An inside look at how the 156th Belmont Stakes will shape up:
1. Seize the Grey (8-1)
Current form: Powered from off the pace to win the Pat Day Mile.
With skeptics still convinced he could not get the Triple Crown distances, he stole the second jewel, winning the Preakness gate to wire.
Worth a wager? “He’s gonna stop. He’s gonna stop.” Never did.
Grey seized the moment and took them all the way at Pimlico.
Broke maiden sprinting in the slop at the Spa last summer. Takes heat at the top and tires. Fourth.
2. Resilience (10-1)
Current form: The Wood Memorial winner made a strong middle move in the Derby but lost momentum and settled for sixth at odds of 31-1 behind Mystik Dan.
Worth a wager? No excuses. Unlike some of his rivals, he had a relatively clean trip in the Derby.
Expecting him to sit mid-pack down the backstretch before fading. Eighth.
3. Mystik Dan (5-1)
Current form: Brian Hernandez found room on the rail and he and Dan outkicked Sierra Leone and Forever Young to win the Run for the Roses.
Couldn’t reel in Seize the Grey and settled for second in the Preakness.
Worth a wager? Dan will be the only horse running in all three Triple Crown races. Tired? Maybe.
Durable? Absolutely. Runs late to get third.
4. The Wine Steward (15-1)
Current form: Won his first three starts. Narrowly defeated the next three races, finishing second in each.
Led late in the Peter Pan before giving way to Antiquarian.
Worth a wager? Just the facts. All three victories were sprints. All three losses were routes.
Until proven otherwise, he may have distance issues. Won the Funny Cide at Saratoga. Last of 10.
5. Antiquarian (12-1)
Current form: Finished well to edge The Wine Steward and win the Peter Pan.
Flat sixth of 11 in the longer Louisiana Derby previously.
Worth a wager? Stalker may be the first to get the jump on the speed horses if the race collapses.
And then … he gets jumped, by the more accomplished stretch runners. Sixth.
6. Dornoch (15-1)
Current form: The Fountain of Youth winner failed to fire in the Blue Grass. Then he drew the dreaded “1” post in the Derby and, well, you know the rest.
Worth a wager? His stock has fallen dramatically.
Does best running on the lead but he got clobbered early and often in Kentucky. Is a rebound in the cards?
Trainer Danny Gargan: “They can knock him all they want. If he wins, all the aggravation will be over.” Saez stays on, so do we. Winner.
7. Protective (20-1)
Current form: Hasn’t beaten anyone. No, really.
He’s 0-for-4 after finishing third in both the Wood Memorial (won by Resilience) and the Peter Pan (won by Antiquarian).
Worth a wager? A maiden? In the Belmont Stakes?
Rule one: Never dismiss a Mike Repole-owned, Todd Pletcher-trained horse with four legs.
That said, this is a tough spot to break your maiden. Not last. Ninth.
8. Honor Marie (12-1)
Current form: Like Dornoch, he found all sorts of early trouble in the crowded Derby.
Rallied from last of 20 to finish a respectable eighth. Disappointing after closing well for second money in the Louisiana.
Worth a wager? Deep closer needs it fast up front. Should get it before getting outkicked.
Rider change to Florent Geroux. Seventh.
9. Sierra Leone (9-5)
Current form: The Blue Grass winner lost by the slimmest of margins to Mystik Dan on the first Saturday in May.
Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps
- Check out the best sports betting sites
- Download the best sports betting app
The camera caught him second in the three-way-win photo.
Worth a wager? Looked like the Derby winner in deep stretch but was held off by a stubborn Mystik Dan.
Stretch runner should have his table set with plenty of speed up top.
Can Chad Brown, who grew up a few miles from Saratoga, take advantage of the home cooking and win his first Belmont? No. Second.
10. Mindframe (7-2)
Current form: Undefeated. A perfect 2-for-2, winning both by a combined 20 lengths.
Crushed optional claimers, leading every step of the way at Churchill Downs.
Worth a wager? Can the speedster get the distance and keep his record clean?
Pletcher thinks so. Irad Ortiz guns him from the further post, gets position into the clubhouse turn.
But Seize the Grey and Dornoch keep him company. Fifth.
