What horses are running in Belmont Stakes 2016?
Belmont Stakes 2016 is less than a week away and the field is finishing taking shape. Some horses have already made an appearance during the Triple Crown campaign, but others will be newcomers hoping to steal the glory.
Exaggerator: After a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby and an excellent win in the Preakness Stakes for Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator is looking like the one to beat come Belmont Stakes day.
Stradivari: His first time in stakes company resulted in a fourth place finish in the Preakness, but Stradivari looked like he belonged and Todd Pletcher is giving him another chance to prove himself on Saturday.
Lani: The Japanese contender was ninth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness, but trainer Mikio Matsunaga has kept Lani in the U.S. for one last run in the Triple Crown.
Destin: Pletcher will also be sending out Destin on Saturday. The colt bypassed the Preakness after running sixth in the Kentucky Derby to train up to the Belmont.
Suddenbreakingnews: Recently discovered to be a ridgling and not a gelding, Suddenbreakingnews has trainer Donnie Von Hemel feeling confident about the one and a half mile Belmont distance.
Brody’s Cause: Dale Romans thought Brody’s Cause had a great shot at winning the Kentucky Derby, but the colt ran seventh. The Preakness was ruled out with the Belmont looking like a good race for the horse.
Cherry Wine: Another Romans trainee, Cherry Wine nabbed second in the Preakness over Nyquist and will join his stablemate in the Belmont field in hopes of his first stakes win.
Creator: Creator finished a disappointing 13th in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness, but Steve Asmussen plans to send the colt out in the Belmont.
Governor Malibu: The Christophe Clement trainee ran a game second in the Peter Pan, giving him race experience over the Belmont track.
Trojan Nation: The Kentucky Derby did not prove kind to this maiden, and after finishing 16th trainer Patrick Gallagher is asking him to take on the big horses yet again in the Belmont.
Wild About Deb: Wild About Deb finished third in the Peter Pan two and a half lengths behind Governor Malibu for trainer Philip D’Amato. The Peter Pan was his third lifetime start.
Gettysburg: The newest Belmont contender was just moved from Pletcher to Asmussen. Gettysburg's only win is from a maiden race and he looks to be the pacesetter in the Belmont.
Forever d’Oro: Trained by Dallas Stewart, Forever d’Oro broke his maiden at Belmont last time out, but would be facing stakes company for the first time if he runs Saturday. The Belmont would be his fourth start.
Seeking the Soul: Also trained by Stewart, Seeking the Soul just broke his maiden as well in only his third start, putting him in the same position as his stablemate.
By Christine Oser