We are not going to see a Triple Crown winner this year but that shouldn’t diminish the luster of the Belmon Stakes, which takes place this Saturday for its 149th edition. We preview the upcoming race with a breakdown of the favorite, sleepers, and a long shot below.
Classic Empire disappointed a lot in the initial race of the Triple Crown, as the horse was unable to show at Churchill Downs, finishing just fourth overall. The John Oxley-owned three-year-old, however, managed to recover in the Preakness, where it was a close second to winner Cloud Computing. Despite the Derby debacle, it’s hard to ignore the accomplishments of Classic Empire. It has four grades stakes wins, including in Arkansas Derby and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Classic Empire is priced at +200 to win in New York.
High-Value Sleepers: Epicharis, Gormley
A Japanese export might just be the horse to send shockwaves across the Triple Crown world. Epicharis (+800) wasn’t present in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. It also only has two races under its belt so you know that Epicharis is coming in with fresh legs for the longest race of the Triple Crown series. The three-year-old won its debut race in Tokyo and placed second in the Grade 2 UAE Derby last March.
Another sleeper you should be taking a long and hard look at is Gormley, which is sitting on +2,500 odds. Gormley was a huge bust in the Derby, finishing just ninth in Churchill Downs despite good odds of around +1,000 prior to the race. Still, Gormley is a sound sleeper bet considering its overall sound track record. IT won the Santa Anita Derby and the Sham Stakes—both graded stakes. It’s also going to be jockeyed by soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer Victor Espinoza, who guided American Pharoah’s Triple Crown sweep in 2015.
Long Shot: Hollywood Handsome
The outlook isn’t that good looking for Hollywood Handsome as it is currently draped with odds of +4,000 to win the Belmont Stakes. In Hollywood Handsome’s most recent race, however, it topped the field in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby last April. The horse’s trainer, Dallas Stewart, has had some decent success in the past in Elmont with similarly overlooked thoroughbreds. Out of the seven horses he’d started at the Belmont Stakes, it was Dollar Bill who performed the best with a fourth-place finish back in 2001.
