NEW YORK, June 6: Jose Santos, who will ride pre-post favourite Funny Cide in the Belmont Stakes here Saturday, knows what it is like to spoil a horse’s bid for a Triple Crown.

In 1999, the 42-year-old Santos rode the long shot Lemon Drop Kid to an upset win in the Belmont while Charismatic, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the first two legs of the Triple Crown, finished third.

Now Santos is hoping there will not be a spoiler in the one-and-a-half mile Belmont on Saturday as Funny Cide tries to enter the history books as only the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown.

Santos knows he will have his hands full when he and Funny Cide step onto the track on Saturday against five of the country’s best riders.

And four of the six jockeys in the Belmont have a history of wrecking Triple Crown bids since 1989.

Pat Day ruined Sunday Silence’s hopes in 1989 when he rode Easy Goer to victory in the Belmont. Sunday Silence finished second. Day will ride Ten Most Wanted on Saturday.

In 1998, Gary Stevens, who will be aboard Scrimshaw, guided Victory Gallop to a win over Real Quiet, who had won the first two legs.

And Edgar Prado stunned more than 103,000 fans last year when the outsider Sarava won the Belmont and paid more than 70 dollars for a outlay of one dollar. War Emblem, the Triple Crown hopeful, came in eighth.

Prado is booked to ride Dynever on Saturday.

Which jockey is most likely to play the role of spoiler and ruin Santos’ hopes of winning the Belmont and completing the Triple Crown on Funny Cide on Saturday?

Day and Ten Most Wanted must be considered along with Jerry Bailey and Empire Maker, who has been freshened up since finishing second in the Derby and bypassing the Preakness.

Bailey said after the post draw, “I think my horse is the best horse. He won the Wood (Memorial) with five to six lengths to spare. The only problem is he didn’t have a very smooth road into Churchill (the Derby).”

He was referring to Empire Maker’s bruised foot, which has since cleared up.

Empire Maker’s trainer Bobby Frankel, a New Yorker, says his colt is “dead fit for this race.”

Ten Most Wanted trainer Wally Dollase said, “We think he has a very good chance, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”

Barclay Tagg is also happy with Funny Cide’s chances of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. He said, “He seems to be getting bigger and stronger every day. He’s been bucking and squealling every day. I feel very good about my horse.”—AFP