Exaggerator Favored in 148th Belmont Stakes
Scott Morris | June 10, 2016
The 148th Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown will be raced on Saturday from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Exaggerator and Lani are the only two horses that will compete in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year.
Exaggerator has odds of 9 to 5 to be the winner. He will come off post 11. However, the Preakness Stakes winner will be facing some horses with fresh legs.
Nyquist, the winner of the Kentucky Derby will not run the Belmont due to having an infection. However, for racing fans this is not good news, as bettors and fans would like to see Nyquist one more time against Exaggerator.
The winner of the Preakness performed will on a sloppy racetrack at Pimlico two weeks again, but odds are the track at the Belmont will be dry on Saturday.
Some of the contenders in Saturday’s race will have much fresher legs than Exaggerator including Brody’s Cause. His trainer Todd Pletcher said it was a logical move for his group to hold his horse out of the Preakness and race in the Belmont if you are not completely set on racing the Preakness.
Both Trojan Nation and Creator also will enter Saturday’s race on loads of rest after running the Kentucky Derby and sitting out the Preakness Stakes.
Since 2000, eight of 16 Belmont Stakes’ runnings have been won by those horses that ran the Kentucky Derby the rested for five weeks prior to racing the Belmont.
That is why five contenders for Saturday’s Belmont could give favored Exaggerator a big run for his money down the home stretch.
Thirteen horses in all were entered to run the 1 1/2-mile track, which made it the second largest race field over the past 20 years.
Stradivari is currently second at 5-1 with Destin third at 6-1 and Cherry Wine at 8 to 1.
Suddenbreakingnews ran fifth in this year’s Kentucky Derby then sat out the Preakness. He could surprise the contenders including Exaggerator with a strong race on Saturday at sits are 10 to 1.
