If you felt a slight breeze running on the East Coast at around 7 p.m. Saturday night, it was probably a collective exhale from the New York Racing Association and the folks at Belmont Park, which hosts the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
When the Kentucky Derby winner loses the Preakness, it’s typically a Belmont bummer — the difference between one of the biggest American sporting events of the year and a race that casual viewers generally avoid. But this time, as Medina Spirit faded down the Pimlico stretch to a distant third-place finish behind 11-1 shot Rombauer, it was almost certainly a blessing for all involved.
There will be no talk of split sample drug tests and a disputed Triple Crown for the next three weeks. There won’t be any risk of rowdy New Yorkers booing Medina Spirit as he runs for history. There won’t be such intense focus on trainer Bob Baffert’s failed drug tests and what’s wrong with the sport.
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