The horse Bobby Flay couldn't sell has long-shot Belmont Stakes dream
Share this @internewscast.com

SARATOGA SPRINGS — With 15-1 odds, Crudo is unlikely to beat Kentucky Derby victor Sovereignty and Preakness winner Journalism in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.

However, one might suggest that this result would be no more unexpected than the series of events that brought Crudo into the Triple Crown competition initially for his owners Bobby Flay and Jimmy Ventura along with Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

“Jimmy and I initially intended to purchase him as a pinhook investment — we acquired him as a weanling with plans to sell him as a yearling. We brought him to the Saratoga [Fasig-Tipton] auction, but he didn’t sell, so we ended up keeping him,” said Flay, the chef, restaurant mogul, and Food Network celebrity to The Post early on Friday morning before checking on Crudo.

“I don’t usually race colts. I usually race fillies only. But I have him, so he’s racing, and he’s turned out to have talent,” Flay continued. “The Belmont Stakes is New York’s most important race and as a New Yorker, it’s clearly important to me.”

Flay, 60, says he’s been watching horse racing since his teenage years when he and his friends from the Yorkville neighborhood in upper Manhattan would cut school and take the A train to Aqueduct.

The Belmont Stakes has long been a staple of Flay’s social calendar.

“I go to the Belmont every year. I usually take 20-30 people to Belmont Park and make a day out of it,” Flay said. “It’s become a tradition where I have people over to my house for brunch, everyone comes dressed in their racing gear — suits, summer dresses, hats. I feed them in the morning and then put everyone in cars and we go to Belmont and we have a day.”

He said those nights usually end with a group dinner at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on 33rd Street.

But Saturday, the stakes will be much higher.

On Preakness Day at Pimlico, in his third career start, Crudo won the Sir Barton Stakes by 7¹/₂ lengths.

Pletcher, a four-time winner in the Belmont, gave the son of 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify a few weeks to breeze, considered other options and decided to give it a go in the $2 million race.

“The horse is here, he’s doing well, I don’t see a whole lot of pace in the race, we’ve got [jockey] John Velazquez available,” Pletcher said. “I couldn’t come up with a reason not to give it a try.”

Crudo’s name, not surprisingly, has ties to the culinary world.

“I came up with the name,” Flay said, explaining he acknowledged raw talent, though on menus everywhere the word means raw fish. “It’s so hard to name these horses. I liked the fact that it meant raw because he was such a young horse when we bought him and he had talent.

“I told Jimmy what I named him and he was like, ‘Really?’ He wasn’t impressed,” Flay added about his partner, who is in commercial real estate and has been involved in horse racing for more than 30 years. “Naming horses and naming restaurants. If they turn out to be good, the name makes perfect sense. It couldn’t be anything else.”

Flay spent much of his spring rooting on his beloved Knicks from the first few rows at Madison Square Garden.

Like most fans, he reveled in the team’s longest playoff run in 25 years and still is feeling the disappointment.

“I remember all the playoff seasons when we ran into Michael Jordan,” said Flay, who lists the Knicks and Yankees as his biggest sports passions. “We were good then, but we kind of couldn’t get past it. It was fun to watch those guys play this year. They’re a really good team and, unfortunately, they lost to Indiana.”

Flay said he was surprised at the firing of coach Tom Thibodeau.

“I am. I thought he did a good job. I mean, we beat the world champions. We beat the Celtics soundly,” he said. “A couple things go different ways and you’re in the Finals. I don’t always think that new is a good idea, but it’s not my team.”

His team on Saturday is Crudo-Flay-Ventura-Pletcher.

“Both Bobby and Jimmy love horse racing. Bobby’s been terrific to train for, for a number of years,” Pletcher said. “He’s knowledgeable and also always says, ‘You can make the decision.’ We’ve had some success together and these guys are fun to train for.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Kyoto hikes tourist tax by 900% amid overtourism surge

Kyoto Implements 900% Increase in Tourist Tax in Response to Overtourism Surge

Kyoto is set to significantly increase its accommodation fees starting March 2026,…
Wyoming Capitol bomb investigators focus on men seen in security video

Investigators Zero In on Individuals Captured in Security Footage in Wyoming Capitol Bomb Probe

Investigators in Wyoming are on the hunt for two individuals suspected of…
Baby humpback whale meets tragic end off New Jersey coast in suspected propeller strike

Tragic Loss: Young Humpback Whale Falls Victim to Suspected Propeller Accident off New Jersey Coast

A young humpback whale, found stranded near Long Beach Island, New Jersey,…
St. Johns police reponds after student attacked on school bus

St. Johns Police Take Swift Action Following Alarming School Bus Incident

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement indicating that a…
Former ESPN Host Blasts Boy Competing Against Daughter

Ex-ESPN Host Criticizes Boy Competing Against His Daughter in Sports Event

Outrage Erupts as Christian Ponder’s Wife Criticizes Transgender Participation in Girls’ Sports…
No CTA trains will run on Chicago Loop elevated rails this weekend for track work, including Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines

Chicago Loop Train Shutdown: No CTA Service on Brown, Green, Orange, and Pink Lines This Weekend Due to Track Maintenance

Attention, commuters! This weekend, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has announced a…
New take on twisted '90s thriller 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle' stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maika Monroe

Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maika Monroe Lead Riveting Remake of 90s Thriller ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

In Hollywood, a fresh reimagining of a classic thriller is making waves.…
Man linked to Hamas attack on Israel indicted in Louisiana for conspiring to support terrorist group

Louisiana Man Charged with Conspiracy in Connection to Hamas Attack on Israel

A Louisiana resident has been formally charged in connection with the October…
Luigi Mangione claims he was beaten by seven 'ladyboys' in Thailand months before CEO killing: report

Shocking Twist: Luigi Mangione Alleges Assault by ‘Ladyboys’ in Thailand Before High-Profile CEO Murder

Luigi Mangione, once a promising Ivy League student, is now embroiled in…
A Trump supporter wearing an inflatable costume is attacked in moving gif

Shocking Video: Man in Inflatable Trump Costume Assaulted at ‘No Kings’ Protest in Blue State

A man from Massachusetts has been officially charged after reportedly attacking a…
Vladimir Kramnik: Former world chess champion may face discipline for treatment of Daniel Naroditsky

Controversy Strikes: Vladimir Kramnik’s Conduct Under Scrutiny in Daniel Naroditsky Dispute

On Wednesday, the global chess governing authority announced it is contemplating disciplinary…
Melodee Buzzard: Timeline of investigation into missing 9-year-old girl from Santa Barbara, California

Investigative Timeline: The Disappearance of 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard from Santa Barbara, California

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has stepped in to assist in the…