2017 Belmont Stakes Contenders
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is hoping that True Timber can end up being more of the former and less of the latter as he enters him into the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont Stakes will go to post on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 6:50 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Catch the Belmont Stakes live on NBC. Career Record: 1-1-2 ( 7 Races ). Belmont Stakes Contender News & Notes: June 5, 2017 By US Racing Team Japanese invader Epicharis was released from quarantine shortly after 11:30 a.m. On June 3 and went straight to the training track at Belmont Park for a private training session in advance of the Grad. Below are the full results of the 2017 Belmont Stakes: 1. Irish War Cry 3. Senior Investment 6. Lookin At Lee 8. The Belmont Stakes will go to post on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 6:50 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Catch the Belmont Stakes live on NBC. Career Record: 1-2-0 ( 4 Races ) Career Earnings: $230,020. Belmont Stakes Odds at BookMaker.eu: +2000.
The 2017 Belmont Stakes is still 18 days away and the field is continuing totake shape. While it’s a little early to put together a probable field, there’sat least 14 horses under consideration for the final leg of the Triple Crown, as seen on Horse Racing Nation's Stakes Tracker.
Classic Empire: After a gallant yet troubled run to finish fourth in the KentuckyDerby and losing the Preakness Stakes by a head, Classic Empire is pressing onto the Belmont Stakes and may find himself as the favorite.
Cloud Computing: Before the Preakness, Chad Brown stated Cloud Computing would not runin the Belmont. After an upset win though, Brown is considering the third legof the Triple Crown, but has not given any answers that lean one way or theother.
Twisted Tom: Cloud Computing is not theonly late developing three-year-old in the Chad Brown barn. Twisted Tom is on athree-race win streak, including two stakes in Maryland. $75,000 would beneeded to supplement Twisted Tom into the final leg of the Triple Crowncampaign.
Senior Investment:Following a late run for third in the Preakness Stakes, trainer Kenny McPeek isconfident that the 1 ½ miles in the Belmont will benefit his horse.
Lookin At Lee: The Kentucky Derbyrunner-up made another late run in the Preakness to finish fourth. SteveAsmussen, who won last year’s Belmont with Creator, also thinks the Belmontdistance should suit Lookin At Lee.
Tapwrit: The Tampa Bay Derby winnerthrough a clunker in the Blue Grass, but came back to run a respectable sixthin the Kentucky Derby. Partial owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners also hadpart ownership in Destin, who lost the 2016 Belmont by a nose to Creator. BothTapwrit and Destin are trained by Todd Pletcher.
Patch: The fan favorite, one-eyedPatch is another Pletcher horse under consideration for the Belmont. TheKentucky Derby marked only his fourth start and he finished 14th from post 20.
Gormley: John Shirreffs sentGormley to Churchill Downs after winning the Santa Anita Derby, but the bestthe colt managed was ninth place. Gormley skipped the Preakness, but will takeanother shot at the Triple Crown campaign in the Belmont.
Irap: After breaking his maidenin the Blue Grass Stakes, Irap ran a distant 18th in the Kentucky Derby. TheDoug O’Neill trainee skipped the Preakness, but is also expected in theBelmont.
Belmont Stakes Contenders And Odds
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Epicharis: While the Japanese runnerskipped the Kentucky Derby, his connections always noted they would make thetrip to America for the Belmont. His one loss was in the UAE Derby when ThunderSnow nipped him at the wire.
Multiplier: After a sixth-place effortin the Preakness, the Illinois Derby winner returned to his Kentucky base.Trainer Brendan Walsh said Multiplier was a possible for the Belmont.
Meantime: Brian Lynch sent Meantimeout in the Peter Pan Stakes, the local prep for the Belmont, where the coltfinished second in his stakes debut.
Conquest Mo Money: Aftera disappointing seventh in the Preakness, Conquest Mo Money may be looking forredemption in the Belmont, and the speedy colt will hopefully draw better thanthe far outside post.
J Boys Echo: The Gotham winner onlymanaged 15th in the Kentucky Derby, but Dale Romans could be giving his Derbyhorse a chance for improvement in the Belmont.
By Christine Oser
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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.
–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.
–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.
Belmont Stakes 2017 Date
–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.
–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.