Get ready to witness The Run for the Carnations! This week closes out with The Test of the Champion(s), The Third Jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes! While there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, the energy in the air is still very electrifying. Racing fans everywhere can not wait to see who wins the 149th running of the Grade I, Belmont. Here’s the scoop.
The Belmont Stakes was inaugurated in 1867, it was in place before the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes. The race is named for August Belmont, Sr. who funded the first edition of the race . August Belmont, Sr. was a racehorse owner, breeder and President of the National Jockey Club. Belmont Park Racetrack, where the Belmont Stakes is currently hosted and the August Belmont Trophy, presented to the winner of the Belmont Stakes, are named for him as well. Before the race came to Belmont Park, it was held at Jerome Park and Morris Park Racetracks respectively. The race was not held in 1911 or 1912 due to unfortunate gambling laws. Aqueduct Racetrack hosted the race for 5 years during the mid 1960’s during renovation work at the Belmont track.
Furthermore, just as the race location has changed many times the traditions have varied as well. Currently, the song is, “New York, New York”, the drink is the Belmont Jewel and the flower has managed to stay, white carnations of which the winning horse is presented a blanket of. While the trophy is the August Belmont Cup, a huge sterling silver acorn shaped bowl, the winner is presented with an engraved silver tray to keep, having to give the actual trophy back before the next edition of the race. I have included several photos of various Belmont Stakes winner’s plates throughout this story. All of the photos are framed in white carnations.
The Belmont Stakes is the longest of any jewel of the Triple Crown. It is a 1 and 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) race for 3 year-old Thoroughbreds on dirt. The 2017 edition carries a purse of $ 1.5 million dollars! On June 10, 2017 the race will post at 6:50 P.M. EDT. It is one of America’s best attended racing events. More than 45,000 fans are expected to be at Belmont Park, in Elmont, New York this coming Saturday. The rest of the American based fans can watch on television. NBC Sports Network will cover the races at Belmont from 3 to 5 P.M. EDT. NBC will take over coverage from 5 to 7 P.M. EDT. A lucky 13 races are on Belmont’s card Saturday. There are more races than horses entered in the Belmont Stakes. The first race posts at 11:35 A.M. EDT. 9 are stakes races, 5 of these races are G I, including the Acorn, the third leg of the Filly Triple Crown or the first race of the U.S. Triple Tiara. A G II and a G III stakes are also on the card. The purses are large.
Here are the 12 entries in the field for the 2017, 149th Belmont Stakes by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/morning-line odds:
- Twisted Tom/Javier Castellano/Chad Brown/Cobra Farm/20-1
- Tapwrit/Jose Ortiz/Todd Pletcher/Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Robert LaPenta/6-1
- Gormley/Victor Espinoza/John Shirreffs/Jerry and Ann Moss/8-1
- J Boys Echo/Robby Albarado/Dale Romans/Albaugh Family Stable/15-1
- Hollywood Handsome/Florent Geroux/Dallas Stewart/Mark and Nancy Stanley/30-1
- Lookin At Lee/Irad Ortiz, Jr./Steve Asmussen/L and N Racing/5-1
- Irish War Cry/Rajiv Maragh/Graham Motion/Isabelle de Tomaso/7-2
- Senior Investment/Channing Hill/Kenny McPeek/Fern Circle Stables/12-1
- Meantime/Mike Smith/Brian Lynch/Silverton Hill, LLC./15-1
- Multiplier/Joel Rosario/Brendan Walsh/Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel and George Kerr/15-1
- Epicharis/Christophe Lemaire/Kiyoshi Hagiwara/U Carrot Farm/4-1
- Patch/John Velazquez/Todd Pletcher/Calumet Farm/12-1
Twisted Tom is the only New York bred in this Belmont. He is the gelding of Creative Cause and Tiffany Twisted. He broke his maiden his second time out and it was right at Belmont Park. His last two races were stakes, though they were not graded. He has a record of 4 wins in 6 starts.
Tapwrit is a gorgeous grey KY horse born to no other than the reigning top sire, Tapit and Appealing Zophie. After Tapwrit finished 6th in the KY Derby, he sat out the Preakness. His career consists of 7 starts – 3 wins – 1 second. His last 5 were stakes, the final 4 of those were graded stakes. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, also trains Patch. Pletcher is a multi Belmont Stakes winner.
Gormley is another KY bred. He is the offspring of Malibu Moon and Race to Urga. Gormley missed the Preakness. He has won 4 of his 7 starts. His last race was the KY Derby when he finished 9th. His jockey, Victor Espinoza is experienced in the Belmont and won with our last Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah in 2015.
