King: Closer look at the last starts of Belmont Stakes contenders

Reviewing replays and trips can be a time-consuming, though often rewarding, experience – particularly in cases where the trouble goes unnoted in the charts. In preparation for the Belmont, I went through and examined the last-race trips of all the competitors. They follow below in post position order.

GOVERNOR MALIBU (second, Peter Pan) was away about two lengths slowly after appearing to brush the gate, but otherwise enjoyed a favorable trip for a closer, saving ground around the turn and into the stretch before angling out and steadily gaining ground on victorious Unified; seemed to shut down on the gallop-out.

DESTIN (sixth, Kentucky Derby) was away a bit tardily in the Derby and bumped with Lani soon after; had to change style to rally from midpack after being expected to stalk the pace; asked to advance on the leaders late on the backstretch and on the second turn, he was third in early stretch before tiring late to be sixth – though his fade may have been more the result of being asked for an early move than an inability to get the distance.

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CHERRY WINE (second, Preakness) was off a bit slowly, though not a significant hurdle for a late-running horse and in a fast-paced race, and enjoyed fine trip throughout, following victorious Exaggerator down the backstretch and through the turn with most of the jockeys on the front-runners choosing to keep their mounts well off the inside; came up the inside down the stretch and just caught a tired Nyquist on the wire for the place; never a threat to Exaggerator.

SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS (fifth, Kentucky Derby) was impeded shortly after the start and forced to take back, but otherwise enjoyed a pretty smooth trip for a closer, cutting the corner into the lane and avoiding a traffic jam that involved Creator and a few others; switched leads a couple times under pressure and finished with a flourish, only falling a couple heads short of third-place in a blanket finish for the show.

STRADIVARI (fourth, Preakness) seemed to come away decently and was wisely rated behind hot opening quarter in the Preakness; grew rank when tucked in from his outside post, taking slop in his face; jockey John Velazquez restrained him on the heels of the front-runners; made a decent move on the second turn to get in contention; appeared to have every chance to catch Nyquist for third but was tired horse in the lane and could not.

GETTYSBURG (third, May 26 allowance at Belmont) pressed the pace in a fast first-level allowance May 26 at Belmont and weakened in the drive, while never giving an impression that he is a horse cut out for the Belmont Stakes; seems a pacemaker in the Belmont for stablemate Creator.

SEEKING THE SOUL (first, May 29 maiden race at Churchill Downs) seemed ready to inhale the leaders at any point in winning a salty, fast maiden race May 29 at Churchill Downs, and though victorious, he never really delivered a knockout blow to runner-up Jimbo Fallon, even with that rival not wanting to switch leads.

FOREVER D'ORO ( first, May 29 maiden race at Belmont) was bounced around early after an awkward start in a maiden race, raced all by his lonesome in last, was slow to get going after being asked to pick up the leaders, and gradually wore down a tail-swishing leader to win by a nose in a bunched finish.

TROJAN NATION (16th, Kentucky Derby) experienced a fairly typical start for a horse breaking from the fence; the field came over on him, and he was checked shortly thereafter and fell 25 lengths of the pace; never a factor thereafter.

LANI (fifth, Preakness) was away poorly – though that is the norm for this horse – and after falling well off the pace, kicked into gear leaving the second turn and through the stretch; was steadied briefly when rapidly advancing on tired horses in early stretch and was only 1 1/2 lengths away from second while ultimately fifth.

EXAGGERATOR (first, Preakness) caught a sloppy track that he relished in the Preakness and enjoyed a great trip while looking like a winner throughout; kept in the two path for much of backstretch run, away from kickback with front-runners staying well off the inside, he rapidly advanced late on the backstretch, looking like he could have cruised past the field even at that point if jockey Kent Desormeaux wished him to; ultimately angled out in the stretch and blew the race open.

BRODY'S CAUSE (seventh, Kentucky Derby) broke very well, ahead of a number of the front-runners, raced in a good position three wide into the first turn and relatively clear of traffic down the backstretch; raced five wide or so on the second turn and was even paced and never flashed an eye-catching move.

CREATOR (13th, Kentucky Derby) had a pretty smooth beginning and backstretch run, but ran into traffic problems as the field neared the stretch, getting checked sharply; he looked like he was being urged at that point – so not convinced he was poised to a top-five finish, but the trouble certainly cost him; simply passed tired horses after the incident.