05.02.09 -- ...and down the stretch they come!

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Puzzle by Peter A. Collins, edited by Will Shortz
This Saturday crossword puzzle doesn’t horse around! The interrelated entries concern an event beginning today, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, which consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse. In recent years, the Triple Crown has become a very rare achievement, with most horses specializing on a limited range of distances. This year the three races of the Triple Crown take place today, May 2 (Kentucky Derby), May 16 (Preakness Stakes) and June 6 (Belmont Stakes).
The equine entries -- TRIPLE CROWN (23A. It comprises the 10-Down, 34-Across and a third part found elsewhere in the grid); BELMONT (10D. Part of the 23-Across); PREAKNESS (34D. Part of the 23-Across); and running diagonally from upper left to lower right is KENTUCKY DERBY. Additionally,THE FAVORITE (48A. One that bets are on) and BREEDER (39D. One with a stake in 48-Across, say) cross in the lower left corner of the puzzle. Place your bets HERE!
The seven-letter entries are all downs -- CANONRY (12D. Church office); CAT’S EYE (25. Certain shooter); CUT-RATE (37. Marked down); EMPLOYS (43. Has working); GAMEBOY (42. Nintendo product); IN POWER (11. Ruling); OPHELIA (38. “O, what a noble mind is here overthrown!” speaker, in Shakespeare); SKIMP ON (1. Not provide fully); THERESA (23. The Little Flower of Jesus); TREASON (2. Subject of Article III Section 3 of the Constitution).
Six-letter entries -- ASSISI (61A. Birthplace of St. Clare); BAGMEN (17A. Mafia runners); DTRAIN (47D. Public transportation to New York’s Yankee Stadium); DYNAMO (47A. Ball of fire); LETSON (64A. Admits); MOOSHU (26A. Kind of pork); OPTIMA (13D. Perfect conditions); RAINER (28A. Best Actress winner for “The Great Ziegfeld,” 1936); ROSSES (44D. Family in Upton Sinclair’s “Oil!”); SASHES (4A. Pageant attire); STIGMA (57A. Black mark); SUBARU (4D. One of two cars besides a Cadillac named in Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac”); UMIAKS (14A. Walrus-skin boats); UPRISE (45A. Revolt).
Five -- 5D. The Brothers AMATA (violinmakers); ANNIE (29A. Musical with the song “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”); COAST (30A. Proceed effortlessly); EAGER (41A. Itchy); ELWAY (40A. QB who was the Super Bowl XXXIII M.V.P.); HAMEL (7D. Actress Veronica of “Hill Street Blues”); IAMSO (51D. Response to a disbeliever); ODIST (49D. Wordsworth, e.g.); 50D. Denver’s REGIS University; SIGEP (5D. Popular fraternity, familiarly).
Short stuff -- ALD, ANY, ATEE, BIC, CAW (30D. Quote the raven?), COB, DEAR, EAR, EKE, ELEV, ENA, ERSE (24D. Manx relative), IFS and IPS and SIP (27D. Sample, in a way), LPN, MPS, OBOE and OMOO, OKA and OKRA, 21D. "Withhold no atom's atom OR I die": Keats, PIER, RELS and REES, SAL and SAN, SSN, STY and SYS, TIE and TRY (33A. Sample), TMAN, TOYS, TSE, YARN.
“…and down the stretch they come!”
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Remaining clues -- Across: 1. Grunt site; 10. Pen name; 13. Vegetable sometimes grown as a flower; 15. Spain’s Victoria Eugenia, familiarly; 16. Seafood restaurant locale; 18. I.C.U. figure; 19. Bad bill collector?; 20. Perfectly, after “to”; 21. 1847 novel involving a mutiny; 37. Bit of autumn decoration; 52. AWOL catchers; 53. Roger of stage and screen; 54. Sugar; 55. Genealogical listings: Abbr.; 56. Certain council member: Abbr.; 59. Kind of reed; 60. Standoff; 62. Chest contents; 63. Tarsus : foot :: incus : ___; 65. ___ admin. Down: 8. Barely make, with “out”; 9. Job application info: Abbr.; 24. Manx relative; 31. River to the Volga; 32. “___ questions?”; 35. Map abbr.; 36. ___ Juan; 46. Conditions; 55. Spoils; 57. ___ the Stockbroker on “The Howard Stern Show”; 58. Literary inits.

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