Exaggerator vs. Nyquist: Preakness and Derby Winners Will Have a Rematch in Haskell Invitational Exaggerator vs. Nyquist: Preakness and Derby Winners Will Have a Rematch in Haskell Invitational {{article.article.images.featured.caption}} Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Full Bio The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Loading ... Loading ... This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe When chaos is standard operating procedure, expect chaos, so that, when there's a horse race involving many hundreds of thousands of dollars in stakes and many more millions in Triple-Crown-quality horses, we can be sure that we'll see changes. On cue, then, Gun Runner's trainer Steve Asmussen shipped his mount from Saratoga to Monmouth yesterday, to run in this weekend's Grade I Haskell Invitational – as opposed to staying in Saratoga for this weekend's Grade II Jim Dandy. It is a really interesting trainer's decision and gives us a key look into both races.

Not least, a few hours ago, the Desormeaux brothers decided to move Preakness winner Exaggerator from the Jim Dandy to the Haskell as well, causing some delay in the NYRA's announcement of the Jim Dandy post positions and latest odds, which are below. Updates to come on the odds for the Jim Dandy's now rather short, top-heavy field. Exaggerator makes a move on Nyquist coming out of the last turn during the 141st Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 21, 2016, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. (Emma Patti Harris/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images) First, although it has suffered the last-minute defections, the Jim Dandy – though technically a Grade II stakes – still offers us talent this year in Belmont winner Creator and in the Triple-Crown contenders Mohaymen, Destin, and Governor Malibu.

Though its purse is smaller than the Haskell's, the Jim Dandy lives up to its name in being a major race, and, as the Bluegrass Wise Man ™ pointed out for us yesterday , it's a key prep for the Travers at the end of next month, and a serious steppingstone for this fall's Breeder's Cup. Second, on Sunday, Derby-winner Nyquist now awaits Exaggerator, Brody's Cause, and Gun Runner down in New Jersey, Nyquist being arguably as serious a competitor as Creator. Moving a horse -- even the Preakness winner Exaggerator -- from Saratoga down to Monmouth is, this year, more than a bit like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. To address this and other questions about the two races this weekend, we turn again to the inimitable Bluegrass Wise Man ™, who sees all. But before we open the debate about the two fields, here are the all-important post positions for this Saturday's tight, talent-rich Jim Dandy field. Incredibly, Mohaymen is favored by the early money over Belmont winner Creator. 2016 Jim Dandy Stakes: Position, Jockey, Horse, Morning Line 1.

Creator, I. Ortiz, Jr., 3/1 2. Laoban, J.L. Ortiz, 20/1 3. Mohaymen, J. Alvarado, 9/5 4. Destin, J. Castellano, 2/1 5. Governor Malibu, J. Rosario, 9/2 6. Race Me Home (IRE), L. Saez, 15/1 What do you reckon about Gun Runner moving down to the Haskell? Bluegrass Wise Man ™: Steve decided to run Gun Runner at Monmouth because he did not want to run him versus Creator – whom he also trains – if he did not have to. I would imagine he consulted with the owners of each horse about the decision to separate the two. Both are tough, which means, both are great races to win. The Haskell is a Grade I, of course, but I think the key here is that Gun Runner has not yet won a Grade I. The Louisiana Derby, which he won, is a Grade II. Creator has won two Grade Ones already, in the Arkansas Derby and the Belmont.

Preakness Winner Oxbow Confirmed For Belmont Stakes | 2016 Preakness Preakness Winner Oxbow Confirmed For Belmont Stakes ORB ‘FINE’ AFTER DULL TRY; ITSMYLUCKYDAY MAKES GRADE BALTIMORE, 05-19-13– Back in the 1980’s and ‘90s when trainer D. Wayne Lukas was winning Triple Crown races with astonishing regularity, the catch-phrase “D. Wayne off the plane” followed him from track to track as he made his hit-and-run assaults on racetracks across America with a lineup of assistants that included Todd Pletcher, Mark Hennig, Kiaran McLaughlin and Dallas Stewart. The glory days of Lukas had seemingly subsided in the new millennium with the passing of wealthy clients like Eugene Klein, W. T. Young and Bob Lewis. In recent years, Lukas had geared down his operation and had become more of a fringe player on racing’s biggest stage.

That all changed Saturday when the 77-year-old Hall of Famer saddled his record-14th Triple Crown race winner, Oxbow, for the 138th Preakness for legendary Calumet Farm, which had similarly faded from the forefront of major thoroughbred racing, It was the first spring classic winner for Lukas since Commendable took the Belmont Stakes in 2000, and the Preakness score by Oxbow ended a drought in the classics for Calumet dating all the way back to Forward Pass’s victory in the 1968 Preakness. Lukas and his nine-horse contingent, that also included Dixie upsetter Skyring and his personal pony, were on the highway before dawn Sunday morning, heading back to their home base at Churchill Downs. Then it’s on to the Belmont Stakes in three weeks with Oxbow and possibly seventh-place finisher Will Take Charge. Titletown Five, Lukas’ third Preakness entrant who finished last, will run in shorter races for the rest of his 3-year-old campaign.

