John Pricci

ELMONT, N.Y. - You wanted history? You got it.

The 139th Belmont Stakes was supposed to be dead after the Derby winner went on R & R. But a strange confluence of events occurred and history happened. That’s horse racing. That’s how it works.

The Belmont Stakes waited 102 years between filly winners, and for her trainer seemed almost as long.

The filly’s jockey had never won one of these, either, but he broke through with a move that began in Queens and ended at the Nassau County finish line, a nose in front of the by-a-nose winner of the Preakness in a thrilling redux of last month’s Pimlico show.

History was made by a filly who lived up to her name, first elevating a moribund classic with her presence, then etching her name in its record books.

Rags To Riches, who won the Belmont, spent many mornings this spring working in company with Grade I hopeful and Louisiana Derby winner Circular Quay, one of Todd Pletcher’s five Derby colts. Looks like he toughened her up. Maybe it had the opposite effect on him.

She was ready when Curlin, the Preakness legend, ran on strongly in another gifted performance. He came back at her for more in the final half-furlong and gave her all she wanted. And she could have, almost should have, given in.

But Rags To Riches did three generations of Belmont-winning sires proud by looking a very gifted colt in the eye and staring him down in the shadow of the Belmont wire.

Then Johnny Velazquez was punctuating the air on the gallop-out and Todd Pletcher was as pumped as eyes have ever seen him and somewhere Angel Cordero Jr. was smiling.

Carl Nafzger had better win the Travers now, and maybe the Breeders’ Cup, too, because a 3-year-old filly has four Grade I victories with Saratoga still six weeks away, and she’s the only horse in America this year to pass the "Test of a Champion."

Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Trainer Todd Pletcher, left, poses with jockey John Velazquez in the winner's circle after the Belmont Stakes.

This time Curlin was on the inside and the filly outside, out-sprinting him in the early stretch, then out-staring him to the wire. Everybody thought she was the greatest when she went six wide around both turns Santa Anita to win the Las Vergennes. Guess she likes it out there.

And maybe it took an upstart named Digger to dig up some enthusiasm for supporting what was a pedestrian five-horse race a week ago. And maybe I owe Larry Roman an apology. Because he must have awakened Patrick Biancone who was in, then out as soon as Pletcher committed Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s filly to the race. Then Nick Zito heard the band, began marching and the Belmont came alive. But no one expected this.

Rags To Riches made history by becoming the first filly to win the Belmont at its current distance. That’s good for her, good for racing fans, good for the game, and good for Tabor for giving fans a chance to celebrate the Belmont Stakes.

But he couldn’t do it without help from a man who honed her talents and developed her into a star. Not only did she retire the Eclipse Award trophy for sophomore fillies, but the most accomplished three-year-old racehorse in America is a girl and she put herself in the conversation for Horse of the Year.

Pletcher, like mentor Wayne Lukas, is extremely deft with young horses, especially fillies. A filly, Winning Colors, gave Lukas his first of four Derby victories.

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