I was quite disappointed with the performance of California Chrome today, in the Belmont Stakes. It marked the twelfth time within the last 36 years that a thoroughbred has entered the Belmont Stakes with a chance to secure the Triple Crown--the first one since 1978--and failed.

But California Chrome's finish--a dead heat for fourth place--begs the question: If the horse had finished, instead, in a dead heat for first place, would that have counted as a Triple Crown?

I really do not know the answer to this.

Does anyone else?

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"In his second inaugural address, [Franklin D.] Roosevelt sought 'unimagined power' to enforce the 'proper subordination' of private power to public power. He got it…"—George Will, July 8, 2007

I thought they had to run the other two to make it to the Belmont. Found out today I was mistaken.

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I think they would have checked the photo nine ways from Sunday and declared one a winner.

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I don't believe there is an official triple crown. It's just an informal name for the winner of the 3 races.

IMO the real loser at todays race was the whiny owner of Chrome. Blamed everything and everybody for the loss except a bad trip causing his horse to lose.

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, comprises three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse. The term originated in mid-19th century England and different nations where thoroughbred racing is popular each have their own Triple Crown series.

Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.

Donald Trump

True that, but there is nothing official about it. No trophy is given , no extra prize, no betting odds. Belmont, Preakness, and the Kentucky Derby are separate races.

There is no policy that determines entry qualifications in all three races combined.

There actually is a Triple Crown Trophy. (It has been brought to New York--for the Belmont Stakes--on 12 occasions since Affirmed's Triple Crown victory in 1978. But on each of those 12 occasions, it went unclaimed.)

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"In his second inaugural address, [Franklin D.] Roosevelt sought 'unimagined power' to enforce the 'proper subordination' of private power to public power. He got it…"—George Will, July 8, 2007

You are correct. It's been so long ago that I had forgot about it.

You are correct; he did appear rather whiny--and embittered.

Still, I think he was basically correct: Those horses that appeared in neither the Kentucky Derby nor the Preakness--noe in any other races during that time period--were surely very rested, and in a position, therefore, to upset a superior horse.

But some things are still better left unsaid--especially at a moment that was never designed to be reflective and analytical, but should have been reserved, instead, for the winner's owner and supporters to bask in a moment of glory.

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"In his second inaugural address, [Franklin D.] Roosevelt sought 'unimagined power' to enforce the 'proper subordination' of private power to public power. He got it…"—George Will, July 8, 2007