“I’ve always rode with the horses all my career,” said Lukas, who now has six Preakness winners, one behind Robert Walden for the all-time record in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. “I used to go on the airplanes and stand there with them all the time. We don’t fly much anymore.” He’s “the man on the van” these days, having ridden in a pickup truck for more than 12 hours to Pimlico on Tuesday and scheduled to follow the same routine back home Sunday. “I’ll get him home at feeding time just about,” Lukas said. “By the time I get him home and give him a bath it’ll be right about 5 o’clock. They put a bucket seat where I ride on kind of an air-ride slide thing. It’s like riding in a boat somewhere on the waves.” This Preakness was a serious helping of history for the connections of the winner. In addition to Lukas and Calumet, jockey Gary Stevens capped an unlikely comeback at age 50 by winning his third Preakness (Silver Charm and Point Given). Last year at this time, Stevens was working in Baltimore as a TV analyst for NBC and HRTV.

Lukas said all week he was thrilled to have the Hall of Famer aboard Oxbow and was encouraged by his Derby performance. “He’s so on top of all this stuff,” Lukas said. “He’ll tell you the fractions, who was laying fourth on the backside and everything. He’s very into this, very into this.” Oxbow, a son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again, is Lukas’ first Preakness winner since Charismatic in 1999. His other Preakness winners were Timber Country (1995), Tabasco Cat (1994), Tank’s Prospect (1985) and Codex in 1980. Over those glory days, there was a sometimes not-so-friendly rivalry with colleague Bob Baffert, who saddled Govenor Charlie to a disappointing eighth-place finish Saturday. It was Baffert’s 14th Preakness starter (five winners), well behind Lukas’ record total of 40. “Over the years a lot of people thought that Baffert and I had a rivalry, when actually we come from pretty similar backgrounds and we’re pretty good friends,” Lukas said.

“It was really significant yesterday when he came down and congratulated me right after the race. A mutual friend of ours said that when his horse didn’t look like he was getting it done at the half-mile pole, Bob and a friend were jumping up and down and saying: ‘Go get ‘em, Lukey.’ “ Lukas said almost immediately after the Preakness that he hoped to try Oxbow in the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes. “I was trying to be politically correct all week, but I thought (Oxbow) was the toughest horse. I thought if there was some adversity or something went wrong, he had the best chance to overcome,” Lukas said. “Will Take Charge is so big that he has to get a clear run. He can’t check, stop, take a bump or anything. The other horse (Titletown Five) we knew was going to need a career quantum leap forward.” ORB– Kentucky Derby hero Orb boarded a van bound for New York at 7 o’clock Sunday morning, showing no ill effects from Saturday’s disappointing fourth-place finish in the Preakness. “He came out of it fine. He’s sound. Physically, everything is fine,” trainer Shug McGaughey said.

“We’ll get him up the road and evaluate the situation to see where we’ll go.” McGaughey didn’t have a concrete explanation for Orb’s surprisingly dull performance as the 3-5 favorite that followed a sharp, dominating 2 ½-length victory two weeks earlier at Churchill Downs. “The racetrack was probably deep down the inside there. There was a lot of throwback. We couldn’t get to the outside. I thought he was in good position and he took him to the right position, and all of a sudden he had no horse. Why that was, I don’t know,” the Hall of Fame trainer said. “I think it wasn’t our day and it was Oxbow’s day.” Saturday’s disappointment in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown only made McGaughey appreciate the Derby victory even more. “Winning the Derby was my lifelong dream. We won it. I would have loved to win (Saturday) to take it to the next level, so I do appreciate how tough it is,” McGaughey said. “If I have the opportunity again (to compete in the Derby), I may cherish it even more, because I’ve seen how tough it is to get it done.

Maybe, I do appreciate how tough it is to win more. As brilliant as we were two weeks ago, we weren’t as brilliant yesterday.” McGaughey will monitor Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable’s homebred colt’s training at Belmont Park before deciding his status for the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 8. “I want to see him bounce back and see his soundness level and his energy level,” he said. “I think there are a lot of good wins down the road for him.” ITSMYLUCKYDAY– Trilogy Stable and Laurie Plesa’s Itsmyluckyday looked bright Sunday morning, earning high marks from trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. for the manner in which he exited his second-place finish behind Oxbow in Saturday’s Preakness. “On a 1-to-10 scale, 10-plus,” Plesa said. Itsmyluckyday, who had finished 15th over the sloppy Churchill Downs track in the Kentucky Derby, rebounded with a strong showing at Pimlico.

The son of Lawyer Ron, who was forwardly placed in fourth as Oxbow set a comfortable pace along the backstretch, kicked in through the stretch but could get no closer than 1 ¾ lengths of D. Wayne Lukas’ sixth Preakness winner. “I wouldn’t take anything away from Wayne’s horse, but they went the half in 48-and-change. That’s pretty much walking. Did that help his horse? Absolutely. Did it hurt my horse? Absolutely,” Plesa said. “I won’t say anything other than: ‘I wish the pace would have been quicker.’” Plesa said Itsmyluckyday’s dismal Derby showing did nothing to undermine his confidence in his colt’s abilities, but he was happy that the Florida-bred got a chance to prove his critics wrong. “Everybody was throwing him out because he couldn’t get the distance and he ran a lousy race. I hate to use slop as an excuse, but it was a valid excuse. We all knew that,” Plesa said. “Not for us, but for other people, it validates his ability. That’s not a bad thing. They’re like your children.

