The 150th Belmont Stakes [SETTLED]
Tom Sunderland - Bleacher Report
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Tensions are at a high ahead of Saturday's 2018 Belmont Stakes after Justify was given the rail in Tuesday's post draw to boost his already strong chances of an American clean sweep.
Bravazo also has a favourable draw at No. 3 and will be hopeful of posing a challenge on the top spot.
Alicia Wincze Hughes of BloodHorse confirmed the post positions and latest odds following Tuesday's draw:
Justify will become just the 13th horse in history to win the Triple Crown if he can clinch victory in the third leg of the series, having already wrapped up confident victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
That's been the picture painted throughout the buildup to Saturday's showdown at Belmont Park, with another two-minute outing being all that separates Justify from cementing his place in horse racing folklore.
But the rest of the field isn't likely to let the three-year-old star get away easily, and Hofburg, Vino Rosso and Tenfold are just some of those still holding out hope for an upset in Elmont.
The stage is set for a climactic battle at Belmont Park on Saturday. Read on for a preview of the 2018 Belmont Stakes after Tuesday's post draw took us one step closer to discovering whether Justify can live up to his billing.
Preview
Just when it looked as though Justify didn't require any help in his hunt for the Triple Crown, trainer Bob Baffert received it on Tuesday as his star was drawn at the rail ahead of Saturday's big crescendo.
Ultimately, the horse will need to perform on the day to convert his hype into the final product, but Thoroughbred Insider remarked on how there's certainly a precedent in winners emerging from No. 1:
Aside from all the usual speculation that comes in the aftermath of a post-position draw, Justify is worthy of his praise, as he's excelled in muddy wins at the Kentucky and the Preakness.
The main job for Baffert after those triumphs is simply to ensure Justify's progress continues as smoothly as it has been, and Meredith Daugherty of BloodHorse showed the star in fine form training at Churchill Downs:
Baffert provided an update on the horse's condition ahead of his trip to New York and also touched on whether Justify has what it takes to follow his other Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah (2015), via Bloodhorse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNfOG-UBjWA
Todd Pletcher is one other high-profile trainer with stakes in Saturday's race, and he brings the duo of Vino Rosso and Noble Indy to Belmont Park hoping one underdog (or both) will have a big race.
Neither horse impressed too much at the Kentucky Derby, as Vino Rosso and Noble Indy finished ninth and 17th, respectively, but they've had the advantage of getting used to their surroundings in Elmont since then, via XBTV:
Pletcher will likely bemoan his fortune on Tuesday, when Vino Rosso and Noble Indy were drawn wider at eight and nine, respectively, hurting their chances of getting inside early to cut down a likely Justify lead.
There's increasing reason to consider British traveller Gronkowski as a dark horse after he was drawn at No. 6, however; Ron Halfback of SportsBetting3.com wrote that the average winning position at Belmont between 1997 and 2017 was 6.33.
OddsShark's Digital Bob touched upon some intriguing superstition surrounding Gronkowski's bid for an upset win, although his odds have since dropped:
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, for whom the horse is named after, could hardly believe the serendipity himself and told Kalyn Kahler of Sports Illustrated: "I can't even explain that coincidence. It's just wild."
European veteran Gronkowski isn't as accustomed to dirt, however, and may need more than a little of that fortune if he's to beat Justify, whose strong preparations suggest he's on course for Triple Crown treasure.
Prediction: Justify to win and complete the Triple Crown
Belmont Stakes controversy: Did alliance ensure a Justify victory?
The New York Post
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Justify’s emergence as the only undefeated Triple Crown champion after Seattle Slew and the 13th horse overall to complete the rare sweep went from a feel-good story to one awash in controversy on Sunday.
Queens, N.Y., native Mike Repole, co-owner of fourth-place Vino Rosso and last-place Noble Indy in the field of 10, hopes Belmont Park stewards will question jockey Florent Geroux about his handling of Restoring Hope, Justify’s stablemate, for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
“Justify is a super horse. He is a Triple Crown winner and he’s undefeated,” said Repole, emphasizing his admiration for the powerful, 6-for-6 colt. “But I can see the stewards looking into this over the next couple of days. I probably expect them to look into reckless riding by Florent and bring him in to question him about what he was thinking and what his tactics were.”
While Justify and Mike Smith, his Hall of Fame rider, smoothly accelerated after breaking from the rail to seize the early lead, Geroux rode vigorously to hustle Restoring Hope toward the front. He soon assumed a position just behind Justify and to his outside.
“It definitely seemed to me he was more of an offensive lineman than a racehorse trying to win the Belmont,” said Repole of 37-1 Restoring Hope, “and Justify was a running back trying to run for a touchdown.”
Gary West, who owns Restoring Hope, was livid about the handling of his horse.
“I have no earthly idea what Florent was thinking or what his race strategy was,” he said in an email response to a request for an interview. “Had I known better, the first eighth of a mile I would have thought it was a quarter-horse race, not the mile-and-a-half Belmont. Maybe the horse was completely out of control and Florent had no choice. I will never know.”
Doug Bredar, the agent for Geroux, said he has no comment and Geroux has no comment.
When a reporter asked Baffert after the race if Restoring Hope served as a “wing man” for Justify, Baffert replied: “He has natural speed. His only chance was to be up near the lead.”
West declined comment on whether Restoring Hope was used to block for Justify, who settled into a comfortable, unpressured advantage that he never relinquished.
“Everyone looks at things differently,” West said. “We didn’t belong in the race, anyway, and that is my fault.”