J Boys Echo had a surprisingly bad trip in his last start, the KY Derby. He was knocked around quite a bit and finished 15th. That was his 5th graded stakes race. He had finished in the money in two of those races and was 4th in the other two. In all, he has a career of 7 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third. He is a KY bred son of Mineshaft and Letgomyecho.
Hollywood Handsome has never won a graded stakes or entered a G I race, he wasn’t in any part of the Triple Crown. However, as we were reminded in the Preakness, racing is full of surprises. This one is the longshot. He is a KY bred colt by Tapizar and Ladyflickerflacker. Hollywood Handsome won his last start, an allowance at Churchill Downs in mid May. His career includes 2 wins and 3 third place finishes in 9 starts.
Lookin at Lee is a KY bred. His sire is Lookin at Lucky and his dam is Langara Lass. He did well in both former legs of the series. He was 2nd in the KY derby and 4th in the Preakness. He has 2 career wins but he has never won a graded stakes. 8 of his 11 starts have been graded stakes so he has a lot of experience. Altogether his career has been 2 wins – 3 seconds – 2 thirds. I think I’ll put him in my top 3. His trainer, Asmussen, won the Belmont last year with Creator. Oritiz, his jockey, won last year with Creator.
Irish War Cry is a horse I like to keep under my radar. Despite his 10th place finish in his last start, the KY Derby, I feel this horse has talent. Apparently, I’m not the only one. He finished 1st in the Holy Bull and the Wood Memorial. In all he has won 4 of his 6 starts. Irish War Cry is a New Jersey bred son of Curlin and Irish Sovereign. Irish War Cry is the morning-line favorite.
Senior Investment was shocking in the Preakness. After he won the Lexington Stakes, at Keeneland, he received KY Derby points but it was too little too late to get a crack in the race. He made up for lost opportunity when he finished 3rd in the Preakness as a 30 to 1 longshot. Senior Investment, as it turns out, was an incredible investment, paying $10.20 to show. He is a colt by Discreetly Mine and Deputy Commander. He is another KY bred winner. His career stands with 9 starts – 3 wins – 2 thirds. His last 3 starts were all graded stakes.
Meantime is another surprising entry to me. I am a big fan of his sire, Shackleford who finished 5th in the 2011 Belmont after finishing 4th and 1st in the prior two-legs of the Triple Crown. Meantime didn’t race in the KY Derby nor the Preakness. He has only entered 4 races prior. He broke his maiden his 3rd time out. He was 2nd in the only graded stakes he entered, the G III Peter Pan stakes at Belmont. Meantime is KY bred. His dam is Livermore Leslie. Meantime’s jockey, Mike Smith, won the 2013 Belmont on Palace Malice and in 2010 on Drosselmeyer.
Multiplier has The Factor and Trippi Street in the first line of his pedigree and he is gray. After skipping the KY Derby, Multiplier was 6th in the Preakness. It was his first time he didn’t finish in the top 3 but only his 2nd graded stakes race. He won the G III Illinois Derby in one of his 5 career starts. His jockey, Rosario won the 2014 Belmont Stakes on Tonalist, crushing my dreams of a California Chrome Triple Crown.
Epicharis was the winner of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby which he skipped, as he did the Preakness. He has won 4 of his 5 starts. His last time out was the UAE Derby where he finished 2nd. Epicharis is a Japanese bred horse born to Gold Allure and Stapes Mitsuko. Epicharis is the second favorite.
Patch won the popularity vote in the KY Derby but not the race. Breaking from the most outward post 20 he was able to fight his way up to finish 14th. He skipped the Preakness. He is a KY bred by Union Rags and Windyindy by A.P. Indy. Union Rags won the Belmont in 2012. A.P. Indy won it in 1992. What a bloodline! His career is 4 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds. Exactly half of his starts were in graded stakes. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, won the 2013 Belmont with Palace Malice and Rags to Riches in 2007. Patch’s jockey, John Velazquez, won the 2012 Belmont on Union Rags and 2007 on the filly, Rags to Riches. There are no fillies entered this year. Patch drew the post furthest from the rail again, bummer.
This Test of Champions contains quite the mixed bag. There is a lot of variety in this group. It should prove difficult to handicap and that is one of the reasons this race maintains its intrigue. The 149th Belmont Stakes won’t end with a Triple Crown winner but it will end with a champ draped in white carnations with a title that will be remembered for all of history.
Share This: