Belmont Stakes Contenders
Written May 26, 2008 by Jason Lowry
With the Belmont Stakes only a couple weeks away we figured it would be a good time to take a look at the top Belmont Stakes Contenders. The race is set to get underway Saturday June 7th at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Many of us already know of Big Brown and his chance of being the first horse in 30 years to win the Triple Crown, but before you go betting the farm on this horse, it’s a good idea to size up his competition in the race. Here is a look at the horses we feel have the best shot of winning the 2008 running of the Belmont Stakes.
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Big Brown
There isn’t much left to say about this horse other than it’s his time to shine if he can win the Belmont Stakes. If you plan on watching this race be ready for a heavy dose of Big Brown and his dominating performance at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Big Brown did have a minor injury but shouldn’t be of concern when the Belmont Stakes gets underway. Big Brown is sure to be a big time favorite as he faces yet another weak field.
Casino Drive
This horse is being considered to be the best horse in the field to have a shot at ending Big Browns run for the Triple Crown. Casino Drive didn’t race at the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes, but has been impressive in his only to starts of his career. His first win came in Japan by 11 ½ lengths and the latest a 5 ¾ length win at the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park. One other thing to note is that this Japanese trained horse is the brother of the last two Belmont Stakes winners.
Denis of Cork
This horse finished 3rd to Big Brown at the Kentucky Derby, but decided against racing in the Preakness Stakes. While this horse definitely has what it takes to show at this race, we really don’t think that he will finish anywhere near Big Brown.
Macho Again
In any race besides one with Big Brown it you would have to love Macho Again. He really came on with a solid 2nd place finish at the Preakness Stakes and will try once again to dethrone Big Brown. Unless this horse has a lot more to offer us we think this is another horse that will fall short to the dominant Big Brown.
Icabad Crane
Here is another horse that has tasted defeat at the hands of Big Brown, as Icabad Crane came in 3rd at the Preakness Stakes. This horse has some great closing speed that got him the show at the Preakness, but will need much more if he wants to make a big move at the Belmont. One thing that this horse does have going for him is that he has jockey Jeremy Rose riding him. Rose is the same jockey who rode Afleet Alex to a Belmont victory back in 2005.
Tale of Ekati
Here is the last horse with a shot at revenge against Big Brown. After finishing 4th at the Kentucky Derby Tale of Ekati decided it would be best to take off the Preakness Stakes and rest of for a big run at the Belmont Stakes. We believe that this horse has what it takes to win the race, we aren’t so sure that the horse will bring that kind of effort to the table. Unless Big Brown is wore down from the previous two races this is just another horse fighting for 2nd.
Tomcito
If you are looking for fresh legs and a new horse to take a shot at Big Brown then you might want to take a closer look at Tomcito. While this isn’t a dominant horse he has proven he has what it takes to win a 1.5-mile race. After not having enough money to race at the Kentucky Derby so he will hope that the Belmont will be his chance to shine. This horse started racing in Peru where he won 4 times, but has really struggled since coming to the U.S. If you love long shots than this is your horse at the Belmont Stakes.
Be sure to check back as we will continue to bring you a closer look at the 2008 Belmont Stakes. We will be taking a closer look at the odds when they come out and we will give you our predictions and picks on the race. As always feel free to leave any comments in our comment box.
