What Horses Are Running In Belmont Stakes 2017
- What Horses Are Running In Belmont Stakes 2017 Entries
- What Horses Are Running In Belmont Stakes 2017
- Horses In Belmont Stakes Today
- 2017 Belmont Stakes Video
Belmont Stakes, oldest and longest of the three classic horse races (with the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes) that constitute the Triple Crown of American horse racing.The Belmont Stakes originated in 1867 and is named after the financier, diplomat, and sportsman August Belmont.It has been run at various distances and tracks in its history. Neither of these two horses will run in this event. The first ever Belmont was run in 1867, which is the oldest of the triple crown events. Let’s take a look at some of the Top Horse Betting Picks for the 2017 Belmont Stakes: Classic Empire 3/1: The favorite of the Kentucky Derby, kind. The 2017 Belmont Stakes is upon us and unfortunately there will be no Triple Crown winner in 2017 after two seperate winners at the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness. Still it is the final leg of the 2017 horse racing season and the last chance to see horses on the track until next April. This year with be the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes, being the oldest Triple Crown event. Despite its exhausting mile-and-a-half distance, the Belmont Stakes is typically won by horses who are relatively close to the early lead. Creator, who was 10 th after the opening half-mile, was just the sixth winner in the last 23 editions to be eighth or worse after the first four furlongs. A Triple Crown won’t be on the line this year, but the June 10 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets still promises to be one of the year’s highlight events, as some of the best 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in the sport compete at a taxing 1 ½-mile distance none of them have ever tried before in front of an on-track crowd estimated to exceed 45,000.
One of the big challenges of handicapping the Belmont Stakes every year is the different amounts of rest that horses have. This year, Classic Empire and Lookin at Lee will be running their third race in five weeks - something horses just don't do anymore. Conquest Mo Money, Multiplier, and Senior Investment are bouncing back from the Preakness, so they are off three weeks of rest - less than is common now, too. Meantime has rested for a month, and the rest are coming off at least five week's rest. Epicharis goes to the other extreme of potentially having too much rest - he last ran on March 25.
So, how much rest is ideal? And who will benefit most from the rest they have had? Here is a look at the nine potential fresh Belmont horses who have had at least a month to get ready for this race, arranged by amount of rest (Odds to win the Belmont are from MyBookie ):
Four weeks
Meantime (+2200): He has had a month since finishing second in the Peter Pan - the same rest that Tonalist had before winning this race in 2014. He was only second in the Peter Pan, though, and would have to have the race of a lifetime to shine here. He has breeding to overcome in this race, hasn't faced horses of this caliber, and hasn't proven that he is good enough. Hard pass.
Five weeks
Irap (+1000): He was really lousy in the Derby - just awful as he finished 18th - and was not great in the Sunland Derby. His one big win - his only win, actually - came in a Blue Grass Stakes that was as bad as a prep race can possibly be. He could have all the rest in the world and be one of three horses in the field and I still wouldn't bet on him.
Gormley (+1000): He won the Santa Anita Derby. Winners of that race have combined for five Triple Crown race wins in the prior five years. This year's edition was lousy, though, and Gormley had a very forgettable Derby. Still, he has multiple graded stakes wins, so he can't be ignored in this spot.
Tapwrit (+800): His sire, Tapit, has sired two of the last three winners of the Belmont. On that front alone he deserves consideration here. Since winning the Tampa Bay Derby, though, he has been lousy in the Blue Grass and not as good as his sixth-place finish would suggest in the Derby. I don't like his form, but his breeding makes him a factor.
Patch (+1500): Here's another one with lousy form - a terrible Derby and a real lack of experience prior to that. Like stablemate Tapwrit, though, the breeding makes him tough to ignore completely - his sire, Union Rags, won this race, and damsire A.P. Indy won the Belmont, sired winner Rags to Riches, and has Triple Crown winners as his sire and damsire.
J Boys Echo (+3000): He beat Preakness winner Cloud Computing three back in the Gotham. But since then he was one of the lousy runners in the Blue Grass, and he just didn't show up for the Derby. There is talent, but I find him hard to trust. On the other hand, he is the longest shot on the board at this moment, and that's just ridiculous, so there is at least some relative value.
Irish War Cry (+900): Trainer Graham Motion has put this horse under consideration for this race later than any other potential entrant. I like it. He was my top pick in the Derby but never fully recovered from early contact and was a disappointing 10th after fading late. I want another chance to see what he is made of, so if he runs I'll bet on him.
Seven weeks
Twisted Tom (+2500): Chad Brown just won the Preakness with a lightly-raced colt, and he is dominant in New York. So if he says that this lightly-raced colt is ready for a big effort in New York, and that he will love the distance, and I am not going to argue.
11 weeks
Epicharis (+380): He has not run since the UAE Derby, where he finished second to Thunder Snow, who imitated a bucking bronco instead of a thoroughbred in the Derby. This is a very concerning layoff for this horse in my eyes - especially since he has to travel so far to get here, his trainer has never run in the U.S. before, and his jockey has only run here a handful of times. He won his first three races by a combined 25 lengths, though, so he has some talent. And his grandsire, Sunday Silence, won the Derby, Preakness and Breeders' Cup Classic in 1989. He was a true joy to watch, and he left for Japan upon retirement, so we never get to see his offspring here. I'm far from the only one who is excited about that.
