The cards are drawn; today, June 11, 2022, the Triple Crown ends, there is no possibility of seeing a triple crowned, but Rick Strike and Sonny Leon are going for the double crown.
One thing is clear, Eric Reed's pupil is no longer a surprise; after winning the Derby at odds of 80/1 this time, he is the centre of attention, despite being the third favourite in the Morning Line.
The eight Belmont participants have combined for 53 races; of those competitions, only three have come out to lead the race. That is, 95% of the time, these specimens did not come out first from the jump.
The most recent and prominent exception is We The People's top seed on the Morning Line at 2/1. The specimen comes from winning the Peter Pan G3 from end to end on May 14 at the same Belmont racecourse.
Flavien Prat has won 18-grade competitions in 2022, one less than Irad Ortiz Jr., who leads that statistic. The Frenchman hopes to repeat the same competition of the Peter Pan G3, only this time it is 600 meters more.
A point to note is that on May 14, the Belmont track was wet from the rain. For this June 11, there is a small probability of this.
Racing here seems like the best option for the Belmont. And it is not a fanciful phrase but instead backed up by statistics. 13 of the last 15 winners of the Test of Champions were located, in the first meters, four or five lengths behind the leader.
Nest, Todd Pletcher's filly, who finished second in the Kentucky Oaks, will be one of those running at this position. José Luis Ortiz replaces his brother in the saddle, and this mare will surely be a tough nut to crack in the competition.
A creative Minister is another one that should run close to the leaders. The horse debuted in March, broke the Maiden in April, won a competition in May and then made an excellent third place in the Preakness.
Skippylongstocking has two wins at Gulfstream Park and must also run close to the leaders. He must improve a lot to win at the Belmont.
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