The 2013 Belmont Stakes (Saturday, June 8) has far less on the line this time around than many had hoped—the legendary third leg of the Triple Crown doesn't mean as much when two different horses win at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes—but this still will be a great race.
With serious contenders like Derby winner Orb and Preakness champion Oxbow decorating an already impressive field, the excitement surrounding the Belmont Stakes is still very high despite no possibility of a Triple Crown winner.
After a huge win at the Preakness Stakes, Oxbow has the momentum coming into Belmont Park to steal the show and two-thirds of the Triple Crown.
Not only did Oxbow win last weekend—his first win since January—the sixth-place finish in the Derby despite the sloppy conditions proves he is one of the elite horses of 2013.
If the course at Churchill Downs wasn't so bad, maybe Oxbow would be running for his third Triple Crown win instead of his second.
With legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas in his corner and Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens on his back, Oxbow has the pedigree, talent and support system to steal the Belmont victory.
The 2013 Kentucky Derby winner struggled out of the gate at the Preakness Stakes, but despite the lost time, Orb was still able to finish a very admirable fourth overall. That kind of strength shows why this horse won the Derby.
Now Orb must focus on getting out of the gates clean and using his elite stamina to keep him running fast on the longer Belmont Park track. At 1.5 miles, the Belmont is the longest of the three Triple Crown legs.
The field will likely be larger this time than at the Preakness, but with Orb's ability to maneuver through traffic, the bigger group of horses actually may be an advantage.
After taking a commanding early lead in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, Palace Malice ended up finishing a dreadful 12th overall. Now the horse will look for his redemption at the longer Belmont Stakes.
Led by elite trainer Todd A. Pletcher, Palace Malice will attempt to quiet the talk that he wears out over the course of the races longer than a mile by running a smarter line at Belmont Park and not building such a big lead so early.
This horse had five different jockeys over his last five races, and with such a bad finish at the Derby, whether Mike Smith is back in the saddle for the Belmont is a storyline horse-racing fans must pay attention to going forward.
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