Belmont Stakes first look: Rich Strike returns to action, but what's the play?

There was a lot of moaning about the quality of the Preakness field a few weeks ago especially when the owner and trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike decided to skip the race.

It’s true, it wasn’t a great field and the Preakness does suffer from its schedule of running two weeks after the Derby in this era of hesitant trainers who feel less is more in terms of running their horses.

However, this year’s Belmont Stakes isn’t shaping up that much better even though Strike Rich will run. The Preakness field only had four horses who had won stakes races while the potential Belmont field has six. One would hope a classic race like the Belmont would have more accomplished entries.

FrontPageBets takes a first look at the field.

Overall, this year’s 3-year-olds have not sorted themselves out yet and a few with great potential are not running in the Belmont. That group would include Preakness winner Early Voting, Derby and Preakness runner-up Epicenter, Pat Day Mile winner Jack Christopher, Santa Anita Derby winner Tiaba, and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Messier. Include a few of those horses and this Belmont becomes a much more interesting race. 

The trainers of the missing horses are waiting to run in the Haskell at Monmouth Park or the Jim Dandy at Saratoga in July and then the Travers at Saratoga in late August.

The 1.5-mile distance of the Belmont is also a great deterrent if a horse isn’t going for the Triple Crown. It is the only time these horses would run the distance in their careers. If you have doubts -- and obviously many of the trainers do -- you wait for the shorter Haskell (1.125 miles) and Travers (1.25 miles). Even the Breeder’ Cup Classic is shorter (1.25 miles).

Much of the focus will be on Rich Strike; he will be the story of the race. That also means he’ll be overbet because of his victory in the Derby. It’s possible he could be favored but it would be surprising if the savvy New York bettors don’t look elsewhere.

For instance, Mo Donegal. He won the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York and finished fifth in the Derby. His jockey Irad Ortiz is one of the best in the country but his guidance of Mo Donegal in the Derby was strange. Breaking from the No. 1 post, he eventually placed Mo Donegal far out in the middle of the track as he turned into the stretch, losing precious ground of the turn.

Meanwhile, Rich Strike, who started from post 21, was guided to the rail by jockey Sonny Leon where he found the opening that led to his victory. Mo Donegal also broke very slowly in the Derby; it’s something his trainer, Todd Pletcher and Ortiz, need to correct for the Belmont. Keep in mind, Pletcher has an excellent history in the Belmont, winning it three times.

We The People will also interest the bettors after his front-running 10.25-length victory in the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont on May 14. He will contend for favoritism.

Creative Minister was a solid third in the Preakness and could improve enough to win this since it will be only the fifth race of his career.  

Just like the Preakness, the Belmont could have a filly in the field if Pletcher enters Nest. Nest was the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks and finished second behind Secret Oath in a game effort. Nest won the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland to earn her favoritism in the Oaks.

Hall-of-Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will run Ethereal Road who won the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard in his last race.

Two Triple Crown also-rans, Barber Road (sixth in the Derby) and Skippylongstocking (sixth the Preakness) will be in the field with their connections hoping they’ve benefited from that experience.  

Three other horses, Golden Glider, Kucher and Howlin Time are also possible for the race but all three at considered outsiders.

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