BELMONT, N.Y. — There is nothing better than a dam.
Saturday could be an incredibly late Mother’s Day for Better Than Honour.
Better Than Honour, a 12-year-old mare who raced 12 times (and won twice), is the dam (female parent) of back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners.
What a mother. No other dam has ever had two colts win the prestigious race.
There could be a third.
Even though Casino Drive is the second favorite in the early line at 7-2, the odds of beating Big Brown are not that good, and the odds of becoming the third consecutive Belmont Stakes champion from the same broodmare are virtually beyond comprehension.
Three years ago there were more than 38,000 foals.
Out of 100,000-plus births in a three-year period, to have three three-year-olds win the third race of the Triple Crown would be the mother of all accomplishments.
A mare breeds only once a year. A sire can breed many, many times each year.
Better Than Honour lives in Lexington, Ky., but it might have been a great idea to bring her to New York for the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes.
Better than ever with her third foal, she produced Jazil, which won the 2006 Belmont. Rags to Riches, her fourth, was the winner last year.
Now, Casino Drive.
The fathers? Forgetaboutthem!
(Mineshaft, the 1992 Horse of the Year, was the sire for Casino Drive.)
Casino Drive was purchased two years ago by Japanese multimillionaire Hidetoshi Yamamoto, who decided to bring the thoroughbred to the United States from Japan, enter the thoroughbred in the Belmont Stakes and race against Big Brown in an attempt to keep the streak alive, especially after an impressive victory here at The Peter Pan Stakes on May 10.
Who was aboard Casino Drive then? Kent J. Desormeaux. Does he sound familiar? He is the jockey for Big Brown. Edgar Prado, who has pulled off upsets in the Belmont Stakes to prevent two other Triple Crowns, will get the ride Saturday.
Casino Drive is not a horse only a mother could love.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
