By BETH HARRIS
By BETH HARRIS
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Union Rags picked up right where I’ll Have Another left off, coming from behind to catch a Bob Baffert-trained horse at the finish in a Triple Crown race.
In Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, it was another photo finish decided by a neck. Just like the Preakness.
The 3-year-old bay colt barreled through a slim opening on the rail to edge Paynter, dealing Baffert, jockey Mike Smith and owner Ahmed Zayat a third loss in this year’s Triple Crown series.
“We needed every bit of the mile and a half,” winning trainer Michael Matz said.
I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with stirring stretch drives over Baffert’s Bodemeister. But the champion was scratched from the Belmont and retired Friday due to a tendon injury, relinquishing a shot at the first Triple Crown sweep since 1978.
His absence opened up the race for Union Rags, who finished a troubled seventh in the Derby after a bumpy start.
Union Rags skipped the Preakness and because of the Derby problems switched jockeys for the Belmont — from Julien Leparoux to John Velazquez, who picked up his second Belmont victory; he won in 2007 with filly Rags to Riches.
“I have to give it to the horse. He did it all for me. He just worked so unbelievable and I was just hoping he could put that work into today’s race and he did,” said Velazquez, who will enter racing’s Hall of Fame in August.
A crowd of 85,811, cheered as Paynter and Union Rags furiously battled down the stretch.
“Is there a Triple Crown for seconds?” Baffert said. “I really felt like I was going to win the Belmont. It was snatched away again.”
Jockey Mike Smith took the blame.
“I’m an old veteran, you know,” he said. “They’re not supposed to get through on the fence on me. I dropped the ball. My fault.”
Union Rags was along the inside in the middle of the pack until it was time to make a move for the lead, and that’s when Velazquez guided him to the inside of the front-running Paynter. Turning for home, Union Rags was full of run, but needed an opening. Velazquez had no room to swing outside, so he focused on finding a hole along the rail. Suddenly, a sliver appeared when Paynter slid over just enough to let Union Rags through in the final sixteenth of a mile.
Union Rags, the 5-2 second choice, ran the 1 miles in 2:30.42. The colt owned by Phyllis Wyeth returned $7.50, $4.20 and $3.40. Paynter, who sat out the Derby and Preakness, paid $5.10 and $3.90. Atigun was another 1 3/4 lengths back and paid $10.60 to show.