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Read more articles by Trevor Whenham
The 149th running of the Belmont Stakes will take place on June 10, 2017 at Belmont Park in Elmwood, New York. The race is the final leg of the Triple Crown and is limited to 16 starters who’ll race on Belmont’s dirt track for a distance of a mile and a half. In recent years, the Belmont has been the site of the biggest stories in racing. In 2014, California Chrome took a shot at becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner in history but fell short in his quest. That set the stage for 2015 when American Pharoah sealed the deal and joined horse racing’s immortals as a Triple Crown winner.
The big story this year is likely who won’t be running in the race. Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing are passing on the Belmont Stakes. The flip side of this situation is that it should be a wide open race which could mean a big payday with an underdog winner.
The contender field will be finalized on Wednesday, June 7. Once the field is finalized the post positions for the Belmont will be assigned and morning line odds set. Below is a rundown of likely entrants—check back often for updates:
–Conquest Mo Money: Didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby, finished 7th in the Preakness. Had a decent Derby prep campaign with second place finishes in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and Grade 2 Sunland Derby. Trained by Miguel Hernandez with jockey Jorge Carreno likely to be aboard. Most observers think that Conquest Mo Money could be a decent horse at a lower level of racing but is in over his head here.
–Epicharis: What do you say about a Japanese horse with two career races, neither of which were in the United States? He broke his maiden in February at the Hyacinth Stakes in Tokyo but looked solid in a second place run at the Grade 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Race Course in Dubai. Was under consideration for the Preakness but his connections ultimately passed. Very much a question mark that has a strong contingent of railbirds expressing enthusiasm. Depending on the price, might be worth using on exotics. Trained by Kiyoshi Hagiwara with jockey assignment unknown.
–Gormley: Ran out of gas in the Kentucky Derby at 1 ¼ mile but his connections used the weather and muddy track as a rationalization. Won the Santa Anita Derby from off the pace though far from a decisive win. Prevailed by ½ length turning in a mediocre 88 Beyer. Solid trainer in John Shirreffs and an excellent jockey in Victor Espinoza. Plenty of questions about the decision to run him here. With his stamina already in question hard to see the sense in running him at a longer distance.
–Irap: Won the Blue Grass Stakes in a mild upset. Unimpressive in the Sunland Derby. The ‘glass half full’ view was that he’d shown improvement every time out. The ‘glass half empty’ view is that he’s faced overmatched opponents his entire career. The latter might be the reality after he laid an egg in the Kentucky Derby finishing 18th. Trainer Doug O’Neill, jockey Mario Gutierrez. Same handicap as for the Kentucky Derby–hard to see him stepping up in competitive class successfully. This is particularly true at a longer distance.
–J Boys Echo: Had never finished lower than 4th in his career until a 15th in the Kentucky Derby. Weather and track conditions may have been a factor. This Dale Romans trained entry remains something of a question mark. Got a perfect pace in his first career win in the Grade 3 Gotham turning in a 102 Beyer in the process. Got a terrible pace in the Grade 2 Blue Grass finishing fourth against weak competition. Jockey Luis Saez.
What Horses Are Running In Belmont Stakes 2017 Entries
–Lookin at Lee: A lot of ‘wise guys’ were big on Lookin at Lee heading into the Kentucky Derby and their support was validated with a 2nd place finish at 20-1 odds. Followed that up with a 4th place run in the Preakness. Trained by Steve Asmussen, jockey Corie Lanerie. This could be a perfect spot for him to win. The pace should be to his liking and everything suggests that he’ll handle the distance well.
What Horses Are Running In Belmont Stakes 2017
–Meantime: Finished second in his stakes debut on this track in the Grade 3 Peter Pan back in May. Broke his maiden in his previous race, a Maiden Special Weight at Keeneland and finished 2nd in his career debut. A lot to like about this horse who is a powerful speedster but the usual question remains—is he ready for this level of competition after 3 races? Bryan Lynch is the trainer, Jose Ortiz the likely jockey.
–Multiplier: This Brendan Walsh trained horse has a lot of fans despite a sixth place finish in the Preakness. Career mirrors so many in the modern three year old scene where connections favor racing lightly early in his career. Finished third in his career debut, a MSW at Fair Grounds before winning his first shot in a stakes race as the took the Grade 3 Illinois Derby. Joel Rosario is the jockey. So many horses enter this race not ready for the competitive class but Multiplier isn’t one of them. Should be a decent bet at significant odds.
–Patch: The one-eyed horse that became a media darling in the run-up to the Kentucky Derby where he finished 14th. Second in the Louisiana Derby with a win in his career debut. He has talent but is very raw. He’s a media sensation as he only has one eye—the other eye was removed after an ulcer failed to heal properly. Got a bad draw and bad trip in the Derby and the likely pace in the Belmont should help him. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Horses In Belmont Stakes Today
–Senior Investment: Strong closing horse that finished third in the Preakness after a ho-hum three year old season up until that point. Won the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland but finished 6th in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby two weeks earlier. Very strong closing fractions in the Preakness have given his supporters hope that this is a perfect spot for him. Needs a dry track to be successful. Trainer Ken McPeek with jockey Channing Hill.
–Tapwrit: Improving horse finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby after a fifth place run in the Blue Grass Stakes. Needs a good trip to be successful but hasn’t found it the last time out. Won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby earlier this year, second in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis and a winner in the Pulpit Stakes. in the Blue Grass. He’s shown improvement every time out and has solid connections with trainer Todd Pletcher. Jose Ortiz was aboard in the Kentucky Derby but he might take the mount on Meantime here.
2017 Belmont Stakes Video
–Twisted Tom: Original plan was to run him in the May 29 Commentator Handicap at Belmont but his connections are pleased after two straight wins at Laurel to start his three year old career. That likely motivated the decision to take a shot at this race. Could be a horse that is capable of stepping up in class.