2011 Belmont Stakes Contenders & Favorites
Written by Jack Jones
With the first two legs of the Triple Crown in the books, it’s time to look ahead to the third leg which is the Belmont Stakes. The race is set to kick off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 and will be nationally televised on NBC. This will be the 143rd running of this race which is held at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Once again, we head into this race without the possibility of a Triple Crown winner.
Affirmed was the last horse to accomplish the feat all the way back in 1978. Animal Kingdom closed strong to win the Kentucky Derby while Shackleford ran away with the Preakness. Because it’s been so long since Affirmed won all three races, the Belmont is starting to become known as “the other Triple Crown race”. Aside for the true horse racing fans, there won’t be nearly as many folks tuning in to watch this year.
That being said, there is still plenty of reason to watch. Whether you are just a casual fan or a horse bettor, this race is just as exciting as the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes. There is still money to be made by making the correct picks. That was the case for me in the Preakness as I had Shackleford winning at 13/1 and I cashed in a nice chunk of change. You can check out my Preakness Stakes predictions to confirm it.
Before I give my predictions on the Belmont, I’m going to go over a few of the contenders that I believe have a chance to win this race. While there are 12 horses in the field, I really only give a handful of them a chance to take it down. Here is a look at the horses I will have my eye on come race day.
Shackleford – This horse led nearly wire to wire at the Kentucky Derby before giving away to Animal Kingdom. On a shorter track at the Preakness, Shackleford did not relinquish its lead this time around. The concern I have about this horse is its inability to stalk for a long-distance race like the Belmont, which is a 1 ½ mile course. He tried to stalk at the Fountain of Youth in February and finished fifth. Shackleford is a front-runner and really hasn’t proven he can switch his style. I just can’t see this horse leading from wire to wire again.
Animal Kingdom – The clear favorite at the Belmont, this stalker is perfect for the 1 ½ mile track. He stalked well at the Kentucky Derby and finished strong for the win. A second-place finish at the Preakness was equally impressive considering his style did not meet the ideal style needed for the 1 3/16 mile race. Considering Animal Kingdom was gaining ground down the stretch in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, he should have no problem closing strong to win the Belmont.
Mucho Macho Man – This horse has finished on the board in nine of ten starts. Mucho Macho Man is always right there in every race he runs. He lost a shoe at Pimlico and still managed a sixth-place finish. That effort really showed the determination this horse has inside, and we all know that you need a horse with heart over the final half-mile at the Belmont. If you can get Mucho Macho Man at somewhere around 10-to-1 odds this coming Saturday then he’s certainly worth a look.
Nehro – This horse has an advantage over a few other top contenders considering he sat out the Preakness. That means the well-rounded Nehro will be rested and ready to go on June 11. While this horse hasn’t won a stakes race yet, Nehro does have three close misses in the Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky Derby’s. Those efforts came against the top fields in horse racing. Plus, you must not forget that he is the sire of Mineshaft, which produced 2007 Belmont winner Rags to Riches.
Santiva – While Santiva has not yet committed to run in the Belmont, he is likely going to be in the gate come 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. This horse was bred to run long-distance, making Belmont the ideal track for him. I like what I saw from him in the Kentucky Derby despite a poor finish. Santiva closed very strong after getting caught up in the middle of the pack for most of the race. If the odds are right, this horse is worthy of consideration.
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