Hymn Book wins Belmont's Three Coins Up
May 19, 2011NEW YORK (AP) - Hymn Book rallied to beat 3-5 favorite I Want Revenge by 11/4 lengths Thursday in the $58,800 Three Coins Up Stakes at Belmont Park.
A 5-year-old gelding trained by Shug McGaughey, Hymn Book raced to his fifth win in nine starts. John Velazquez was aboard as he ran the 1 1-8 miles in 1:47.16 over the main track rated good. The race, originally scheduled for the turf, dwindled to five runners with the surface switch.
I Want Revenge set the pace, but could not hold on. He's winless in five races since capturing the 2009 Wood Memorial. I Want Revenge was the morning-line favorite for that year's Kentucky Derby before scratching hours before race with an ankle injury that sidelined him for more than a year.
Hymn Book paid $10.80, $3.80 and $2.90. I Want Revenge returned $2.40 and $2.10, and Ron The Greek paid $2.80 to show.