The horses for the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes are listed in order of post position with comments provided by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times. The morning-line odds were set by Eric Donovan of the New York Racing Association.
Purse: $1.5 million guaranteed. Distance: 1-1/2 miles.
Track record: 2:24 (Secretariat, 1973). Weight: 126 pounds.
Post time: Saturday at 6:37 p.m. Eastern. Television: NBC.
Joe Drape’s picks (win, place, show): Lani, Suddenbreakingnews, Exaggerator.
Melissa Hoppert’s picks (win, place, show): Creator, Suddenbreakingnews, Exaggerator.
1. Governor Malibu
Trainer: Christophe Clement. Jockey: Joel Rosario. Odds: 12-1.
Joe Drape: This New York-bred is improving, but he will be spinning his wheels the last half-mile.
Melissa Hoppert: He finished second in the Peter Pan here, and his trainer and jockey won the 2014 Belmont with Tonalist.
2. Destin
Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Odds: 6-1.
J.D.: He was the fastest 3-year-old in March. That’s a problem since he has run only once in 13 weeks.
M.H.: The sixth-place Derby finisher is wicked fast but lightly raced. Too many question marks.
3. Cherry Wine
Trainer: Dale Romans. Jockey: Corey Lanerie. Odds: 8-1.
J.D.: He splashed up for second in the sloppy Preakness. Even with rain, I don’t think he can do it again.
M.H.: The second-place Preakness finisher is a deep closer and benefited from a fast pace.
4. Suddenbreakingnews
Trainer: Donnie Von Hemel. Jockey: Mike Smith. Odds: 10-1.
J.D.: He fires every time and will be one of two running that final quarter-mile.
M.H.: Also a capable closer, he encountered trouble in the Kentucky Derby but rallied to finish fifth. With a clean trip, this colt is dangerous.
5. Stradivari
Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Jockey: John Velazquez. Odds: 5-1.
J.D.: This is the colt’s third race off a layoff, which often portends to a big effort. He will be dangerous later this summer in the Travers Stakes.
M.H.: Another speedy but late-blooming colt trained by Pletcher, the fourth-place Preakness finisher rounds out my superfecta.
6. Gettysburg
Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Jockey: Paco Lopez. Odds: 30-1.
J.D.: His only win was back in January against maidens.
M.H.: This speedy colt was entered merely as a rabbit by WinStar Farm, owner of Creator and the breeding rights to Exaggerator.
7. Seeking the Soul
Trainer: Dallas Stewart. Jockey: Florent Geroux. Odds: 30-1.
J.D.: Seeking a reason to think he belongs in this race. But I can’t find one.
M.H.: He just broke his maiden last month at Churchill Downs. Pass.
8. Forever d’Oro
Trainer: Dallas Stewart. Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Odds: 30-1.
J.D.: This one might like the extra ground enough to finish fourth.
M.H.: He also broke his maiden last month, albeit over the Belmont track. Still, pass.
9. Trojan Nation
Trainer: Paddy Gallagher. Jockey: Aaron Gryder. Odds: 30-1.
J.D.: He’s winless, but has a bankroll of $213,000. That’s something!
M.H.: The 16th-place Derby finisher has never won a race. Pass.
10. Lani
Trainer: Mikio Matsunaga. Jockey: Yutaka Take. Odds: 20-1.
J.D.: Your winner. The Derby and the Preakness were preps. He’ll be running when the others are staggering.
M.H.: This so-called crazy horse turned in solid efforts in the first two Triple Crown races and seems to be thriving. But can he bolster his entertainment value with a paycheck?
11. Exaggerator
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux. Jockey: Kent Desormeaux. Odds: 9-5.
J.D.: I’d love to own this horse. He’s dead game and runs his race every time. I don’t think he has enough left in the tank, though.
M.H.: Along with Nyquist, this Curlin colt is the cream of the 3-year-old crop. But the Triple Crown trail is grueling, and a dry track doesn’t give him an advantage.
12. Brody’s Cause
Trainer: Dale Romans. Jockey: Luis Saez. Odds: 20-1.
J.D.: Beware of the hidden entry: I like this Romans horse better than his Cherry Wine.
M.H.: The seventh-place Derby finisher is just not as fast as the top contenders in this race.
13. Creator
Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Odds: 10-1.
J.D.: He gets a positive rider switch to the New York ace Ortiz after a troubled Derby. He will take some money.
M.H.: This Tapit colt wowed clockers heading into the Derby but finished 13th because of a troubled trip. Given the opportunity to run, he poses a serious threat.
About the Author
