The final jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, takes place this Saturday. With Belmont Racetrack undergoing a facelift, this year’s race will take place at Saratoga Racetrack in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race will be shorter than the traditional mile and a half, with only a mile and a half run.
The favorite is Sierra Leone (9-5), followed by the winners of the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (5-1) and The Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Gray (8- 1). . The Chad Brown-trained Sierra Leone was the favorite at Churchill Downs and closed quickly, but ultimately finished second in the Kentucky Derby. He didn’t run for Pimlico in The Preakness.
Few horses in the world today run in all three legs of the Triple Crown. Mystik Dan is the first to do so since War of Will in 2019. Ken McPeek’s horse narrowly missed a shot at the Triple Crown, finishing second in the Preakness after winning the Run for the Roses.
D. Wayne Lucas’ Seize the Gray defeated Mystik Dan in The Preakness to appear to be the first non-Triple Crown winner since Afleet Alex (2005) to claim the Preakness and the Belmont. Although Seize the Gray did not run in the Kentucky Derby, he did run… and won… the Pat Day that same weekend. Racing three times in five weeks, let alone winning the third race of three, is a difficult task for any horse.
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NBC sports betting analyst Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) studies the horses. He liked the favorite ahead of the Kentucky Derby and again on Saturday in Sierra Leone.
“I really like the favorite. Sierra Leone is the best in the class, has a great combination of trainer (McPeek) and jockey (Pratt) especially for this course (Saratoga).”
Here’s a quick snapshot of each of the horses in the 2024 Belmont Stakes, ranked by post position. Included is information about the trainer, jockey, recent history and possibly relevant biographical news.
1. Grab the Gray (8-1)
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Trainer: D. Wayne Lucas | Jockey: Jaime Torres
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Won the 2024 Preakness Stakes
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Most experienced horse in the field with 10 starts and leads with four career wins
2. Resilience (10-1)
3. Mystik Dan (5-1)
4. The wine manager (15-1)
5. Antique dealer (12-1)
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Trainer: Todd Pletcher | Jockey: John Velázquez
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Only started racing in January 2024 | Won the 2024 Peter Pan stakes
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Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Belmont 4 times
6. Dornoch (15-1)
7. Protective (20-1)
8. Honor Marie (12-1)
9. Sierra Leone (9-5)
10. Mind frame (7-2)
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Trainer: Todd Pletcher | Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
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Won the only two races of his career
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Co-owned by Vinny Viola, who also owns the Florida Panthers
Enjoy the final leg of the Triple Crown in Saratoga on Saturday.
