The draw for the 139th Belmont Stakes is complete and Curlin, winner of the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago, was made the 6-5 morning-line favorite. He will break from the third spot in the starting gate.
Seven horses entered the race (Time Squared pulled out a couple of days ago and Digger backed out as soon as Todd Pletcher entered filly Rags to Riches). Here is the list of starters by post position, with morning-line odds in parentheses:
1. Imawildandcrazyguy (20-1)
2. Tiago (10-1)
3. Curlin (6-5)
4. C.P. West (12-1)
5. Slew's Tizzy (20-1)
6. Hard Spun (5-2)
7. Rags to Riches (3-1)
A couple of early thoughts: I'm happy Pletcher went with the filly, because the race needed a boost in story lines to carry the week. Plus, how amazing would it be to see Pletcher finally get a Triple Crown win with a female after so many tries with the boys? Also, I was entertained a while this morning by Larry Jones, trainer of Hard Spun, as he recounted some memorable injuries sustained while working with horses. It's amazing what some of these people put themselves through because of their love of horses.
I can tell you, if a horse bucked me off and then ran back over me to boot, I wouldn't be inclined to try riding him again anytime soon. Then again, that's probably why he trains a Triple Crown horse and brings in the big paychecks while I only write about it and.... well, you get the idea.
This is my first trip to Belmont, and it is every bit as beautiful as I have been told. It's enormous and more modern than Saratoga, but still has a great deal of charm to it. The horse paths and roads are tree-lined, the building is covered in a lush green ivy and the grandstand is impressive in size. I only hope the crowd Saturday is big enough so it doesn't feel empty
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