STRENGTHS: He is one of only three runners in this field to have posted a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure, and it does seem that’s what will be needed to win this Belmont Stakes. He comes into this race in very sharp form, having won two straight, and while he won the Preakness on the lead he also has shown enough versatility to come from off the pace if need be. His figures are trending upward, and if he’s able to put up another improved figure, he will be very tough to beat.

WEAKNESSES: He took full advantage of a relative lack of pace in the Preakness to get to the lead, and that very favorable trip resulted in the win and easily the best Beyer of his career. His usual figures are well below the 100 he posted in that score, and he’s much more likely to run to those numbers than he is to repeat that Preakness Beyer without another cozy trip. He moves down inside and gets the rail for the first time, and that will likely force his hand some, though the presence of Dornoch, and others, will likely insure he doesn’t get to dictate the tempo again.

BETTING VALUE: Not among the favorites, he is likely to be about his 8-1 morning-line price thanks to the Preakness win, but given the probability that he regresses off that effort it’s probably best to try to beat him at that price as it represents a bit of an under- lay under the circumstances.

SIRE: This is the last of three crops by champion Arrogate, who made his legend by ripping through Grade 1 triumphs at route distances in the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and Dubai World Cup. He has passed that stamina on to his offspring, with his standouts including Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath in his first crop, and Belmont and Travers winner and champion Arcangelo in his second crop. The average winning distance of Arrogate’s progeny is 7.99 furlongs – a very high number considering the proliferation of sprint races in Amer- ica. Arrogate is a grandson of Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Unbridled – a prominent classic influence whose sireline has been represented by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah; Kentucky Derby winners Always Dreaming, Grindstone, and Mine That Bird; Preakness winners Red Bullet and Seize the Grey; and Belmont winners Arcangelo, Birdstone, Empire Maker, and Summer Bird.

DAM: Smart Shopping, stakes-placed at about a mile, is the dam of two winners from as many starters, with Seize the Grey joined by Shoppingforpharoah, stakes-placed at a mile on turf. Smart Shop- ping is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning juvenile Power Broker, and this is the family of Grade 1 Personal Ensign winner Miss Shop.

OUTLOOK: Stamina on both sides of this page is one of the best assets for Preakness winner Seize the Grey. The additional sixteenth of a mile here should be well within his scope.

STRENGTHS: Resilience, who won the Grade 2 Wood Memo- rial prior to a perfect-trip sixth in the Kentucky Derby, was not expected to enter the Belmont Stakes. But recent workouts, includ- ing a reportedly strong half-mile last weekend, swayed trainer Bill Mott to reconsider. That’s a plus. Resilience employs a press- ing style that increases his chance at a good trip in the Belmont. He should be positioned right behind the speed, where he can be among the first to pounce. That is the trip he got in the Derby, when he loomed a threat before losing his punch. Along with his Wood victory and a fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star, Resilience’s last three starts suggest he fits among the elite 3-year-olds.

WEAKNESSES: Based on the Derby, the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Belmont is problematic. Despite an ideal Derby trip avoid- ing traffic, his rally stalled after he uncorked a bold move into the stretch. His dam, Meadowsweet, did the same thing in the longest race of her career at 1 1/8 miles. In the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in 2017, Meadowsweet opened a 1 1/2-length lead and then wilted to fifth. Resilience’s speed figures have plateaued. In his last three starts, he earned virtually the same Beyer Speed Figures – 90, 90, and 89 last out. He might not be fast enough.

BETTING VALUE: Resilience is one of four Belmont entrants who ran in the Derby. The Derby-to-Belmont pattern has produced 11 winners since 2000. Mott won the 1 1/2-mile Belmont in 2010 with $28 winner Drosselmeyer. Throw out a Mott-trained longshot in a big race at your own risk. Fair value on Resilience is 15-1.

SIRE: Five-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief is the sire of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, and of Mandaloun, promoted to the win in the 2021 Derby. This year’s Belmont Stakes is at the 10-furlong Derby distance. Authentic also won the Breed- ers’ Cup Classic at 10 furlongs, and Into Mischief’s son Laurel River won this year’s Dubai World Cup at the trip. With runners such as these, along with Kentucky Oaks winner and champion Pretty Mischievous to his credit, Into Mischief has soundly laid to rest any doubts about two-turn ability. Into Mischief also is the sire of Gold- encents, a Grade 1 winner around both one and two turns. Golden- cents is represented by this year’s Derby winner, Mystik Dan.

DAM: Meadowsweet won two races on turf, the longest at 1 1/16 miles. She is out of Tranquility Lake, a multiple Grade 1 winner on turf at up to 1 1/4 miles, but also a Grade 2 winner on dirt. She is the dam of Grade 1-winning middle-distance turf horses After Market and Courageous Cat.

OUTLOOK: There are no doubts about the top side of Resilience’s pedigree. The bottom side of the page suggests he should be a turf horse, but trainer Bill Mott has opined that all horses are individu- als. The bigger question may be if a more middle-distance female family has placed distance limitations on the colt, who did not sustain a strong bid in the Derby.

STRENGTHS: Durable, consistent Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up Mystik Dan will be the only horse this year to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown. He fires every start, is comfortable racing inside and behind rivals, and showed courage slicing through a narrow rail opening to upset the Derby. Mystik Dan also is relatively fast. He is the only Belmont entrant to earn triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures more than once. His closing style suits the Belmont pace, which is likely to be contested. Mystik Dan has won at the 1 1/4-mile distance of this year’s Belmont. If the track is wet, no problem. Two “muddy” starts by Mystik Dan produced a Grade 3 romp and a Preakness second.

WEAKNESSES: Mystik Dan will be making his third start in five weeks. The enterprising campaign is a testament to his forti- tude. But few contemporary horses are able to string together three top performances against high-class company in such a short period. Call it a potential weakness. The past decade, 23 horses ran in both the Preakness and Belmont. Triple Crown winners Ameri- can Pharoah and Justify are the only pair to finish in the Belmont exacta. Comparisons may or may not apply. The Belmont is short- ened this year from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/4 miles.

BETTING VALUE: Kentucky Derby winners acquire lofty repu- tations and corresponding depressed odds in subsequent starts. That could be the case with Mystik Dan. His advantages in the Belmont, if any, are minor. A good horse in good hands, Mystik Dan is vulnerable and a stone bet-against at less than 6-1 in the win pool.

SIRE: Goldencents is continuing to bolster the accomplishments of his father, five-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief, a clas- sic sire in his own right. Goldencents won the Santa Anita Derby. He later cut back to shorter distances, and twice won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. A prominent young sire, many of his offspring have excelled at middle two-turn distances, including Louisiana Derby winner By My Standards, millionaire multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Money, and turf Grade 1 winner Going to Vegas.

DAM: This is the first runner out of the winning mare Ma’am, who got all her victories at a mile or longer, on both dirt and turf. She is a half-sister to Revamp, a highweight older horse in Greece who won at up to 1 5/16 miles. This is the family of Grade 1-winning juveniles Laragh and Siphonic.

OUTLOOK: With Into Mischief siring multiple top-level horses at the classic distance, and several of his sons siring Grade/Group 1 winners around two turns, the entire line must be considered a threat in major events. This was borne out when Mystik Dan stamped Goldencents as a classic sire in the Kentucky Derby – contested at the same 10-furlong distance as this year’s Belmont Stakes.

STRENGTHS: He has been in the exacta in all six of his starts and was Grade 1-placed as a juvenile. The Belmont will be his third start as a 3-year-old, after suffering narrow defeats in both the Grade 3 Lexington and the Grade 3 Peter Pan. He owns excellent tactical speed, which allows him to be placed anywhere in a race while not being dependent on pace. He also already owns a stakes victory at Saratoga. WEAKNESSES: While he has been in the exacta in all three two-turn attempts, his three career wins have all come over sprint distances. After matching his 2-year-old Beyer top in the Lexing- ton off the layoff, he failed to improve on that number when only second best in the Peter Pan, and it is fair to question his ability to handle added distance at this point. BETTING VALUE: Being able to get good trips goes a long way in races like this, but this New York-bred has something to prove as he stretches out again and takes on the top colts of his generation. He should not be considered fair value at anything less than 20-1.

