There was no coronation of a king at the Belmont this season, but a ruler emerged for fans to follow - Ruler on Ice.
In my view, the gelding is good for the sport.
Yet, Ruler on Ice didn’t always look good from my vantage point.
When he emerged from the tunnel for the post-parade in the Belmont, the gelding appeared rattled from the crowd as he made his way onto the track for the last jewel of the Triple Crown. I thought he was going to fall down in front of a national television audience. He certainly didn’t look like he had a shot in the Belmont.
At odds of 24-1, I felt downright bad for the guy as he set foot on the track. It appeared few had placed a vote of confidence in his ability to win at the wagering windows. The sad sight of him made me place a bet in his favor just to show support. As I viewed it, I didn’t want to see the poor guy go out there all alone.
If I had researched a thing about Ruler on Ice before making my bet, I would have known there was nothing particularly sad about his entrance into the Belmont.
At his stable, Ruler on Ice had always been the underdog, and, the gelding seemed perfectly fine with it. The top selection for the Triple Crown trail at the start of the year was Sweet Ducky. After Sweet Ducky was sold, Pants on Fire emerged as the hopeful in the barn for the Triple Crown outings. And, as the first two legs of the series came and went, Ruler on Ice didn’t seem to be targeting a single jewel.
It appears Ruler on Ice was busy sorting out his “likes” and “dislikes” as a racehorse.
As I read through the post-race transcripts for the Belmont, Ruler on Ice emerged as quite a salty character. He was gelded in an effort to calm his disposition. Yet, gelding him didn’t seem to change the bulk of his quirky behavior. Ruler on Ice decided that he didn’t like his trainer’s main barn. Instead, the gelding preferred his plain stall in the trainer’s “B” Barn at Monmouth Park. Further, Ruler on Ice didn’t like being shipped. In an effort to simply make it the Belmont, the gelding was given his own van and an attendant to pet him during the sixty mile trip to Belmont Park.
Yet, in the end, Ruler on Ice went to the wire all alone, awarding his connections with their first victory in a Triple Crown race. The “poor guy” that prompted my “sympathy bet” had just captured a commanding victory in the Belmont.
And, in his fickle-fashion, the gelding didn’t want to wear a blanket of carnations or pose for days of photos with the media. Instead, the Belmont-winner simply wanted to head back to his plain stall in his “B” barn with a single gem – a Triple Crown victory.
At the end of the day, the gelding did just that.
Yet, in my view, the victory of Ruler on Ice provided a perfect close to the Triple Crown season. As the television cameras and non-industry publications showcased the sport, the athlete and his connections rose to the occasion.
It was good for horse racing.
His owners, George and Lori Hall, seemed genuinely humbled and awestruck by their Belmont-winning racehorse. It was their first Triple Crown victory.
The trainer, Kelly Breen, appeared in an elegant hat and told the tale of how he wasn’t born into a racing family. Breen graciously thanked the winning owners for the opportunity to train their horses during the moment of glory. It was his first Triple Crown victory.
And finally, Jose Valdivia, the winning rider, stood in a beautiful juxtaposition to Breen, describing what it feels like to win the Belmont having come from a racing family. He relayed that his first congratulatory call came from his Uncle, a trainer in Peru. The rider beamed, saying he felt like he was “on cloud nine right now.” It was his first Triple Crown victory.
And, Ruler on Ice took his first step toward providing the longevity that many racing fans crave from the equine athletes in the sport. At the end of the Belmont, the salty gelding took the trip back to his plain stall at Monmouth Park and gave fans something to bet on future race cards – a Belmont-winner. It was a victory for the sport.
Yes, there was no coronation of a king at the Belmont this season, but there certainly remains a ruler.
Ruler on Ice.
I think the gelding, and his gracious connections, are good for the sport.
Thank you to horsephotos.com for the photo of Ruler on Ice in the Belmont. To visit the horsephotos.com website, please click here.
Great article!
Thanks, Robin! It is always great to hear from you.
Great article, Jennifer. This was a great read, as it is interesting to find about the life of the horse that is the underdog. He ran a great race to the surprise of so many people.
Thanks, Louise! I liked his quirky traits… It made him interesting. (And, I love longshots!)
I hope we hear more from him. He’s quirky and fun, and as a gelding could be in this sport a long time. What brings people to the sport is the personalities - and he could be a good one.
Bring on the mares and the geldings, I say! They’re more likely to stick around so we can get to know them.
I agree with you completely, Katie! Thanks for the nice comment.
It’s exactly the personalities that grow the sport - they give us something to talk about. Another keeper of an article, Jennifer. Is it going to Blood Horse? It should.
Thanks for your nice comment, Tori. I agree with you. I love learning about their personalities - It adds another dimension to follow beyond their races. I didn’t submit this article to Blood Horse, but I appreciate such a wonderful compliment.
I host a show called Pass the Buck talking horses. The show before the Belmont, my co-host Sandy pick Ruler on Ice. I thought the Sandy was crazy. I joked throughout the show, asking him if he bump his head in the shower to come up with Ruler on Ice. Lucky for one fan, who took Sandy’s pick and completed the pick 4. The pick 4 paid $144,000! I will never make fun of Sandy’s picks again!
Keep up the great work!! I love the Saturday Post!!!