2010 Belmont Stakes Contenders Make for an Interesting Field

The 142nd running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes, the final and longest leg of the Triple Crown at 1-1/2 miles, will be held on Saturday at Belmont Park with a competitive group of 12 horses slated to run. Due to the enormous difficulty for any horse to run in all three races over the Triple Crown’s 5-week span, there has not been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 – and lest we forget Big Brown’s failed shot two years ago when he came in dead last. 

Thus, for this year’s 2010 Belmont Stakes, not a single horse will have competed in all three Triple Crown races making the Belmont a little more underwhelming this year than it has been in the past, but also opening up the opportunity for relative unknowns to catch a piece of horse racing glory with a breakthrough performance. With Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and the Preakness winner Lookin at Lucky foregoing the Belmont, it opens the field up to interesting prospects – and wagers.

Only Ice Box, Make Music For Me and Stately Victor are coming back from the Kentucky Derby, with First Dude joining the race from the Preakness Stakes. Sports Interaction’s Belmont Stakes odds has Nick Zito-trained Ice Box, who came in second at the Derby, as the favorite to win with 2/1 odds, followed by First Dude, was run down by Lookin at Lucky in the Preakness, at 4/1.

Meanwhile, trainer Todd Pletcher added one more horse to the field, With Anticipation Stakes and Bourbon Stakes winner, Interactif, who Sports Interaction lists with 14/1 odds. Pletcher made the decision after Interactif, who is the son of Broken Vow, covered six furlongs on the Belmont surface in 1 minute 14.29 seconds.

“We decided to call an audible and send him to the Belmont,” Pletcher said. “Two works ago, we had it in our minds, and after surveying the field we decided to go.”

Longshots to keep your eye on include Uptowncharlybrown, 20/1, who won his two races at Tampa Bay Downs and earned a third place finish at the Sam F. Davis. Uptowncharlybrown is also working with a new trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, since the recent death of Alan Seewald. Stay Put, 33/1, who also hails from Broken Vow, has experience on multiple surfaces and was a stretch running winner of an allowance race on the Derby Day card.

It should be noted that three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel will be aboard Dave in Dixie, who has 25/1 odds at winning the Belmont Stakes – so really, it’s anyone’s race. With eight Triple Crown newcomers this year, can a longshot take the third jewel in the Triple Crown? Don’t miss the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 5.