SIRE: Vino Rosso won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, but improved with age and scored multiple Grade 1 wins at 10 furlongs the follow- ing year, taking the Gold Cup at Santa Anita and the Breeders’ Cup Classic to secure a championship. He was among last year’s leading freshman sires. This was somewhat surprising as his offspring were expected to improve with age and distance. The Wine Steward, a stakes-winning sprinter and Grade 1-placed around two turns, has the potential to do just that. Vino Rosso strongly resembles his sire, classic winner and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, a powerful classic influence. Curlin is the sire of Triple Crown race winners Exaggerator and Palace Malice, and runners who have finished on the board in these events in Good Magic, Irish War Cry, Keen Ice, Nest, Ride On Curlin, and Tenfold. Curlin also is developing a repu- tation as a sire of sires who can pass on his own stamina. Two of his sons have sired first-crop Kentucky Derby winners – Keen Ice with Rich Strike in 2022 and Good Magic with Mage in 2023.

DAM: The Wine Steward is the first runner out of a placed mare who is a half-sister to Isotherm, a graded stakes winner at 10 furlongs on turf; and Giant Game, a graded stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles on dirt. She also is a half-sister to the dam of standout sprinter Skelly.

OUTLOOK: The Wine Steward is from an eclectic female family but is by a young sire from a prominent classic line whose offspring are expected to keep developing and prefer longer distances.

STRENGTHS: He followed up a promising debut with a two-turn maiden victory over a wet track, something that could come into play Saturday. He then went right into stakes company, where he ran an underrated race in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby when wide throughout after breaking through the gate pre-race. He earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure for that effort, and he paired that number when winning the Grade 3 Peter Pan last month. He also has been tactical in his races, and his grinding style should allow for the added Belmont distance to be within his scope.

WEAKNESSES: He still needs to improve off the paired-up 92 Beyers as he takes on the toughest test, and longest distance, of his career in the Belmont Stakes. While he was solid in the Peter Pan, he did not face a particularly strong field and the waters get much deeper Saturday.

BETTING VALUE: He is an improving colt for top connections, but he still has plenty to find while moving up in class and out in distance in the Belmont. Would require more than the preliminary odds of 12-1 to get interested.

SIRE: This is the first crop for millionaire Preservationist. In an often-interrupted career, he had his best season at age 6, winning the Grade 2 Suburban at 10 furlongs and the Grade 1 Woodward at nine furlongs. Along with Peter Pan winner Antiquarian, his first crop includes another two-turn dirt stakes winner in Martha Washington winner Band of Gold. The average winning distance of his progeny is just more than seven furlongs – a solid figure consid- ering the proliferation of sprint races in America, particularly for 2-year-olds.

DAM: Antiquarian is the first runner out of Lifetime Memory, who got her only win at 6 1/2 furlongs. Her immediate family is full of two-turn ability, albeit on turf. She is out of Grade 3 winner Silver Reunion, dam of Grade 2 winner Speaktomeofsummer and stakes winner Proud Reunion.

OUTLOOK: Preservationist’s own accomplishments and the early results of his progeny suggest that major route races will be within their scope. Additionally, the arc of Preservationist’s career suggests that his runners could continue to develop into their 3-year-old seasons and beyond. Antiquarian’s female family doesn’t hurt his chances to get the 10 furlongs.

STRENGTHS: He was no threat in the Derby but had no chance with that troubled trip, beginning with the inside draw. He’s worked very well since that race, and he comes into the Belmont as the main speed in a field that isn’t loaded with pace. He’s experi- enced on wet tracks, in fact running what was likely his best career race over a muddy strip in the Remsen, and that’s an important consideration given the forecast, which is calling for rain in the days leading up to the race, and on Saturday itself.

