Big Brown Didn't Make It In 'New York, New York'

There was a "sense of inevitability" about Big Brown in today's Belmont Stakes, Joe Drape said in the New York Times.

He was a "mortal lock to become the 12th Triple Crown champion" against an "unaccomplished field."

But they call the mile-and-a-half race -- the longest in the Triple Crown -- the test of champions. And Big Brown failed the test, finishing dead last.

Once again, the fates conspired to prove to one and all that there is no such thing as a sure thing.

Which leads me to a couple of questions/observations:

1. It hasn't been a good year for the sure things, has it?


2. Do you suppose the New York connection has anything to do with the failures of the sure things?

I'm just being facetious, of course.

Even so, it's getting a little spooky how New York always works its way into these things.

Hillary Clinton went from being the Democrats' front-runner to the third-place finisher in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, and she never took control of the race again. Today, the New York senator officially acknowledged what everyone else already knew -- that Barack Obama has won the party's presidential nomination.

Many people thought the New England Patriots were a sure thing. They were undefeated going into the Super Bowl -- but they couldn't close the deal, losing to the New York Giants.

Today, no matter how dominating he appeared three weeks ago in the Preakness, Big Brown couldn't take charge, and Da' Tara won the race in Elmont, N.Y.

The 38-to-1 shot paid $79.00, $28.00 and $14.80.

It's a disappointment to racing fans, but it's hardly anything new. We haven't had a Triple Crown winner in 30 years.

In some years, the bid for the Triple Crown ended in the second race. But in a few instances -- like this year -- the sport of kings has seemed to come tantalizingly close to ending the drought.

Maybe next year.