Belmont Betting - Can a Fresh Horse Beat Borel and the Bird?

Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness Stakes runner up Mine That Bird will be making his third start in five weeks and is likely going to go off as the sold favorite in the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes.

Is taking the gelding at a short price for the birds?

In the past ten years, only Afleet Alex and Point Given won the Belmont Stakes after having run in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

That means eight Belmont Stakes winners skipped the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, or both, and came into the Belmont Stakes with a bit more left in the gas tank.

Four winners in the last ten years raced in the Kentucky Derby, skipped the Preakness, and came back to win the Belmont Stakes.

Those winners were Jazil (2006), Birdstone (2004), Empire Maker (2003), and Commendable (2000).

You could actually add Rags to Riches to that list. She ran the day before the Derby in the Kentucky Oaks, and then returned to win the Belmont Stakes in 2007.

Seeing five runners race at Churchill Downs, skip the Preakness and show up in the Big Apple may bode well for this year’s crop.

Those that raced in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness this year are Chocolate Candy, Dunkirk, Mr. Hot Stuff, and Summer Bird.

It would be no surprise to see one of those four jump up and run career top, which would put them right in the mix here.

In fact, Dunkirk and Chocolate Candy figure to take some action at the windows on Saturday.

Another interesting way to get to the winners circle on Belmont Stakes Day is through the Peter Pan Stakes.

The nine-furlong race at Belmont Park is now contested the week after the Derby and one week prior to the Preakness Stakes.

Three year olds exiting the Peter Pan have a four-week break until the Belmont Stakes, a week longer than horses coming out of the Preakness Stakes.

Lemon Drop Kid (1995), Colonial Affair (1993), and A.P. Indy (1992) all used the Peter Pan as a springboard to winning the Belmont Stakes.

In the 90’s the Peter Pan was run three weeks after the Kentucky Derby.

This year’s Peter Pan Stakes winner was Charitable Man, who was making just his second start as a three year old.

The Kiaran McLaughlin trainee started his three-year-old campaign by finishing seventh in the Blue Grass Stakes over the polytrack surface at Keeneland.

The colt won both of his starts as a two year old including the Futurity Stakes over the Belmont Park main track in his second career start.

Also coming out of the Peter Pan Stakes is Brave Victory, who finished third, beaten 5 ½ lengths by Charitable Man.

The colt is trained by hall of fame trainer Nick Zito, who won last year’s Belmont Stakes with longshot Da’ Tara, who returned $78.00.

Zito also trained longshot Birdstone, who won the 2004 Belmont Stakes paying $74.00.

Miner’s Escape, also trained by Zito, is another fresh horse coming into this year’s Belmont Stakes. The colt made his last start on May 2, winning the Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico.