If I wanted to reach for one word to describe the 2017 Triple Crown season, it would be “inconsistent.”
Always Dreaming, so impressive burning off all the other pace pressure in winning the Kentucky Derby by almost three lengths, finished eighth in the Preakness, beaten 14 lengths.
Cloud Computing, beaten seven lengths when third in the Wood Memorial, came back to upset the Preakness.
Neither came back to compete in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. – There was a morning in late March at the Palm Beach Downs training center in south Florida when Jose Ortiz worked Tapwrit in preparation for the Blue Grass Stakes. His enthusiasm level was high.
“This might be my Derby horse,” Ortiz said at the time.
Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes by two lengths over Irish War Cry. It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to Patch in third. Below is the complete order of finish:
1. Tapwrit
2. Irish War Cry
3. Patch
4. Gormley
5. Senior Investment
6. Twisted Tom
7. Lookin At Lee
8. Meantime
9. J Boys Echo
10. Multiplier
Hollywood Handsome (pulled up)
Below are the payouts:
ELMONT, N.Y. – A Triple Crown season that produced three different race winners and ended with a Belmont Stakes that did not include the winners of the Kentucky Derby or Preakness featured one constant, that being the impressive run in the Belmont for trainer Todd Pletcher over the past decade.
The following is a list of DRF resources and content related to the Belmont Stakes card at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 10, 2017.
DRF Live! featuring real-time news and analysis
What follows is a short analysis of the pick four that begins on race 8 at Belmont and continues through the Belmont Stakes, race 11.
Race 8, Just a Game
Although there are several classy turf females in this race, one mare stands out based on her form this year: Dickinson (1), a winner of three straight who just ran down Lady Eli to win the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley despite traffic trouble in the lane. She’s not a slam dunk by any means, but one has to take a stand somewhere, and to these eyes, this seems like the race to do it.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Epicharis was scratched from Saturday's Belmont Stakes after failing to pass the prerace veterinary exam performed by Anthony Verderosa, the chief examining veterinarian for the New York Racing Association.
Epicharis was reported to the Belmont Park stewards by Verderosa as still being off in his right front foot, an issue that had prevented Epicharis from going to the track to train on Thursday and Friday.
The exam he did not pass is one required of all horses scheduled to race.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association in 2018 will again offer a $1 million bonus to any Japanese-based horse who wins the Belmont Stakes.
The NYRA offered a $1 million bonus this year and attracted Epicharis to enter the race. Epicharis, as of Friday, was still expected to start in Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont despite a foot issue that has prevented him from training the last two days.
ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association in 2018 will again offer a $1 million bonus to any Japanese-based horse who wins the Belmont Stakes.
The NYRA offered a $1 million bonus this year and attracted Epicharis to enter the race. Epicharis, as of Friday, was still expected to start in Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont despite a foot issue that has prevented him from training the last two days.
The lack of a Triple Crown bid in the Belmont Stakes is bad news for the Elmont, N.Y., racetrack but good news for handicappers, as the absence of a standout betting favorite means a completely wide-open field ripe with betting value.