WEAKNESSES: His Beyers have decreased with each start, and his best figures aren’t good enough to win the Belmont Stakes. He did rate when second in the Sapling as a 2-year-old, but otherwise he has not shown he is capable of sitting off the pace and making one run, and back at this extended distance it’s even less likely that he rates and closes late. He may be able to shake loose in the open- ing stages, but he’s expected to be pressured at some point by Mind- frame or others. He’s won a couple of stakes, but he had the benefit of a loose lead in the Fountain of Youth, a race that was otherwise light on speed.

BETTING VALUE: He’s 15-1 on the morning line, representing decent value as he could well be the controlling speed in the race. He may or may not be good enough to win, unless he posts the best figure of his career, but he is capable of getting a part of this.

SIRE: Good Magic, the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and divisional Eclipse Award champion, won the 2018 Blue Grass to make himself one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. After finishing a strong second to Triple Crown winner Justify, he added another Grade 1 to his résumé in that summer’s Haskell. Good Magic, by two-time Horse of the Year and prominent stamina source Curlin, is the sire of 17 stakes winners from his first three crops, led by 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage. He also is the sire of Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens, a close second in last year’s Preakness Stakes; multiple Grade 1 winner Muth; and graded stakes winners Curly Jack, Dornoch, Dubyuhnell, How Did He Do That, and Reincarnate.

DAM: Puca finished second in the Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes and was a stakes winner at Suffolk Downs later in her career before going on to an outstanding start at broodmare duty. Her first foal was the multiple stakes-placed Gunning; her second was Mage, who, in addition to his 2023 Kentucky Derby win, was second in the Florida Derby and third in both the Preakness and Haskell; and her third foal is multiple Grade 2 winner Dornoch. Puca is out of stakes- placed Boat’s Ghost, also the dam of turf Grade 1 winner Finnegans Wake.

OUTLOOK: A full brother to a Kentucky Derby winner – at the same 1 1/4-mile distance as this year’s Belmont – from a consistent classic sireline, Dornoch’s genetic aptitude for this task is one there should be no questions about.

STRENGTHS: Protective has more tactical speed than some of his chief rivals and could get an ideal trip sitting just off the pace. He also has experience over the local main track, as he debuted at Saratoga last year and finished second in a maiden special weight sprint won by eventual multiple stakes winner Valentine Candy. Protective advanced to two turns at 3 and has put up ascending Beyer Speed Figures in each of his route starts. The efforts include a pair of third-place finishes in back-to-back graded stakes, the Wood Memorial, in which he encountered costly trouble, and the Peter Pan. Protective goes for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won four runnings of the Belmont Stakes. Pletcher has won 698 races at Saratoga, with 492 of those wins on dirt for a 23 percent strike rate over the local main track, according to Daily Racing Form statistics.

WEAKNESSES: Protective loses his rider, Irad Ortiz Jr., to stablemate Mindframe. Protective also is a maiden facing a Kentucky Derby winner in Mystik Dan, a Preakness winner in Seize the Grey, and an additional Grade 1 winner in morning- line favorite Sierra Leone. It’s a concern tempered by the fact that Protective seems like a horse who might truly appreciate the rare opportunity to race over 1 1/4 miles.

BETTING VALUE: He could make things interesting if he thrives at the distance, and at 20-1 on the morning line is one to at

least use underneath in the exotics.

SIRE: Like many horses from the Sadler’s Wells-El Prado line, Medaglia d’Oro ran his best at a route of ground and improved with age. He scored Grade 1 wins in the 2002 Travers and 2003 Whitney. He was runner-up in the 2002 Belmont, 2002 and 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and 2004 Dubai World Cup. He has been a versatile and successful sire throughout his career. Although he has sired multi- ple Grade 1-winning sprinters, his accomplishments have tended toward two turns, on both dirt and turf. His best-known runner in North America is Rachel Alexandra, who doubled in the Kentucky Oaks and Preakness in her 2009 Horse of the Year campaign. The stallion is the sire of another Kentucky Oaks winner, Plum Pretty; two-time Eclipse Award champion Songbird; Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Talismanic; and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner New Money Honey.

