2017 Belmont Stakes Day – Graded Stakes Preview
The 2017 Belmont Stakes Day card features six grade one races, three purses at $1,000,000 or more, two grade twos, one grade three, total purses on the graded stakes of $7,050,000 and, of course, the third leg of the Triple Crown. There are few days of racing outside of Breeders’ Cup Saturday that are better than Belmont Stakes Day.
With less than two weeks until this great day for the thoroughbreds, here is an early look at seven of the nine graded stakes on the card. The Brooklyn and the Jaipur are both Invitationals and those lists have not yet been released.
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Belmont Stakes – It is official that neither the Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming, nor the Preakness winner, Cloud Computing will complete. However, a very large field is expected to vie for the $1.5 million purse.
As of this writing, the horses looking definite for the Belmont are: Classic Empire, Epicharis, J Boys Echo, Lookin At Lee, Senior Investment, Tapwrit, True Timber, and Twisted Tom. In addition, Meantime and Multiplier are likely for the race. The four that are considered possible for the feature are: Conquest Mo Money, Gormley, Irish War Cry, and Patch. If they all start that would be fourteen.
Keep in mind that the Belmont is limited to 16 runners. The largest field was 15 in 1983, when Caveat gave Woody Stephens his second of five consecutive winners of the Test of Champions.
EARLY PICK: Tapwrit – In the Belmont, I usually lean towards horses that are on the lead or stalking the pacesetters and can run steady quarter miles for the twelve furlongs. Tapwrit had a horrible trip in the Derby, filled with trouble from the start, yet ran a very respectable sixth. Classic Empire is the logical pick, but favorites in the Belmont have done very poorly in recent years. I expect Tapwrit to be placed in stalking position and make a nice run down the stretch.
Met Mile – Connect will headline the Met Mile, which last year was won in ultra-impressive fashion by Frosted. Connect has won six of eight career starts including his last three in a row, including the Westchester, the traditional New York prep for the Met Mile, the Cigar Mile, and the Pennsylvania Derby. This Chad Brown runner has a perfect record in three starts at Belmont Park.
The $1,200,000 race closed with 23 nominations, which will produce a very strong field that is likely to include: Sharp Azteca, Mohaymen, Unified, Mor Spirit, Tommy Macho, Tom’s Ready, Awesome Slew, and Rally Cry.
EARLY PICK: Connect – This son of Curlin is one very talented horse and the one-turn mile may be his best distance. The Met Mile will be a very tough test, but this is a very tough guy.
Manhattan – Divisidero, the recent repeat winner of the Woodford Reserve on Derby Day at Churchill Downs, will top this million-dollar race, which is run at a mile and a quarter on the turf. Among the other nominees are World Approval, the Dixie winner on Preakness Day; Beach Patrol and Oscar Nominated, second and third behind Divisidero; along with Time Test, who ran a big second in the Fort Marcy for Chad Brown.
EARLY PICK: Time Test – I really liked his first North American start for Brown after almost a year away from competition and he should improve off of that race. Right now, nobody is winning more big races than Chad Brown.
Ogden Phipps – The $750,000 purse has attracted the Champion Songbird to make her 2017 debut in New York. Her commitment to the race caused only 11 other fillies and mares to nominate. It will be interesting to see how many want to tangle with Songbird, considering her first race back since the Breeders’ Cup may be the best chance challengers will have to beat her. Nominees include Big World, who has won four in a row including the La Troienne on Derby Day; the impressive winner of the Ruffian, Highway Star; and Carina Mia, who lost to Songbird twice last year.
EARLY PICK: Songbird – Remember how good she was last year. I expect to see Mike Smith coasting home with her in the final 1/16th of a mile.
Just A Game – There are a lot of great races on this card but if the big 3 of Celestine, Roca Rojo, and Dickinson all run, this will be some tremendous mile! Celestine’s last two races at Gulfstream Park were awesome plus she is three for three at Belmont. Roca Rojo’s 2017 debut in the Distaff Turf Mile said watch out for this one. Dickinson has won her last three in a row including the Jenny Wiley where she bested Lady Eli.
EARLY PICK: Dickinson – After the Jenny Wiley, some people were wondering if Lady Eli had lost a step; her California win made that statement look very very silly. If you can beat Lady Eli, then you have my respect!
Acorn – This year’s Acorn could have a bigger field than usual running for the $700,000 purse. It will be interesting to see If Abel Tasman ships east. She got a perfect trip and set up to win the Kentucky Oaks when Miss Sky Warrior and Paradise Woods went at it early. She will not get that kind of set-up in the Acorn. On the other hand, Salty and Lockdown had horrible trips and also came running in the Oaks.
EARLY PICK: Salty – I’ll be looking for Salty to get a much better trip and turn the tables in the Acorn, although Abel Tasman may just be better than everybody else.
Woody Stephens – The list of nominations for this seven furlong sprint for three-year-olds is loaded with names from the Derby Trail like: American Anthem, Conquest Mo Money, Cool Arrow, Girvin, No Dozing, Petrov, Sonic Mule, and Wild Shot. There’s a $500,000 purse up for grabs and no doubt some of them will be taking a shot. Otherwise established sprinters like Recruiting Ready, Long Haul Bay, and Classic Rock are known quantities.
EARLY PICK: Recruiting Ready – If this Sagamore Farm runner comes back on three weeks rest after that fantastic performance in the Chick Lang at Pimlico he could be very hard to beat.