Learning the (Belmont) Lessons the Hard Way

[Runningincircles]

As I prepared to watch the Belmont, I was thinking "everything I know about sports tells me Big Brown will not win the Belmont." Nonetheless, I hoped Big Brown would win, because I like the jockey and my first impression of Big Brown was formed while watching him run the Florida Derby. When he didn't even "fire" at the Belmont, I had to remind myself of the lessons we sometimes have to learn (or relearn) the hard way:

1. A horse that isn't properly conditioned will not win at a mile and a half.

2. Blowhard trainers who constantly take shortcuts eventually lose.

3. Steroids fool athletes and trainers into believing they "really are so good" they don't need the drugs. (We've learned this lesson in track and field, baseball and the Tour de France -- so why would we need to learn it once again in horse racing?)

4. A horse that walks flat footed into the biggest race of his life isn't just calm, he's not ready for the race.