DAM: Millionaire Grace Hall, by Belmont winner Empire Maker, won the Grade 1 Spinaway at seven furlongs as a 2-year-old and stretched out successfully the following year. She was a three- time Grade 2 winner around two turns and also was third in the Kentucky Oaks. The dam of one winner from two starters, Grace Hall is a half to Group 1-placed Wren’s Day. This is the extended family of multiple Grade 1 winner Life At the Top, also a multiple stakes producer.

OUTLOOK: There is two-turn ability on both sides of the family, but it would be a big ask for Protective to win his maiden in the Belmont Stakes.

STRENGTHS: Honor Marie is experienced at the 1 1/4-mile distance of this year’s Belmont Stakes by virtue of his start in the Kentucky Derby. He had a troubled trip in that race, as he was bumped around quite a bit at the start and was impeded into the first turn to end up trailing in the field of 20. Honor Marie still put in his usual determined bid to ultimately finish eighth. He could find himself closer to the pace Saturday. Prior to the Kentucky Derby, he finished a big second in the Louisiana Derby, and the 96 Beyer Speed Figure he earned stacks up favorably in the Belmont Stakes. Honor Marie is further appealing for his consistent nature, the foundation of route races he brings to the table, and the fact he is proven class as a Grade 2 winner.

WEAKNESSES: He has some lengths to make up on morning- line favorite Sierra Leone, a runner he faced in both the Kentucky Derby and Risen Star. Honor Marie is a May foal, making him one of the youngest members of this field. He also is dependent on pace as a closer, but on paper there appears to be accommodating speed in the Belmont Stakes.

BETTING VALUE: Excellent. He’s a runner who has gained a following through the preps, and if he runs back to his Louisiana Derby he could be right there – at double-digit odds.

SIRE: Honor Code was the Eclipse Award champion older horse in 2015, with Grade 1 wins in the Metropolitan Handicap and Whit- ney. Now standing in Japan, he is the sire of major route Grade 1 winners, including Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Max Player; Coaching Club American Oaks winner Maracuja; and Honor A. P., winner of the Santa Anita Derby. Honor Code is by powerful stam- ina influence A.P. Indy, winner of the 1992 Belmont. Not only did A.P. Indy sire Preakness winner Bernardini and Belmont winner Rags to Riches, his grandson Tapit is the most successful sire in the modern history of the Belmont with winners Tonalist, Creator, Tapwrit, and Essential Quality. A.P. Indy’s sireline also is respon- sible for dual classic winner California Chrome, Derby winner Orb, and nine-furlong Belmont winner Tiz the Law.

DAM: Dame Marie, who was Grade 2-placed routing on the Churchill Downs turf, has produced three winners from as many runners – including Abarta, who also was Grade 2-placed going two turns on turf. Honor Marie is a two-turn performer on the Churchill dirt. Out of English stakes winner Crystal Crossing, Dame Marie is a half-sister to Rule of Law, winner of the English St. Leger and runner-up in the Epsom Derby.

OUTLOOK: Prominent American classic sires appear in the early generations of this pedigree, which has plenty of interna- tional distance influences as well. Honor Marie has an intriguing blend of positive factors.

STRENGTHS: Sierra Leone came within a nose of winning the Kentucky Derby after closing from 18th and will be running back at the same 1 1/4-mile distance in this year’s Belmont Stakes. This time around, he will have nine rivals and the start will be at home in New York. Trainer Chad Brown has won 469 races at Saratoga for a 23 percent career win rate, with 156 of those wins coming over the local main track for a 22 percent strike rate, according to Daily Racing Form statistics. Sierra Leone won two Triple Crown preps this spring, the Blue Grass and Risen Star, and was flattered when the Risen Star’s third-place finisher, Catching Freedom, returned to win the Louisiana Derby. Sierra Leone has reached a new Beyer Speed Figure top with each passing start and also owns the field’s second-highest last-race number, a 99. He brought $2.3 million at auction and to date has earned $1.9 million while going 3 for 5.

