YOUR AD HERE »

Belmont Stakes could be wet, wide-open race

Richard Rosenblatt
Associated Press
Adam Coglianese / Associated Press, New York Racing Association
AP | New York Racing Association

The field for Saturday’s 145th Belmont Stakes:

PP Horse Trainer Jockey Odds

1. Frac Daddy Ken McPeek Alan Garcia 30-1

2. Freedom Child Tom Albertrani Luis Saez 8-1

3. Overanalyze Todd Pletcher John Velazquez 12-1

4. Giant Finish Anthony Dutrow Edgar Prado 30-1

5. Orb Shug McGaughey Joel Rosario 3-1

6. Incognito Kiarin McLaughlin Irad Ortiz Jr. 20-1

7. Oxbow D. Wayne Lukas Gary Stevens 5-1

8. Midnight Taboo Todd Pletcher Garrett Gomez 30-1

9. Revolutionary Todd Pletcher Javier Castellano 9-2

10. Will Take Charge D. Wayne Lukas Jon Court 20-1

11. Vyjack Rudy Rodriguez Julien Leparoux 20-1

12. Palace Malice Todd Pletcher Mike Smith 15-1

13. Unlimited Budget Todd Pletcher Rosie Napravnik 8-1

14. Golden Soul Dallas Stewart Robby Albarado 10-1

Weights: 126 pounds. Distance: 1½ miles. Purse: $1 million. First place: $600,000. Second place: $200,000. Third place: $110,000. Fourth place: $60,000. Fifth place: $30,000. Post time: 6:36 p.m. EDT.

NEW YORK — Orb and Oxbow. Oxbow and Orb. Anyway you draw it up, there will not be a Triple Crown on the line in the $1 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

Even without a Triple try, the Belmont is still an intriguing race. It matches Kentucky Derby winner Orb against Preakness winner Oxbow, Todd Pletcher sending out a record five horses and one of the largest fields in the 145-year history of a race also known as the “Test of the Champion.”

So let’s not overanalyze the rematch because there are many more story lines that will unfold when the 14-horse field begins its 1½ -mile run around Belmont Park on what could be a wet track following 24 hours of rain.



Orb is looking to bounce back after his fourth-place finish in the Preakness, following his 2½ -length win in the Derby. Oxbow is out to show his wire-to-wire Preakness win was not a fluke.

Todd Pletcher’s quintet includes the filly Unlimited Budget, with Rosie Napravnik looking to become the second female jockey to win a Triple Crown race. Up-and-coming Freedom Child joins the Triple Crown fray for the first time off his 13¼ -length romp in the Peter Pan Stakes four weeks ago over a sloppy track at Belmont Park. And Kenny McPeek, who won the 2002 Belmont with Sarava at record odds of 70-1, is back again with 30-1 shot Frac Daddy.



“There’s probably a few in there that don’t figure, but they’ve got just as much license to run as Orb or Oxbow or anybody else,” said Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, whose Derby winner is the 3-1 morning-line favorite. “I’m not going to worry about because it makes this a good, solid field.”

Revolutionary is the second choice at 9-2, with Oxbow third at 5-1 and Unlimited Budget and Freedom Child each at 8-1 in the field of 14 — the largest since 1996 and one shy of the record set in 1983.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.