You don’t like to read something bad about your children. We know what we have. He’s an exceptional horse; there’s no doubt about it.” A start in the Belmont Stakes is far from a definite for the Gulfstream Park Derby and Holy Bull (G3) winner. “It’s 50-50 at best,” Plesa said. Itsmyluckyday, who was scheduled to ship to Monmouth Park Sunday, is a far more definite candidate to run in the Haskell Invitational at the New Jersey track on July 28. “The Haskell is on my list. God willing, that’s a certainty,” Plesa said. MYLUTE- Fourteen hours after his colt finished third in the Preakness, trainer Tom Amoss said Sunday that he was even more impressed with the performance than he was Saturday. “Upon reflection, I think my horse ran the best race of his career,” Amoss said. “The slow pace was impossible for us to overcome and yet he still ran a very good race. I don’t know where the rest of the speed went in yesterday’s Preakness.

It looked like there was quite a bit on paper, but it just didn’t materialize.” Amoss said the son of Midnight Lute owned by GoldMark Farm and Whisper Hill Farm has earned a little bit of time off. “As far as future plans, nothing is on the board right now,” he said. “I’ll get together with the owners at the beginning of the week and we’ll discuss what to do. He’s had two races close together and I think that’s going to be taken into account when we have that conversation.” And Amoss saluted the winning trainer and jockey combination of Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas and Gary Stevens. Lukas, 77, won his record 14th Triple Crown race and Stevens, 50, earned his third Preakness just a few months after ending a seven-year retirement. “It was a masterful job,” Amoss said. “As far as Wayne is concerned, you’ve got to tip your hat to him.

Over the last year he’s made a remarkable comeback and put himself where he used to be, which is at the top of the trainers’ charts.” GOLDENCENTS – Trainer Doug O’Neill and his fifth-place Preakness finisher Goldencents will not be going on to Belmont Park for the Belmont Stakes as originally planned. Team O’Neill and the colt departed early Sunday morning to return to Southern California. “It doesn’t make sense to go on to the Belmont,” O’Neill said. “We had talked prior (to the Preakness) that if we didn’t run huge and came out of it great, we wouldn’t come back in three weeks. Even though I’m very proud of him and the way Kevin (Krigger) rode him, I just don’t think coming back in three weeks off that effort is the right move.” Last year, O’Neill left Pimlico looking for a sweep to the Triple Crown with I’ll Have Another, who had followed up his Kentucky Derby win with a score in the Preakness. He would never get the opportunity when the son of Flower Alley came down with a leg injury that forced him to be scratched the day before the Belmont Stakes.

Goldencents, a three-time stakes winner going into this year’s Kentucky Derby, was a dismal 17th at Churchill Downs, but O’Neill believed the sloppy, sealed race track was largely responsible for that. He admitted the son of Into Mischief simply couldn’t keep up with Preakness winner Oxbow after briefly heading him coming out of the gate on Saturday. “We’ll relax and see what’s in the cards five, six, seven weeks down the road,” O’Neill said. “You’ve got the 3-year-old series on the turf down at Del Mar, so we could possibly try a different surface with him. “Or we could go over him good, train him out there and then look for races like the Haskell or Travers somewhere down the road. We’ll huddle up with the owners and put together a game plan. He’s a good horse. You’ll be hearing from him.” DEPARTING- Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s War Front gelding was shipped back to Kentucky Sunday morning following his sixth-place finish in the Preakness. “He’s fine, but he cooled out very tired,” trainer Al Stall said.

Stall said he had not talked with the owners about future plans for Departing, but that he would not be participating in the Belmont Stakes. GOVENOR CHARLIE- Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert reported Sunday that the eighth-place finisher came out of the race in good shape and was being shipped back to California with stablemate Fiftyshadesofhay, the winner of the Black-Eyed Susan (G2). About Pimlico Race Course Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit . Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator.

The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.

Belmont Park Betting - PreaknessStakes.us Belmont Park Betting News Select Page Belmont Park is one the greatest racecourses of the USA with one of the longest race tracks in the country modeled after European racetracks over the state hosting a gothic mansion as the Turf Club. The most famous Belmont Park race to bet is “The Test of the Champion”, the Belmont Stakes. Only 12 horses in 100 years have been able to win the Triple Crown, of which the Belmont is the last race, the last horse to win being American Pharoah in 2015. Belmont Park Betting Belmont Park is definitely one of the racetracks of choice for online bettors worldwide that enjoy USA racing. Belmont Park Betting is easy and accessible thanks to the many sportsbooks like William Hill – , it’s available to Americans and the rest of the world. With a minimum bet of $2 and 100% deposit bonuses, online bettors can enjoy bets on the Belmont Stakes and all other events of Belmont Park. RACEBOOKS BET NOW Belmont Park History Belmont Park was born in 1902 in Belmont, Long Island thanks to a syndicate ventured by August Belmont II and William C.

Whitney, both influential men of the time that sought out a great race course modeled after the greatest tracks in Europe. They found an enchanting location in an old estate known as Foster’s Meadow, a land with 650 acres hosting an old Tudor-Gothic mansion that belonged to William de Forest Manice. The mansion became the first Turf and Field Club and even after mayor remodeling in the 1970’s the foundations of the mansion can still be appreciated when entering the Turf Club. The most famous race in the year is the Belmont Stakes race, known as the Third Jewel of the Triple and one of the 4th most famous races in the United States. The Belmont is known as “The Test of the Champions” for its great length and for being the final test to win the Triple Crown races. Only 12 horses have won the Triple Crown since 1919, the last being American Pharoah. Sir Barton was the first horse to win the Triple Crown by winning the Kentucky Derby , Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1919.

