threaten the top finishers.
The third choice in the field Tale of Ekati kept Big Brown in the middle of the track while chasing the winner for the first mile before tiring in the stretch to finish a well-beaten sixth.
Behind Tale of Ekati and never in contention were the race's only maiden Guadalcanal and the modestly supported Icabad Crane. The former stumbled leaving the gate on his way to a seventh-place finish and the latter raced wide without a rally.