Not bad for an 81-1 also-eligible horse who wasn’t even in the Kentucky Derby up to 36 hours before he won it. Those performances suggest that Rich Strike not only recovered from his career-best Kentucky Derby win, but that he might be sitting on an even bigger showing in the Belmont Stakes. His workout numbers at Churchill Downs leading up to the Belmont have been incredibly strong – a 47.1 second 4-furlong breeze on May 21, followed by a 59 second 5-furlong breeze on May 30. The good news is that Rich Strike may have certainly benefited from skipping the Preakness. If he’s within 10 lengths of the frontrunners at the halfway point (6 furlongs), he would be in good shape to make a winning run. Leon will have to position Rich Strike much closer to the front this time around, probably mid-pack, to have a chance of winning. With his front-running and pedigree for distance, We The People is a genuine threat to take the field wire-to-wire.īarring some unforeseen speed duel, Rich Strike won’t get that torrid pace he ran at in the Kentucky Derby coming from well behind the 20-horse field early on. In the Peter Pan, he was well clear of the field early, and drew off with plenty left in the tank in the final quarter mile of that race. If We The People sets that moderate tempo, it will be difficult for any horse to catch him. It would be surprising to see We The People run the first half-mile in under 47 seconds. There’s not a lot of early speed in this field, with We The People the only runner with a past history of running from on or near the lead.Įxpect Prat to hustle We The People to the front in the Belmont, just as he did in the Peter Pan Stakes, and set a very modest opening tempo without many challengers on his tail. Tactical speed and stamina mean more in the Belmont Stakes than in any other classic race, given that it is a full quarter-mile longer than the Kentucky Derby. Television: NBC The field Odds set by the New York Racing Association Play the Belmont Stakes with TVG and you can get a risk-free bet of up to $200! Analysis Jose Lopez, Irad Jr.’s brother, will ride Nest for trainer Pletcher. and Creative Minister, who finished third in the Preakness for trainer Ken McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.Ī sentimental favorite might emerge in Nest, the lone filly in the Belmont field, who finished second in the Kentucky Oaks behind Secret Oath. Other potential challengers include Mo Donegal, the fifth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. A winner in three of four starts, including Belmont’s Peter Pan Stakes, We The People is the 2-1 morning line favorite for trainer Rodolphe Brisset and jockey Flavien Prat. To pass that test, Rich Strike will have to defeat a lively field of seven challengers, led by the new kid on the block, We The People. Play the Belmont Stakes with TVG and you can get a risk-free bet of up to $200!
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