Belmont Stakes 2017: Twitter Updates
Irish War Cry: The morning line 7-2 Belmont Stakes 2017 favorite will attempt to regain winning form following his 10th place run in the Kentucky Derby. Following a 3 ½-length win in the Wood Memorial, Irish War Cry tried to take on Always Dreaming turning for home in the Derby, but came up empty. Graham Motion confirmed the Curlin colt for the Belmont following a six-furlong breeze in 1:14 flat on Saturday at Fair Hill.
Epicharis: According to the vet report, Epicharis received bute yesterday evening for possible lameness in his right front hoof. The Japanese contender is the 4-1 second choice.
Lookin At Lee: With Classic Empire out from a hoof abscess, Lookin At Lee is the lone horse to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year. The Kentucky Derby runner-up will have jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard, who rode Creator to a Belmont win last year for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Tapwrit: With Todd Pletcher’s Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming off the Triple Crown trail, Tapwrit is his leading contender in the Belmont. The grey Tapit colt comes back from a strong sixth place effort in the Kentucky Derby.
Patch: Also trained by Pletcher, everybody’s favorite one-eyed horse has been working toward the Belmont with stablemate, Tapwrit.
Patch, who drew the outside post in the Kentucky Derby and finished 14th, will break from the far outside once again. Sired by Union Rags, the 2012 Belmont winner, Patch will be attempting to follow in his sire’s footsteps.
Gormley: The Santa Anita Derby winner arrived at Belmont Park yesterday and took his first steps on the track this morning. Trained by John Shirreffs, Gormley will try to rebound from running ninth in the Kentucky Derby.
Senior Investment: The Lexington Stakes winner stepped up to run third in the Preakness Stakes, and trainer Kenny McPeek has been high on the horse for the 1 ½-miles distance in the Belmont. Senior Investment worked four furlongs in :50.19 on Tuesday.
J Boys Echo: Dale Romans believes J Boys Echo had his best work ever last Saturday, breezing five furlongs in 1:00 flat at Churchill Downs. Bobby Flay, who bought into Creator before last year’s Belmont, has purchased a 25% interest in J Boys Echo.
Meantime: Brian Lynch will saddle his first Belmont Stakes horse on Saturday. Meantime enters off a runner-up effort in the Peter Pan Stakes, a local prep for the Belmont.
Multiplier: Brendan Walsh will be adding blinkers to the Illinois Derby winner in the Belmont. Multiplier will be looking to improve off a sixth place effort in the Preakness Stakes.
Twisted Tom: Even before winning the Preakness, Chad Brown stated that Cloud Computing would not go to the Belmont. Instead, Twisted Tom has been supplemented for $75,000. Following two stakes wins at Laurel Park, the Belmont will be his graded stakes debut.
Hollywood Handsome: The Dallas Stewart trainee steps up in class after an allowance win over older horses at Churchill Downs. A late comer to the Belmont, Hollywood Handsome was fifth behind Multiplier in the Illinois Derby.
By Christine Oser