[Suffolk Shippers]

Alot of factors played into each of them losing, so not sure if you can gain a measure of who was closer, but I will try...

In the Belmont, Stewart Elliot either didnt try to settle Smarty Jones down or just couldnt and Jerry Bailey and Alex Solis made runs at Smarty to push the pace at around the 1/2 or 3/4 mile marker. Don't know about Solis, but Bailey pretty much said he would do that, one of the old addages being they dont want to see a Triple Crown won if they arent on the horses back. Never understood that. I mean obviously you want to win with your horse and you need to put the effort out there, but that was no way Bailey's best way to win the race, so we can pretty much say he sabotaged it to an extent. That being said, Elliot had Smarty pushing the pace way too early and should have ridden Smarty Jones like Jeremy Rose rode Afleet Alex in the Belmont the next year.

Afleet Alex had one major thing working against him that he had no control over and another that could have been controlled. The inclusion of Spanish Chestnut in the race set a blistering pace that cooked the entire field. Spanish Chestnut is one step above a quarter horse in my book. All to get Bandini home, right? What did Bandini finish 19th? What a travesty. Rose was artfully darting through traffic and may have won had he not dove to the rail, which was dead all day.

Really tough to seperate the two. I think Afleet Alex was closer and the better of the two horses. Both great horses with great stories. It is a shame neither of them could do it, and that injuries finished them both off early.