Between 1946 and 1973 no horses won the Triple Crown and after a 27 year drought Secretariat re-started an era of champions that had previously ended with Affirmed in 1978. Only three fillies have won the Belmont Stakes in 102 years, the most famous one being Rags to Riches who defeated the mighty Curlin in 2007. 2016 $14,658,559 on Breeders’ Cup Day, Oct. 29, 2005 Major Events and Racing Festival The Spring/Summer Championship happens during the months of April and July, 54 days of racing events. The Belmont Park Racing Festival is the climax of the season, a three day racing festival that takes place every in the first weeks of June. It is in this festival were the Belmont Stakes takes place, a Grade 1 race with $1,5 million in purse prizes. Other famous events include the Stars and Stripes Festival, featuring the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks in July 9th. The Belmont Fall Championship takes place between September and October with 38 days of racing.

The biggest race is the Grade 1 $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup in October 8th. Ticket and Hotels You can purchase tickets for the Belmont Stakes with any of the following online vendors. Hotels.com also hosts special discounts on nearby hotels. Or check our recommended Bed & Breakfast Tudor Mansion’s for a unique experience, all at low prices. Purchase your Belmont tickets in advance and enjoy a wonderful stay in Elmont New York. External Resources Belmont Stakes Preview | RACING.COM Exaggerator (Image: Belmont Stakes twitter) Belmont Stakes Preview , ( Pity the promoters of this weekend’s Belmont Stakes. The New York Racing Association always hopes there will be a live Triple Crown chance. If not, its consolation prize is having the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners squaring off. But Sunday morning at 8.50am AEST, there will be no encore to American Pharoah - and no rematch. Nyquist burnt himself out chasing a torrid, early pace in the slop three weeks ago at the Preakness Stakes, and then he spiked a fever the next morning after a third-place disappointment blotted his previously perfect record.

So the Kentucky Derby winner did not just fritter away a Triple Crown possibility, he fevered himself right out of a sixth meeting against Preakness winner Exaggerator. But Exaggerator is here, and his connections will be out to prove that his rain-soaked victory three weeks ago at Baltimore was not simply the result of a recipe that said ‘just add water’. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better scenario,” jockey Kent Desormeaux said Thursday after Exaggerator drew barrier 11 in the field of 13 for the 2400m race on what is likely to be dry dirt. Well, dirt may be a loosely used term at a course nicknamed ‘Big Sandy’ for good reason. “I don’t think there’s any horse quicker than him from the gate on his outside,” Desormeaux said. “I should be able to position him in a fancy spot. He may never get a grain of sand in his face, which is encouraging. A dream run would be third, three-wide, waiting to pull the trigger.” Exaggerator will probably be close to an even-money favourite at Belmont Park, currently $2.30 to win in CrownBet’s market .

Two runners for seven-time US training champion Todd Pletcher - fourth-place Preakness finisher Stradivari (drawn 5) and sixth-place Kentucky runner Destin (drawn 2) - are likely to be amongst the other most-fancied horses along with Preakness runner-up Cherry Wine (drawn 3). So where is the intrigue if a significant jewel is missing from the Triple Crown? It again comes from early pace that was lacking in this race until the late arrival this week of Gettysburg. Drawn 6, he was transferred this month from Pletcher’s stable to that of Steve Asmussen, who already had Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Creator in the Belmont. He drew outside from the field of 13. Both Creator and Gettysburg are owned by Winstar Farm. Gettysburg was the rabbit for Creator’s 1800m, 1¼-length Arkansas victory in April, three weeks before Creator had a troubled journey to wind up 13th in the Kentucky Derby. “I think they drew ideal, really good spots for them,” Asmussen said. “I wasn’t too concerned about where (Creator) drew.

He’s not really fast away from the gate, and he’s been in full fields multiple times in his career.” The ‘X’ factor coming out of Arkansas, though, was deep closing Suddenbreakingnews. He circled the field to finish second to Creator, and he was a hard-charging fifth after early trouble in the Kentucky Derby. “I would’ve won that race if I had another half a furlong,” Suddenbreakingnews’s owner Sonny Henderson said of Arkansas. “He’s a two-turn horse. He likes a mile-and-a-half. It’s set up for him right now. I made a hell of a run in the Kentucky Derby. I got knocked into the rail. He got loose out of it and circled the horses and was running over everything. If I don’t have any problems, I’m going to be right there.” Asmussen was not so fast to say that the Belmont will play out the same way as what happened in Arkansas nearly two months ago. Not with another 600m for the horses to run this weekend. “The mile-and-a-half race and how this group of three-year-olds handles it is unique in itself,” he said.

Even though about half the field will be comprised of deep closers, history says that is not the way to win the Belmont. Since 1899 only five horses that were more than two lengths adrift of the lead turning into the lane managed to win what has come to be known as ‘The Test of the Champion’. One of them, however, was Summer Bird seven years ago, ridden by Desormeaux. “It’s probably preferable not to do,” he said. “It’s a stayers’ race. Horses are not usually going to pass too many horses coming down the lane. Summer Bird was trapped. At about (500m to go) I was finally allowed to present him, and he just exploded. That is a very unusual situation for the Belmont Stakes, and I hope I don’t have to do that.” Desormeaux is ever the confident rider, having won seven US classics in a Hall of Fame career. But lately he has run afoul of alcohol with four failed breathalyser tests at racetracks since 2010 and a fine and ban that have been set aside as long as he behaves himself.

