The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder
I’LL HAVE ANOTHER will he be # 12 or will he be #1 since 1978? If you’re not watching the Belmont Stakes Saturday you better be at Polo and recording it if you are a horse person. Eleven horses in the last 34 years have won two out of the three races that make up the Triple Crown and did not finished the deal. Back in the 70’s we had a run on the Triple Crown as 3 horses did it, but since then there have been no other Triple Crown winners.
Eleven is a big #. Here it is … “I’ll Have Another” is in the 11 th gate there have been 11 Triple Crown Winners and the last 11 horses with a chance to win the Triple Crown have not won. I am all for a dozen TC winners!
I hope this team makes it just like Steve Cauthen did so many years ago on Affirmed it. That would be awesome. “I’ll Have Another” has never been the favorite, but he will be tomorrow. He could be # 4 in the last 64 years.
The battle in Polo hits the big time in the UK as well tomorrow as the Queen’s Cup heads into the Quarters and it is packed with big sticks. Sat. finds Cortiuma and Polito Pieres, a serious candidate for “Player of the Year” so far in my books, taking on EFG with Edwardo Astrada and Brit Mark Tomilson. In Game 2 it is El Ramanso led by Pelon Stirling and his tricky stick. He will, however, have to deal with 2 of the Britian’s best in Luke Tomilson and James Biem.
On Sunday it will get crackin’ with Ayala and Gonzalo Pieres and JP Clarkin taking on Richard Millie, who brings Mr. Macdonough to the table (as in Pablo). The final game finds Engima with Nero (Juan Martin) and James Wirth taking on the Master himself Adolfo Cambiaso (AC) and Dubai. Four of these players were on the Winning Argentine Open together Pelon, Pablo, Nero and Adolfo Cambiaso, so they should know each other well. None, however, have a chance to win all 3 Majors. Pelon and AC were eliminated in FL when AC broke his hand. Mr. Nero was on a losing team in the U.S. Open Finals.
Out West it is Opening Day in Party Club USA as San Diego Polo opens up for the summer season. Santa Barbara has their 3rd 12-goal Tournament starting today and I would think it is about time to hear from the Boys in Petaluma.