ELMONT, N.Y. – In a Triple Crown punctuated by surprises, Ruler On Ice scored the biggest shocker in the series, holding on for a 24-1 upset as the 2011 Triple Crown came to a close in the 143rd Belmont Stakes before 55,779 on Saturday at Belmont Park.
ELMONT, N.Y. - There is a real possibility Saturday’s 143rd Belmont Stakes will be run over a wet track.
Overnight rains left Belmont’s track muddy for the first few races and with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s and no sunshine, it isn’t ideal for drying out.
Belmont Stakes odds (as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern)
1. Master of Hounds, 9-2
2. Stay Thirsty, 15-1
3. Ruler On Ice, 28-1
4. Santiva, 13-1
5. Brilliant Speed, 9-1
6. Nehro, 4-1
7. Monzon, 25-1
8. Prime Cut, 20-1
9. Animal Kingdom, 3-1
10. Mucho Macho Man, 7-1
11. Isn’t He Perfect, 29-1
12. Shackleford, 8-1
Following are odds for the Belmont Stakes as of 6 p.m. Eastern time on Friday. Only betting through New York Racing Association outlets - such as at Belmont Park, or through NYRA One accounts - were merged into the pool on Friday, so the handle is a mere fraction of what eventually will be bet into the race, and, at this point, includes no other money bet from around the country.
1. Master of Hounds, 5-1
2. Stay Thirsty, 12-1
3. Ruler On Ice, 42-1
4. Santiva, 8-1
5. Brilliant Speed, 9-1
6. Nehro, 5-1
7. Monzon, 55-1
We've seen a lot of evidence in recent years that pedigree really separates the contenders from the pretenders in the Belmont. Horses with marginal pedigrees for stamina can win other routes, but not the Belmont, and I think Shackleford will come up light on that score. Animal Kingdom is legitimately the horse to beat. His female family has the mile-and-a-half breeding that you rarely see in U.S. horses.
Belmont Stakes selections
1) Animal Kingdom
2) Nehro
3) Shackleford
4) Master of Hounds