To that end he checked himself in for a brief stay at a Utah rehabilitation clinic after the Preakness. He got out in time to work Exaggerator in a 1:00.87 breeze over 1000m on Belmont’s main track Tuesday. At the end of a trackside news conference when journos were admonished not to ask about anything other than the horse and the race, Desormeaux was nevertheless asked about the rehab. “Well, I’ll say this about that,” Desormeaux said, choosing his words carefully. “I think that my brother, mostly my wife and my family have supported me through all the years, and it was my turn to say thank you.” Asked again about it at Thursday’s draw at Rockefeller Center, he said firmly and tersely: “I feel like a teenager. I feel like an idiot for the last 35 years.” Worth US$1.5 million, Sunday’s Belmont Stakes is expected to jump from 8.50am AEST. Notes on each of the Belmont Stakes runners (with jockey, trainer, CrownBet odds): 1.

GOVERNOR MALIBU (Joel Rosario, Christophe Clement, $21) Adds 3½ kg from second-placing in G2 Peter Pan at Belmont, but that is path Clement took Tonalist to win this in ’14. 2. DESTIN (Javier Castellano, Todd Pletcher, $13) Two-time graded winner was sixth in Kentucky Derby; second-up from eight-week spell. He broke his maiden at Belmont Park. 3. CHERRY WINE (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, $10) Runner-up 3 weeks ago in Preakness, he is experienced closing late in traffic. Has never won Stakes; may need slop. 4. SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS (Mike Smith, Donnie Von Hemel, $5.50) Fifth despite traffic in Kentucky Derby, he gets Hall of Fame hoop for first time and should like wide turns at Belmont. 5. STRADIVARI (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, $9) Coolmore colt made Stakes debut with wide trip to fourth in Preakness. Two ungraded wins were by 11 & 14 lengths. 6.

GETTYSBURG (Paco Lopez, Steve Asmussen, $41) Only true, early speed in this race. Was rabbit for G1 Arkansas Derby win by Creator, also owned by Winstar Farm. 7. SEEKING THE SOUL (Florent Geroux, Dallas Stewart, $51) First-time winner 13 days earlier in Kentucky will be near lead but has only been in maiden races, never past 1600m. 8. FOREVER D’ORO (Jose Ortiz, Dallas Stewart, $34) Maiden winner 13 days earlier at Belmont improves with distance, but this will be only fourth race since April debut. 9. TROJAN NATION (Aaron Gryder, Paddy Gallagher, $51) Winless from seen races, he placed in last three before troubled 16th in Kentucky Derby. Was 81-1 runner-up in April G1. 10. LANI (Yutaka Take, Mikio Matsunaga, $13) Japanese grey was ninth in Kentucky, fifth in Preakness. Racing again without Lasix, may benefit from added distance. 11.

EXAGGERATOR (Kent Desormeaux, Keith Desormeaux, $2.30) Kentucky Derby runner-up and Preakness winner is class of the field, but he has yet to win on dry going past 1600m. 12. BRODY’S CAUSE (Luís Sáez, Dale Romans, $10) G1 Blue Grass winner was seventh after bumpy jump in Kentucky Derby. Deep-closing finish may not suit in Belmont. 13. CREATOR (Irad Ortiz Jr, Steve Asmussen, $17) Troubled 13th in Kentucky Derby is by top US sire Tapit. Closer his rabbit Gettysburg again from G1 win in April. Latest News Twelve Fast Facts About the 2016 Belmont Stakes | America's Best Racing Twelve Fast Facts About the 2016 Belmont Stakes June 4th, 2016 by Christina Moore (Eclipse Sportswire) The third and final jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown is next Saturday, June 11.

Though we don’t have a Triple Crown on the line, the $1.5-million purse, historic venue and top-class 3-year-olds will surely make for a memorable Belmont Stakes . Read on for 12 fun facts about the race. 1. The Belmont is the oldest Triple Crown race. It was first run in 1867, while the inaugural Preakness was in 1873 and the Kentucky Derby debuted in 1875. 2. The Belmont Stakes and Belmont Park, the race’s host track, were both named for August Belmont I. August Belmont made his fortune in the banking industry in the 1800s and was a prominent social figure and politician. 3. Three fillies have won the Belmont. Only 23 have ever run in the race, with Rags to Riches the most recent filly winner when she defeated Curlin in a stirring 2007 stretch duel. 4. The race is run on the longest main track in the country. At 1 ½ miles, the Belmont Stakes is just one complete lap around the 1 ½-mile Belmont Park oval, a dirt main track which dwarfs most North American racetracks.

Many other tracks are one mile or 1 1/8 miles, including Churchill Downs and Pimlico (both are one mile long). 5. There are 700 carnations in the winner’s garland. The white carnations from Colombia are hand-glued to the blanket in a five-hour process. The statue of Secretariat in the Belmont paddock wears a similar version of the blanket on Belmont day each year. 6. The Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes were run on the same racing card in 1890. On June 10 of that year, the two classics were contested at Morris Park in New York. 7. Forty-one horses have won the Belmont Stakes and at least one other Triple Crown race. Of course, just 12 of those swept all three Triple Crown races. Exaggerator has a chance to add a Belmont win to his Preakness tally this year. 8. Just three horses bred in New York have won New York’s classic, and none since 1882. Kentucky-breds have had the most Belmont success, with 96 wins, including American Pharoah last year. 9.

