Commendable won just two races in his career, a debut victory against maidens at Del Mar in the summer of 1999, and nearly 10 months later, after six straight races in which he finished out of the money, the Belmont Stakes. He was the fourth Belmont winner for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the third for jockey Pat Day, both already members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame by then.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Rombauer will go down as trainer Michael McCarthy’s first winner of a Triple Crown race. As a longtime assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, however, this trail for McCarthy has not been one less traveled.

McCarthy worked for Pletcher from 2002 to early 2014, when Pletcher was a constant presence in the Kentucky Derby, winning it in 2010 with Super Saver, as well as the Belmont Stakes, which the stable won with Rags to Riches (2007) and Palace Malice (2013).

Front and center on John Fradkin’s Twitter profile is a quote: Everyone should make at least one bet every day; otherwise, you might be walking around lucky and not even know it.

Fradkin has gotten plenty lucky with his bets, both as a handicapper, which was his introduction to the sport of racing, and as an owner and breeder with his wife, Diane. Most recently, a series of lucky breaks over the last year led to the Fradkins campaigning homebred Rombauer to a victory in the Preakness Stakes. The colt looks to add another classic in the Belmont Stakes this Saturday.

ELMONT, N.Y. – In addition to the usual fare of ample wagering opportunities, there is a bevy of two-day wagers being offered this week.

There will be a two-day pick six that consists of Friday’s Grade 2 True North, Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup, and Grade 2 New York, and a trio of Grade 1 stakes Saturday, the Jaipur, Metropolitan Handicap, and Belmont Stakes.

That pick six will have a 20-cent base wager with a 15 percent takeout. The regular $1 pick six on Friday will be on the last six races, but the same wager on Saturday is on races 6-11.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Over the last year, Calumet Farm has won some of the biggest races on the New York Racing Association circuit, and at big prices, to boot.

Last August, Vexatious ($21) won the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga, beating champion Midnight Bisou. In December, True Timber ($16.60) pulled off a mild upset in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. In April, Bourbonic returned the biggest mutuel ($146.50) in the history of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. Three weeks ago, Channel Cat scored a front-running upset ($18.40) in the Grade 1 Man o’ War at Belmont Park.

ELMONT, N.Y. – The entire lineup for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes trained over the main track for the first time on Wednesday, beginning shortly after 5:30 a.m. with likely favorite Essential Quality and ending several hours later with Hot Rod Charlie and Rombauer, two of his chief rivals, going through their paces following the renovation break.

ELMONT, N.Y. – While there has been a lot of discussion how the start of the Kentucky Derby impacted the performance of expected pacesetter Rock Your World, jockey Luis Saez believes his horse, Essential Quality, was also adversely impacted by the bump between those two horses leaving the starting gate.

ELMONT, N.Y. – When it comes to the Belmont Stakes, trainer Doug O’Neill would rather think about what could be than what might have been.

On the day before the 2012 Belmont Stakes, O’Neill and owner Paul Reddam stood before a throng of reporters outside of Belmont Park’s Barn 1, explaining how Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another would be scratched from the Belmont and subsequently retired with a tendon injury.

A painful memory to be sure, it’s not something O’Neill dwells on.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Essential Quality arrived at Belmont Park just before 5 a.m. Tuesday morning and about six hours later he drew post 2 and was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.

Essential Quality was one of just eight horses entered in the Belmont following the defection of his Godolphin Racing stablemate Rebel’s Romance, who was diagnosed with a hind leg infection and was kept out of the race, according to his trainer Charlie Appleby.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Rebel’s Romance, the UAE Derby winner, was not entered in Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes after developing a hind leg infection, trainer Charlie Appleby confirmed Tuesday morning.

The defection of Rebel’s Romance left a field of eight for the Belmont Stakes, entries for which were to be drawn at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Appleby said that Rebel’s Romance has been treated for the infection by veterinarians at Belmont Park.

“He’s responding but not responding quick enough to get to the Belmont,” Appleby said.