The 156th Belmont Stakes is set to take place on Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course, a departure from its usual location at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. This year, due to a $455 million renovation project at Belmont Park aimed at improving track surfaces and constructing a newer, smaller grandstand, the prestigious race has been relocated to Saratoga.
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Belmont Park, known for its marathon 1 ½-mile distance around the largest racing oval in America, contrasts with Saratoga Race Course’s shorter 1 ¼-mile distance, which is the same length as the Kentucky Derby. Despite the change in venue, the excitement surrounding the Belmont Stakes remains high.
This year’s Belmont Stakes will not crown a Triple Crown champion, as different horses won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The Triple Crown, a rare and prestigious achievement in horse racing, has only been claimed by 13 horses, with Justify being the most recent in 2018.
Scheduled to begin at 6:41 p.m. ET, the Belmont Stakes promises plenty of drama and competition. Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by jockey Flavien Prat, is the favorite with 9/5 odds. The 3-year-old has an impressive track record, having won the Blue Grass Stakes and Risen Star Stakes and finishing second in the Kentucky Derby. Despite being from nearby Mechanicville, New York, Chad Brown has never won the Belmont Stakes.
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Mystik Dan, the Kentucky Derby winner, comes in with the second-best odds at 5/1. Trained by Kenny McPeek, who previously won the Belmont Stakes with Sarava in 2002, Mystik Dan aims to add another victory to his resume.
Legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time Belmont Stakes winner (1994, 1995, 1996, 2000), hopes to secure his fifth win with Seize the Grey, the Preakness Stakes winner, who holds 8/1 odds. If either Mystik Dan or Seize the Grey wins on Saturday, they will join an elite group of just 53 horses that have won two legs of the Triple Crown.
In addition to the favorites, two long shots offer strong betting value. Mindframe, with 7/2 odds, is one of the most inexperienced horses in the field but has shown great potential by dominating his previous races at Gulfstream Park and on Kentucky Derby Day. A win for Mindframe would mark trainer Todd Pletcher’s fifth Belmont victory, having previously won in 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022.
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Resilience, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, enters the race with 10/1 odds. This 3-year-old finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby and has won two of his four races in 2024. Mott, who won the Belmont Stakes with Drosselmeyer in 2010, is looking to add another win to his impressive career.
As the Belmont Stakes approaches, the anticipation and excitement build. The race not only showcases top-tier horse racing talent but also highlights the strategic moves made by trainers and jockeys in this prestigious event. With the venue change to Saratoga Race Course and a competitive field of contenders, the 156th Belmont Stakes is set to be a thrilling race for horse racing enthusiasts and bettors alike.
Key Points:
i. The 156th Belmont Stakes is taking place at Saratoga Race Course for the first time due to renovations at Belmont Park, which is undergoing a $455 million upgrade.
ii. The race distance at Saratoga is 1 ¼ miles, compared to Belmont Park’s traditional 1 ½ miles.
iii. There will be no Triple Crown winner this year, as different horses won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
iv. Sierra Leone, trained by Chad Brown, is the 9/5 favorite, with notable competition from Mystik Dan (5/1) and Seize the Grey (8/1).
v. Long shots with strong potential include Mindframe (7/2), a relatively inexperienced horse, and Resilience (10/1), trained by Bill Mott.
Conner T – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