More than $81 million was bet on the Belmont Stakes last year. The total bet on all 13 races on the card is even more impressive: $134,839,391. 10. The Belmont Stakes is sometimes referred to as the “Test of the Champion.” At 1 ½ miles over a sandy dirt track, and often the third race in five weeks for many 3-year-olds, the Belmont either breaks or makes top racehorses. 11. The race was first run counter-clockwise in 1921. It was previously run clockwise, the same direction some European races were run and are still run today. 12. The Belmont has had three different post parade songs. It’s currently “New York, New York,” though the original song was “Sidewalks of New York.” The track even experimented with “Empire State of Mind,” by rapper Jay Z, in 2010.

Related News 2016 Belmont Stakes Betting Preview and Odds to Win - OnlineBettingSites.com - Ratings and Reviews for 2016 2016 Belmont Stakes Betting Preview and Odds to Win Image credit: Mike Lizzi The third jewel of the Triple Crown happens on Saturday, 11 June in New York. This will be the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes and more than a few familiar faces will be seen at Belmont Park over the next couple weeks. Exaggerator, Suddenbreakingnews, Cherry Wine, Stradivari, Destin, Brodys Cause and more are all likely to make a Run for the Carnations. Early Belmont Stakes odds have given Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator the nod as the betting favourite to win it all. Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist was supposed to run as well in a sort of rematch, but his trainers decided to withdraw after Nyquist was found with fever and a high white blood cell count. He is expected to be back in racing form soon, but his trainers and owners didn’t want to push the horse too hard.

Where to Bet on the Belmont Stakes Online BetAmerica Welcome Bonus: 100% up to $300 BetAmerica is a licensed, legal and US-based horse and greyhound racing site. They also host fantasy sports contests, although BetAmerica's focus remains on racing. TwinSpires Bet $500 Get $100 TwinSpires is a product of the venerable Churchill Downs racetrack. This brand is trusted and legitimate. All wagers you place online at TwinSpires are paid out according to real track odds. It was undeniably a wise move even though it would have been awesome to see a rematch. Nyquist was unbeaten his entire career and through the Kentucky Derby , but finally fell to Exaggerator in the Preakness Stakes running. It would have been an intriguing side story for this year’s Belmont stakes, but this is a seriously grueling race at 1-and-a-half miles. Nyquist’s team did the right thing. This year may lack the drama of a potential Triple Crown winner, but there is one tried-and-true method to make the race a whole lot more interesting beyond the love of horse racing.

Of course, I’m talking about betting on the 2016 Belmont Stakes. There is no better way to get the heart racing than to back your favourite horse and watch them take to the track. If you’re of mind to back a winner in this year’s race, online bookmakers are now open for business. Early outright “to win” odds were published earlier this week and will be available until the minute the race begins. Belmont Stakes Odds The table below shows the latest odds as published by bookmakers ahead of the 2016 edition of the Belmont Stakes. As you would expect, Exaggerator is the betting favourite by a long shot, currently paying around even money for the straight up win. Also keep in mind that these are just the odds for an outright win. If you don’t mind going for a lower payout, you can also back any of these runners to place anywhere in the top 3. Just visit the racing betting site of your choice and you’ll find a whole variety of other wagering options. Horse Its All Relevant 33/1 One of the main things to keep in mind when betting on the Belmont Stakes is the distance.

Almost all horses that compete in the third jewel of the Triple Crown come here with no previous experience running at such a distance. By way of comparison, the Kentucky Derby checks in at 1 ¼ miles and the Preakness Stakes runs 1 3/16 miles. An extra quarter mile may not sound like much, but it has a huge impact on the race. Experienced jockeys play an even larger role here than any other major race on the calendar. Old hands frequently emphasize the importance of patience in running this race. Running the horse flat out from the beginning is a recipe for disaster, especially with horses trained their entire lives for shorter races. As Kent Desormeaux notes , “it’s such an enormous track that even the horses get lost.” So, take careful note of the jockeys as you plan your Belmont Stakes wagers. The horses are of utmost important too of course, but do not discount a winning jockey. This is one of the most strategic tracks in the world. With that in mind, Exaggerator does make sense as the favourite.

He put on a master class in patience at Pimlico after starting from the back of the pack and methodically working his way up through the field. He hit the gas in the final stretch to overtake the tiring Nyquist and win the Preakness Stakes. The biggest question for Exaggerator this time around will be his ability to turn around and do the same thing just weeks later on an even longer track. Suddenbreakingnews lived up to his name last week when it was revealed that the previously listed gelding is actually anything but. An ultrasound revealed two undescended testicles that classify him now as a ridgling. This hasn’t impacted the odds of the 5th-place Derby finisher, and his trainers remain as optimistic as ever. His late charge down the stretch at the Kentucky Derby had many wondering “what if he had another quarter mile…” We will get our chance to see exactly how that scenario plays out on 11 June. Cherry Wine’s second place performance also showed a horse that can turn it on late in the race. He did have the advantages of a sloppy track and a favourable start however.

Trainer Dale Romans is confident in his horse, saying “he’s probably bred to go the mile-and-a-half better than anyone in the race.” This entry was posted in Racing Betting on Bodhisattva | 2016 Preakness Jockey Yutaka Take The son of legendary Japanese jockey Kunihito Take, 47-year-old Yutaka Take is a national celebrity in his home country. He was its champion jockey 10 of 11 years between 1989 and 1999, dethroned only in 1991. A five-time winner of the Japanese Derby who owns three Japan Cup victories, Take was also aboard Deep Impact when he became the second undefeated horse to capture Japan’s Triple Crown in 2005. Take has won races in England, France, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. He has ridden twice in the Kentucky Derby but never in the Preakness or Belmont Stakes.

Owner Koji Maeda Businessman Koji Maeda, 67, started his own business, Aitech, at the age of 17 and grown it into one of the top five waste management companies in Japan with several garbage burning facilities around the country. Maeda was 25 when he owned his first horse and has gone on to win 30 Group 1 races in Japan, taking the Japan Derby in back-to-back years with Kizuna in 2013 and One and Only in 2014. In addition to this year’s Kentucky Derby with Lani, Maeda owned another horse that ran in the American Triple Crown. Japanese-bred Sunday Break, trained by Neil Drysdale, ran third in the 2002 Belmont Stakes two weeks after winning the Peter Pan (G2). Maeda is also owner and president of North Hills Co Limited, one of Japan’s largest racing-breeding operations based in Niikappu, Hokkaido.

Trainer Mikio Matsunaga One of Japan’s most successful jockeys before turning to training 10 years ago, 49-year-old Mikio Matsunaga won more than 1,400 races in the irons including 11 Group 1 races. In 2005, Matsunaga rode Heavenly Romance to an upset victory in the Tenno Sho Autumn Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse. Heavenly Romance is the dam of Preakness contender Lani. Matsunaga has won 269 races as a trainer in Japan, with both thoroughbreds and steeplechase horses. He has earned the Japan Racing Association’s Award for Training Technique in 2015. In 2010, Matsunaga saddled his first horse in the U.S. when Red Desire ran in the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old filly would go on to finish fourth in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs.

Belmont Stakes 2014: Post-Preakness Odds and Preview | Bleacher Report Belmont Stakes 2014: Post-Preakness Odds and Preview By Brendan O'Meara , Featured Columnist May 18, 2014 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Al Bello/Getty Images The field for the 145th Belmont Stakes breaks from the gate. 28.9K 2 Comments California Chrome was sensational in how he won the 139th Preakness Stakes on Saturday. He used that "push-button" speed that Art Sherman, Chrome's trainer, always said he had. Chrome is the 13th horse since Affirmed (1978) to vie for the Triple Crown. All 12 before Chrome failed, some in heartbreaking fashion, while others were just confusing. For all those who knocked Chrome's final running time in the Derby, he came back with a vengeance in the Preakness. Now there will be a host of familiar faces that skipped the Preakness in hopes of running in the Belmont Stakes. Will it be Chrome running into a buzz saw?

Or are the horses awaiting him running into Chrome saw? Read on to meet the contenders, see their early odds and get acquainted with the top storylines heading into the 146th Belmont Stakes. Palace Malice winning the Belmont Stakes in 2013. Saturday, June 7 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET: Belmont Stakes Prep, Ogden Phipps, NBC Sports and Live Extra 4:30-7 p.m. ET: The Belmont Stakes and Metropolitan Mile, NBC and Live Extra 7-7:30 p.m. ET: Belmont Stakes Post, NBC Sports and Live Extra Patrick Smith/Getty Images California Chrome vies for the Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes is called "The Test of the Champion" for a reason. It's the longest race any of these horses will ever run. For a few of them, it will be their third race in five weeks. It's one loop around Belmont Park, 1 1/2 miles, to truly test their endurance. Many presumed horses in this field ran in the Kentucky Derby and elected to skip the Preakness Stakes for a chance at the Belmont.

California Chrome faced new shooters in the Preakness and turned them away. He'll face some familiar faces who will have an extra two weeks' rest on him. Here's what the field may look like with odds provided by the author. California Chrome, Even Mike Stobe/Getty Images Belmont Park is the largest track in the country. Back before World War I, in 1902, August Belmont II and former Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney had a dream: They would build the most elaborate race track in North America, modeled after the great tracks in Europe. They found a plot of 650 acres on the border of Queens County and Nassau County. Three years later on May 4, 1905, Belmont Park opened its doors for the first time. On that opening day, August Belmont's Blandy went off at 7-1 and held off a late-charging 100-1 long shot. In 1919, Sir Barton became the first horse to win the Triple Crown. Since then, another 10 horses have won the three races—the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.

Belmont is nicknamed "Big Sandy" because it is big...and sandy. It's the largest track in the country with a 12-furlong (1 1/2 miles) dirt oval, a 1 5/16-mile turf course (Widener Turf Course), an inner turf course of 1 3/16 miles and 103 feet, and a one-mile training track. The single largest attendance record was set on June 5, 2004, when Smarty Jones lost the Belmont to Birdstone. An incredible 120,139 people came to see Smarty Jones win only to see him come up one length shy. Can Chrome win the Triple Crown? Will California Chrome become No. 12? And what about those nasal strips? The question everyone wants to know. The question that everyone—including competitors want to see—can Chrome win the Triple Crown? There is no doubt who the best three-year-old colt is this year. Winning two classics such as the Derby and Preakness solidified Chrome as the head of his class and also makes him a very rich stallion prospect (not to mention a lock as Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse later this year).

