The third and final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown takes place on Saturday with the Belmont Stakes. The race always takes place five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes.
However, there is a massive change this year with the race not being held at Belmont Park in the New York City area because the track is undergoing construction. Instead, the race will take place about 200 miles north of Belmont Park at Saratoga Race Course.
The change in venue also brings a different distance. The Belmont Stakes is usually the longest race of the Triple Crown at 1.5 miles. This Saturday, it will only be 1.25 miles, which is the same distance as the Kentucky Derby and longer than the Preakness.
The 156th Belmont Stakes Presented by @NYRABets! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wR5hMQZZ4D
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 3, 2024
This race also lost some luster because there isn’t a horse with a chance to complete the Triple Crown.
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (5/1 on the morning line) is in the field, but he fell short two weeks later in Baltimore when he finished runner-up to Seize The Grey at the Preakness. Mystik Dan was a fade for me three weeks ago, and I’m going to fade him again because racing for the third time in five weeks could be taxing on the horse.
Seize The Grey (8/1) was a horse not on my radar in my Preakness wagers, so I was somewhat surprised that horse won for 88-year-old trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Seize The Grey isn’t going to be in my staking plans for the Belmont, especially after he drew the 1 post for the race.
The horse that stands out to me is the favorite Sierra Leone (9/5). I was very impressed with how he ran at the Kentucky Derby, where he lost by a nose to Mystik Dan despite running from the challenging 2 post.
Sierra Leone has a more favorable position in the 9 post for a 10-horse race, and he’ll have a new jockey in the well-regarded Flavien Prat. I like that Sierra Leone didn’t run in the Preakness, so trainer Chad Brown could focus on the Belmont. Also, the horse should be fresh with his last race being five weeks ago.
If you are looking for a second horse to include in an exacta with Sierra Leone, the 8 horse, Honor Marie, would be the one to consider. He was a trendy longer-shot bet at the Kentucky Derby, and I’ll look to include him after a disappointing run in Louisville.
I will have most of my money on Sierra Leone to win and hope the morning line favorite has a smooth trip at Saratoga.