Belmont Stakes:
California Chrome won’t get it done and win the Triple Crown. It hasn’t been done since 1978 when Affirmed did it, and the second, third, fourth and fifth place finishers in the Kentucky Derby did not run in the Preakness. Twelve horses since Affirmed have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown only to come up short at the Belmont. The horse is good, he’s won six times, but he’s not going to be good enough on Saturday. He makes number 13 that doesn’t get it done. It’s too hard and I don’t think this horse is anything spectacular in the vein of Secretariat (1973) , Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed. Those horses were all time good, especially the amazing Secretariat, and I don’t see this horse on that level. The race is also a mile and a half, longer than the Derby, which is a mile and a quarter, and the Preakness, which is a mile and 1/16, even shorter than the Derby. That doesn’t sound like a lot, and I’m not an expert in horse racing, but for some reason the extra distance and the pressure on the jockey seems to make a difference at the Belmont. At least history tells us that. Ride on Curlin could be a horse to watch in this race. I say Chrome doesn’t get it done.
Final thought on Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick signed a huge six year contract through 2020 for $126 million that pays him $61 million guaranteed money and $21 million a year on average. That guarantee is higher than any player in NFL history. There are some stipulations to it regarding injuries, that don’t guarantee the money if he doesn’t meet certain requirements as far as playing goes, but if he does, he has a chance to make a ton of money. Are you kiddin me? How about winning a Super Bowl before you get that kind of deal. Kaepernick lost the NFC title game to the Seahawks with an ill advised interception in the end zone at the end of the game when he could have thrown an underneath ball and given his team at least a couple of more chances to win the game at the end. Don’t think he’s a very good decision maker. That’s a high risk for the 49ers. They really believe in him. Don’t agree with that decision. S got a big extension with the Tide with a lot of money and excellent bonus opportunities, but he’s won four national championships, he brings in an amazing amount of revenue to the University and attracts exceptional students from all over the country to the University. Joe Flacco got his huge deal last year with a lot guaranteed, but that was after he won a Super Bowl. Kaepernick’s guaranteed money (with the stipulations) is a little more than Drew Brees’s and a lot more than Peyton’s and Brady’s. Actually all of them ain’t hurting. Something is not right about this Kaepernick deal though. Well, the pressure will be on Kaepernick to win a Super Bowl next year with all that money on the table. He’s going to be expected to win more than one. Maybe a LeBron and not one, not two, not three, not four if he keeps his talents in South Beach, which is questionable even after this season. Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers organization are putting a lot of faith in Kaepernick. His job and Harbaugh’s will be on the line if he doesn’t produce in the next couple of years and bring home a Lombardi Trophy or two or three to the left coast.