But can he do it? Yes, he can, but it won't be easy. He has the perfect running style for this distance. He can be on the lead, but as he proved in the Preakness, he can sit back a few lengths and draft in behind the leaders. He can accelerate when asked as he did in the Derby when he opened up by five down the stretch. In the Preakness, he ran away from the immensely talented Social Inclusion. Chrome has run 19.5 furlongs in three weeks. That's a grand piano on his back that no other horse can carry. Yes, he can do it, but for the over 100,000 people who will show up at Belmont Park, it's going to be a pulse-pounder, a nail-biter. And now there's a possibility he won't even run. What's that about? There could be an issue with him not being able to wear the nasal strips he's had over the last six races , per Gary Mihoces of USA Today. Imagine that, after running in California, Kentucky and Maryland, something as silly as equine nasal strips could derail Chrome's bid for the Triple Crown.

Hopefully, a resolution is made that is satisfactory to the owners, because if they don't feel welcome, they may take their ball and go home. How will the Preakness skippers perform? The second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers from the Kentucky Derby all plan on running in the Belmont Stakes. Let's come out and say it: They wimped out of the Preakness. The three horses that ran in the Derby and wheeled back in the Preakness ran first, second and fourth. Now with five weeks rest, will Commanding Curve, Danza, Wicked Strong and Samraat roll to victory? That's unclear, but they are going to give Chrome the biggest challenge of his career. This will be Chrome's 13th career race. Those who are superstitious and feel that's bad luck may want to back the Preakness skippers. Commanding Curve, Danza and Wicked Strong are all closers. If they get the pace they want, Chrome could be in trouble. Can Todd Pletcher win his third Belmont Stakes? Todd Pletcher may saddle as many as three horses in this year's Belmont Stakes.

He's won one Derby and no Preaknesses, but he's got two Belmonts to his credit. He won in 2007 with the filly Rags to Riches and in 2013 with Palace Malice. Pletcher likes skipping the Preakness to take his shot at the Belmont. He's got Danza (the Arkansas Derby winner), Intense Holiday and Commissioner, second in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park. Commissioner's sire, A.P. Indy, won the Belmont Stakes in 1992, and his offspring tend to have more stamina than most. Commissioner—and Pletcher—could be dangerous come June 7. Tweet Tonalist Tonalist won the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park. The Peter Pan has been a nice prep for horses skipping the Preakness. Tonalist is interesting. In the nine-furlong Peter Pan, he was hustled to the lead in the early running and held on beautifully to win. There will be significantly more speed in the Belmont Stakes, but if he gets alone on the front end, it could spell trouble.

Tonalist is by Tapit, the hottest sire on the planet. Tapit horses have been winning all over the place, and they go the distance. Tonalist is dangerous. Commissioner Todd Pletcher's Commissioner is sired by A.P. Indy, the 1992 Belmont Stakes winner. These horses can run all day. Commissioner was bred specifically for these kinds of races. Pletcher has two Belmont wins in his holster, and Commissioner appears to have the bloodlines and the running style to threaten California Chrome. Social Inclusion Social Inclusion was a bit of a basket case prior to the Preakness Stakes. He was washing out—sweating profusely—prior to loading in the gate. Once in the gate, he reared up and banged around. Most expected him to get the lead, but he ceded it to Pablo Del Monte and Ria Antonia. Social Inclusion made an early move forcing Chrome to go with him at the half-mile pole. In just his fourth start, he still managed to finish third just as he did in the Wood Memorial. If he moves forward off that and his hooves stay sound, Social Inclusion must be respected in this spot.

Commanding Curve He looked like he was dropped in at the eighth-pole the way he closed to finish the Kentucky Derby. He finished second that day, and with the extra running room in the Belmont, he could very well enjoy a similar trip. His grandsire is A.P. Indy, so he's got that stamina in his blood. The way he closed in the Derby was evidence that he's going to like the extra distance. If he gets pace, he'll be flying late. California Chrome carries the hopes of an entire country into the Belmont Stakes. California Chrome Not to belabor the point, but Chrome's running style is perfectly suitable to this distance. If he can rest up and stay sound, Victor Espinoza just has to hit the button at the 3/8 pole and let Chrome run into the history books. But heavy favorites such as Big Brown and Smarty Jones met their match in this race, and Chrome will, no doubt, face his own set of challenges. If he can keep his cool in the crazed atmosphere that will be Belmont Park, then he'll have the reserves to make an honest effort in this Test of the Champion. Ride On Curlin We saw the real Ride On Curlin in the Preakness.

Under the patient handling of Joel Rosario, he screamed down the center of the track. He got a whiff of Chrome, but that would be it. He's an exacta and trifecta machine. He runs hard every time. Watch who Rosario chooses to ride in this race. He won the Peter Pan aboard Tonalist. If he chooses Ride On Curlin, there's reason to believe he'll run big again. Ride On Curlin's sire, Curlin, lost the 2007 Belmont by a whisker. It's in Ride On Curlin's blood to run hard for 12 furlongs, and his late run at Chrome in the Preakness could be a foreshadowing of things to come. Wicked Strong He was the second choice in the Kentucky Derby and finished, pardon the pun, strong, though a semi-distant fourth. He's another deep closer such as Ride On Curlin, so he'll need the pace in order to finish high on the board. He charged like a freight train to win the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

Belmont, for all intents and purposes, is his home track, so he'll have a great sense of how the surface will feel below his hooves.

Question: Which country hosts the Belmont and Preakness Stakes?
Answer: United States