Belmont Stakes 2012 Results: Bob Baffert Needs Jockey Change After 3rd Failure

Bob Baffert needs to make a jockey change after Paynter lost at the Belmont Stakes yesterday.

Baffert must have had a hard time swallowing yesterday's loss, as it marks the third straight time one of his horses lost the lead late in the race during the three Triple Crown races. 

The Kentucky Derby saw jockey Mario Gutierrez ride I'll Have Another to victory thanks to a furious charge down the stretch in which he ran down Baffert's horse, Bodemeister, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

Faltering down the stretch on one occasion is excusable.

The Preakness Stakes was more of the same song and dance for Baffert and Bodemeister. In a near mirror imagine to the first leg of the Triple Crown and Churchill Downs, the race at Pimlico resulted in I'll Have Another tracking down Bodemeister in the final furlong to win by a nose. Smith rode Bodemeister then as well.

Two consecutive losses at the end after leading for the entire race usually doesn't bode well for a jockey, but Smith caught a break because of his prior reputation. It was rightfully so, as Smith has recorded over 5,000 victories in his career. He's won every Triple Crown race in the past, and all signs pointed to him being able to right the ship that was Bodemeister.

Then Baffert pulled Bodemeister from the Belmont Stakes. He entered Paynter in the June 9 race, and stuck with Smith as his jockey. All appeared to be going well for Paynter's camp, as Smith got his colt out to a huge early lead and it didn't seem that he would be caught.

But, lightning struck for the third time, as Union Rags, ridden by John Velazquez, was able to make a comeback and slide passed Paynter at about the same distance I'll Have Another had in the Kentucky Derby.

This time, though, it was less Union Rags winning than it was Smith losing.

It was clear that all he had to do was hold the rail and Union Rags would not be able to squeak by on the inside to win. It isn't clear if Smith didn't see him, or if he thought he was making the right move by making some space on the inside, but he moved Paynter to the outside just a little bit. That resulted in Velazquez taking advantage of the golden opportunity, and riding Union Rags to the $600,000 purse.

Smith is obviously one of the best jockeys in the world, but the duo of him and Baffert doesn't seem to be working out for either party. It's not because of any personal rift or any matter off the track, but it just isn't working out for the tandem in terms of winning races.

It didn't work out for Baffert with Smith as his jockey, and change can be good sometimes. It would be much easier on both parties if they were to part ways before the next race and start fresh somewhere else.

Here are the final results of the 2012 Belmont Stakes.

Horse	Win	Place	Show
1. Union Rags	7.50	4.20	3.40
2. Paynter		5.10	3.90
3. Atigun			10.60