ELMONT, N.Y. – Those trainers looking for an honest pace in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes may have found themselves a new ally in Ken McPeek, who said he plans to have jockey Alan Garcia put Frac Daddy on the lead after getting the rail at Wednesday’s post position draw.

For all the perennial hand-wringing over the state of the U.S. racing industry, one area of the sport has been surprisingly resilient even as U.S. handle totals have cratered over the last five years and national media outlets have heaped scorn on the sport: television ratings for the Triple Crown races.

ELMONT, N.Y. – All 14 3-year-olds entered for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes were on the grounds Wednesday, with Frac Daddy and Golden Soul the last two to arrive from Churchill Downs the previous day.

For the second consecutive morning, the weather was textbook perfect for training – low humidity, with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s, and the racetrack fast but not lightning-quick, as it was last week and into the weekend.

Wednesday at Belmont Park

59 degrees, sunny, fast

[bc_video_id:294423:]ELMONT, N.Y. – The weather forecast for the 145th Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park has worsened as the week has progressed, but as far as Tom Albertrani is concerned, “It’s getting better and better for us every time.”

Kentucky Derby winner Orb drew post 5 and Preakness winner Oxbow was assigned post 7 when a field of 14 was entered for the 145^th Belmont Stakes on Wednesday morning.

Orb was made the 3-1 Belmont Stakes favorite and Oxbow was listed as the third choice at 5-1. Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary is the second betting choice at 9-2.

ELMONT, N.Y. – As a two-time winner of the Belmont Stakes, Edgar Prado has a pretty good idea of what it takes to win the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

“Patience,” Prado said. “Lots of patience. It’s a long way to go. It’s the horse, too. There are only a few horses that can go that distance and if you use them early you fade in the backside or fade at the top of the stretch. You have to wait a little longer than you normally do in the regular races. I got lucky twice; hopefully we can do it again.”

ELMONT, N.Y. – Back when he was riding high, ruling the racing landscape with a far-flung operation that regularly knocked off major races, took down Eclipse Awards, and courted controversy by taking shots in races where his horses looked overmatched, there was an undercurrent of defensiveness to trainer D. Wayne Lukas, at times seething bitterness that seeped out from the façade of crisp suits, immaculate shed rows, and a million-dollar smile.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After experiencing a giant failure in the Belmont Stakes five years ago, owner Andy Cohen is hoping for a Giant Finish to this year’s Triple Crown.

In 2008, Cohen was a minority owner of Big Brown, who after decisive victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, was the 1-5 favorite to win the Belmont and become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Always in a Tiz, who likely would have been the longest shot in the field, will skip Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Stakes and instead run in the $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes on the day’s undercard, said Anthony Bonomo Jr., racing manager for his parents’ stables.

Always in a Tiz, a son of Tiznow, won his debut at Saratoga last summer but has lost five consecutive races since, most recently finishing ninth in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6.

ELMONT, N.Y. – After having their works postponed 24 hours by heavy showers here Monday, Vyjack and Giant Finish became the last two members of this year’s bulky Belmont Stakes field to turn in their final official trials following the renovation break Tuesday.

New York Racing Association officials would have loved to be able to bottle up Tuesday’s weather and save it for Saturday, with sunny skies, no humidity, and temperatures hovering around 60 degrees when training began at 5:30 a.m.