NEW YORK -- The two Hall of Fame jockeys were just about nose to nose as their horses hit the middle of the final turn of the Belmont Stakes. Gary Stevens, aboard Preakness winner Oxbow, was going to relinquish the lead to the hard-charging Palace Malice, and he knew it. He glanced over to his right and lked at gd friend Mike Smith and told him: "You go on with him big boy, youre moving better than me." Was he ever. Palace Malice seized the lead with a quarter-mile to go Saturday in the final leg of the Triple Crown and ran off to a 3 1/4-length victory over Oxbow at Belmont Park, with Kentucky Derby winner Orb another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. "Mike rode a superb race," Stevens said. "Midway around the turn, I said, Well maybe. But I have ridden long enough to know that he (Oxbow) was going to walk home. To finish second, I am really surprised." Palace Malice, who came into the race with only one win in seven starts, vindicated trainer Todd Pletchers support of the 3-year-old colt despite a 12th place finish in the Derby. "Its huge. Its huge," Pletcher said about his second Belmont win. "We always felt like he had a big one in him. We were just waiting for it to finally develop. I told (owner) Mr. (Cot) Campbell this horse is training unbelievable. I know hes got a big run, we just need to put it all together." The Belmont concludes a Triple Crown season in which hopes were high that Orb could break the 35-year drought without a sweep of the classics. In fact, its the fourth time in five years each race was won by a different horse. Palace Malice, who skipped the Preakness, covered the 1 1/2 miles in a slow 20.70 on a fast track following a 24-hour downpour. A crowd of 47,562 turned out on a warm, sunny afternn as Tropical Storm Andrea moved out of the area. For the second time during this Triple Crown run, Pletcher sent out five horses. He came up short in the Derby five weeks ago, skipped the Preakness and regrouped, and came through at his home track for an owner who has supported him from the start. "Its the mother of all great moments, Ill tell you that," the 85-year old Campbell said. "Im proud for Dogwd and proud for my partners, and Im proud of Todd, one of the greatest horse trainers of all time." Sent off at odds of 13-1, Palace Malice returned $29.60, $11.20 and $6.70. Oxbow, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, returned $9.90 and $6.10, and Orb, the 2-1 favourite trained by Shug McGaughey, paid $3.30. "He made a gd run around the turn, but we had given up so much," McGaughey said about the colt who was still ninth with a half-mile to go and just could not make up the difference. "I dont think he got tired. He put up a pretty gd run to get where he was, and those horses just werent coming back." Incognito was fourth, followed by Revolutionary, the filly Unlimited Budget, Overanalyze, Vyjack, Golden Soul, Will Take Charge, Giant Finish, Midnight Tab, Freedom Child and Frac Daddy. Golden Soul is owned by Canadian Charles Fipke. Rosie Napravnik, who was aboard Unlimited Budget, became the first female to ride in all three Triple Crown races in the same year. She was trying to become the second female jockey to win a Triple Crown race. Pletchers other Belmont starters were Revolutionary, Unlimited Budget, Overanalyze and Midnight Tab. All week, Pletcher expressed optimism that Palace Malice was ready to unleash a big effort. On June 2, the son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin put in a blazing 4 furlong workout in 47.40 seconds. Pletcher called it one of the most impressive works hed ever seen. And it carried over to the race and gave the nations leading trainer his second Belmont win (he won the 2007 Belmont with the filly Rags to Riches) to go with his 2010 Derby win with Super Saver. Smith won his second Belmont, having won aboard Drosselmeyer in 2010. "The game plan was mapped out, and it really went according to plan," Smith said. "We were laying third on the outside of Oxbow, like we wanted. At the three-eighths, Gary said, Go on, little brother. ... And we went on it with it, man." The 14-horse field -- the largest since 1996 -- got off to an even start. Frac Daddy and Freedom Child set out for the lead from their inside posts, with Oxbow not far behind. As the field came out of the turn, Oxbow had the lead heading into the long backstretch run. But unlike the Preakness, he had company up front and the pace was a bit quicker. By the time Oxbow reached the far turn, Palace Malice lmed and Orb was beginning to make a run from way back in the pack. And thats when Palace Malice tk charge. The only question was whether anyone was going to catch him. Unlike the Derby, Orb could not complete a come from behind victory. He couldnt even reel in the tiring Oxbow. "Its been fun. Ive got no problems with anything, everthings fine with me," McGaughey said. "I just wish we wold have showed a little better performances in the Preakness and the Belmont." Dino Ciccarelli Stars Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Dallas Stars Jerseys .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Wdson said Wednesday that J. http://www.thedallasstarshockey.com/alexander-radulov-hockey-jersey/ . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Blake Comeau Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Brian Bellows Stars Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. The available talent pl at this years MLB non-waiver trade deadline ranked among the weakest in years, but that didnt stop 28 of the 30 MLB teams from making some sort of move by Aug. 1. The Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies were the only wallflowers.Its always a challenge to slap a grade on deadline trades so quickly, because circumstances are fluid and snapshots can be deceiving. Prospects involved in trades cant be judged until two or three years down the road. And what happens if the player acquired by aa contending club burns it up but his new team flops, or vice versa?But were happy to do the dirty work and assess how 13 contenders that made trades at the deadline have fared through six weeks.ddddddddddddSorry, fans of the Royals (Billy Burns), Cardinals (Zach Duke), Astros (Guadalupe Chavez ) and Mariners (Dan Vogelbach), but your teams acquisitions failed to make the cut.Chicago Cubs ' ' '
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