Article & photos by Sara Beth Raab
The Belmont Stakes is the last of the three Triple Crown races, and 2014 was the chance to possibly see the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years! And thanks to the Mid-South Horse Review, I have a Press Pass to this historic moment.
Over 130,000 people lined up to see the races. I walked up to the gate with my big camera in hand, all posh in my purple dress and my fascinator, passed through security, and made my way to the media room. My friends were set up in the second balcony. I could shoot photos from there or go where ever I wanted.
I made my way to the hallway where the horses walk out onto the track, following the other photographers onto the field. Feeling my feet on the track walking over to the grassy inner field was exciting! Looking back at the 130,000 people in the stands I was floored at my good fortune.
At the first race, up walked Keith, the top dog of all the 200 or more photographers in the infield, all with significantly more experience than I. “Where is your pinny?” he asked rather sternly. This is where my ability to turn anything into a joke helped. We laughed at how it would ruin my outfit. I apologized for being ignorant about wearing a photographer’s pinny, and he explained how to get one.
All the photographers on the track have a pecking order, but it was interesting to see how well they worked together. By the second race I had made some friends and found the rhythm.
Finally, it was time for The Big Race. All of the photographers were nervous, double, triple, and quadruple checking their gear, while staking their claim at a place on the rail. I met a nice guy from Sports Illustrated who saved a spot on the rail for me. The pre-race festivities were electric, with thousands of people cheering as LL Cool J sang.
Then it was time for the post parade. Out came the horses for The Belmont Stakes, being led by their grooms. And there he is – the calm, cocky and so very handsome California Chrome! As he was led past me, his jockey Victor Espinoza winked at me.
And then they were off! The thundering hooves were just barely louder than the clicking of shutters on the cameras beside me. The crowd was so intense and loud, compared to the still and silent press, and we were face to face with the galloping horses coming toward the finish.
And quickly it was over. When California Chrome didn’t win, the silence of the press showed clear disappointment. There were whispers of “why?” and plenty of tears.
But the press followed the winner, as I did too for a second. Then I saw the chestnut with a blaze and four socks passing by. Once so coveted by the press, he was now almost ignored by them. As he walked by I reached up to touch this handsome Thoroughbred, and the owner reached up to pat him, too. I was truly in awe of the moment! He walked back to his barn, with his grooms and owners, to eat hay like every other horse.
I wonder if he knows of the disappointment felt by his fans, and how desperately they wanted him to be a Triple Crown winner.
The Belmont Stakes is the last of the three Triple Crown races, and 2014 was the chance to possibly see the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years! And thanks to the Mid-South Horse Review, I have a Press Pass to this historic moment.
Over 130,000 people lined up to see the races. I walked up to the gate with my big camera in hand, all posh in my purple dress and my fascinator, passed through security, and made my way to the media room. My friends were set up in the second balcony. I could shoot photos from there or go where ever I wanted.
I made my way to the hallway where the horses walk out onto the track, following the other photographers onto the field. Feeling my feet on the track walking over to the grassy inner field was exciting! Looking back at the 130,000 people in the stands I was floored at my good fortune.
At the first race, up walked Keith, the top dog of all the 200 or more photographers in the infield, all with significantly more experience than I. “Where is your pinny?” he asked rather sternly. This is where my ability to turn anything into a joke helped. We laughed at how it would ruin my outfit. I apologized for being ignorant about wearing a photographer’s pinny, and he explained how to get one.
All the photographers on the track have a pecking order, but it was interesting to see how well they worked together. By the second race I had made some friends and found the rhythm.
Finally, it was time for The Big Race. All of the photographers were nervous, double, triple, and quadruple checking their gear, while staking their claim at a place on the rail. I met a nice guy from Sports Illustrated who saved a spot on the rail for me. The pre-race festivities were electric, with thousands of people cheering as LL Cool J sang.
Then it was time for the post parade. Out came the horses for The Belmont Stakes, being led by their grooms. And there he is – the calm, cocky and so very handsome California Chrome! As he was led past me, his jockey Victor Espinoza winked at me.
And then they were off! The thundering hooves were just barely louder than the clicking of shutters on the cameras beside me. The crowd was so intense and loud, compared to the still and silent press, and we were face to face with the galloping horses coming toward the finish.
And quickly it was over. When California Chrome didn’t win, the silence of the press showed clear disappointment. There were whispers of “why?” and plenty of tears.
But the press followed the winner, as I did too for a second. Then I saw the chestnut with a blaze and four socks passing by. Once so coveted by the press, he was now almost ignored by them. As he walked by I reached up to touch this handsome Thoroughbred, and the owner reached up to pat him, too. I was truly in awe of the moment! He walked back to his barn, with his grooms and owners, to eat hay like every other horse.
I wonder if he knows of the disappointment felt by his fans, and how desperately they wanted him to be a Triple Crown winner.
