Horse racing-Triple Crown hopefuls under too much pressure – Sheikh Hamdan (Reuters)
By Martin Dokoupil SIR BU NUAYR ISLAND, United Arab Emirates, May 24 (Reuters) – H orses attempting to complete the elusive Triple Crown over the last four decades failed because they often face too much pressure to perform in a short space of time, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum said. “At this time of the year, to me the reason is that they are still young to run three times in five weeks,” Sheikh Hamdan, Dubai Deputy Ruler and one of the world’s top thoroughbred owners and breeders, told Reuters in a rare interview aboard his yacht Al Fahedi. To me it is very difficult to see the horse run in top races three times in five weeks.” Last year, California Chrome joined the long list of three-year olds to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, only to miss out on the Triple Crown by failing to win the final longest test in the Belmont Stakes.