WEAKNESSES: He’s a closer and dependent on pace, and the Belmont Stakes lost a few quality speed horses ahead of entries. His style also can make him vulnerable from a trip standpoint, as he risks losing momentum if he hits traffic.

BETTING VALUE: Not much as he was made the 9-5 morning- line favorite over both Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness winner Seize the Grey.

SIRE: This is the third crop for Horse of the Year Gun Runner. The son of stamina influence Candy Ride was a breakout success at stud, with champion Echo Zulu helping him break the fresh- man earnings record in 2021. That first crop also included Preak- ness winner Early Voting. Third on the general sire list in 2023, Gun Runner is the sire of 10 Grade 1 winners to date, seven of those around two turns.

DAM: Sierra Leone is the first winner from two starters out of Heavenly Love, dominant winner of the Grade 1 Alcibiades around two turns as a juvenile. Second dam Darling My Darling was multi- ple Grade 1-placed around one turn as a juvenile; her stakes wins included the Doubledogdare at 1 1/16 miles. Three of her daughters are stakes producers, including Grade 2 winner Forever Darling, dam of Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Forever Young, a multiple group stakes winner at route distances on dirt during an international prep season. This is the family of Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy, Eclipse Award champion Indian Blessing, and Grade 1 winners Cat’s Cradle and Roamin Rachel.

OUTLOOK: Sierra Leone is by one of the hottest sires in the country, who already has proven his classic and two-turn aptitude. The late-runner also is from an active and stamina-producing female family. A number of horses in this female family performed well on wet tracks.

STRENGTHS: Despite having made only two starts, he will enter the Belmont Stakes as one of the faster colts. After immedi- ately capturing the imagination with his blowout debut win, for which he earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, he came right back with an equally impressive win around two turns on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. His lack of experience is a concern, but raw talent can make up for a lot and this colt appears to have plenty of that. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won four Belmont Stakes, each time with a horse that raced on Derby weekend and then sat out the five weeks to the Belmont. Mindframe fits that pattern, with his recent allowance victory coming on the Kentucky Derby under- card.

WEAKNESSES: His lack of experience is glaring, but the way top horses are campaigned these days makes that less of an obsta- cle. His recent allowance victory around two turns came with the benefit of an easy trip on the lead, something that is unlikely to occur Saturday. He benefits more than anyone from the short- ened distance of this year’s Belmont Stakes, but it is always worth remembering that getting even 10 furlongs is never a given, no matter how impressive a horse has been going shorter.

BETTING VALUE: The visual impression he has made in two starts, along with his competitive figures, will pull money his way, and deservedly so. He is likely to be the second choice at post time and appears to be a major threat.

SIRE: Florida Derby and Donn Handicap winner Constitition, by fellow classic sire Tapit, is best known as the sire of four-time Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law, who won the pandemic-adjusted 2020 Belmont Stakes at nine furlongs, but then won the Travers Stakes and was second in the Kentucky Derby, both at 10 furlongs. Consti- tution’s ability to produce stamina also is evidenced in Chile, where he is a successful shuttle sire. His top runners there include Horse of the Year Breakpoint, a Group 1 winner at up to 12 furlongs before coming to the United States to win the Grade 2 San Juan Capistrano at 1 3/4 miles; and champion Niquense, also a winner at 12 furlongs.

DAM: Walk of Stars won at up to 1 1/16 miles, but was a stakes winner at seven furlongs. She is the dam of four winners from as many starters, with Mindframe, an allowance winner at 1 1/16 miles, joined by Hollywood Walk, a maiden-claiming winner at 1 1/8 miles but also stakes-placed sprinting on turf; and Star of Shanghai and Starstreet, neither of whom won beyond a mile. Walk of Stars is a half-sister to Strike the Moon, winner of the Charles Town Oaks at seven furlongs and third in the Grade 2 Delaware Oaks at 1 1/16 miles.

OUTLOOK: Constitution has shown ability to sire a 10-furlong runner, but this immediate female family would appear to have some distance limitations.