All eyes on Animal Kingdom, Shackleford in Belmont showdown...

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Without a Triple Crown on the line going into the Belmont Stakes, viewership and attendance usually drop.

But this year looks to be different. The top seven horses from the Kentucky Derby are back to race Saturday around the mile-and-a-half track, including winner Animal Kingdom, and the horse that nipped him in the Preakness, Shackleford.


With the term “rivalry” has been bandied about, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association is grinning at the thought of Animal Kingdom and Shackleford in a rubber match at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.


“It's the next best thing to having a Triple Crown on the line,” said association spokesman Eric Wing. “It's not always a given that the Derby winner and the Preakness winner hook up in the Belmont Stakes.”


Only 11 horses have ever won the Triple Crown and just as many have won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in the same year. Preakness winners have fared better in the Belmont, with a total of 18 completing the Preakness-Belmont feat, the last being Afleet Alex in 2005.


The draw for post positions sent Shackleford to the far outside at the 12 post, with Animal Kingdom three slots down at gate nine. Master of Hounds will be in Gate 1, while Nehro will be in the middle of the pack in the sixth slot.


Riding the rail has been a boon for most horses in the Belmont, but the distance may be too far for the U.K.-based Master of Hounds. There's also the rested Nehro to challenge the front-runners, and Mucho Macho Man who came up short in the Derby and Preakness.


Animal Kingdom should be able to watch the race unfold in front of him before making a move in the final turn, but Shackleford held him off in the Preakness and could do the same Saturday if he can keep the pace up for the longest run of his career.
“Animal Kingdom, he's bred to go a mile-and-a-half more than Shackleford,” said Lou Cauz, managing director of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and a former racing reporter. “I think (the distance) will be testing the pedigree of Shackleford.”
Completing either the Derby-Belmont or Preakness-Belmont sweep would mean bragging rights and a serious jump in stud fees.


“If Shackleford wins, he's going to be the champion three-year-old. If Animal Kingdom wins, he's going to be the champion three-year-old. There's a lot at stake here,” said Cauz.


It will also be testing the interest in thoroughbred racing. Cauz said the sport needs something more than a rivalry or Triple Crown winner in order to regain public interest.

“Horse racing . . . is an event that happens the first Saturday in May, the third Saturday in May, the first (or second) Saturday in June, and then drops off until the fall,” he said.

“I have my doubts if we'll ever see horse racing like it was in the 50s, 60s and 70s.”
 

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Belmont Stakes: Weather could be a factor...

The threat of rain threatened the Kentucky Derby throughout the week leading up to the Run for the Roses, but the racetrack was fast for the first time since 2008.


Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Belmont Stakes as there is a 50-percent chance of rain early in the morning and all through the afternoon.


How will a sloppy track affect the 12 runners? Half of the field has never raced on a wet surface while only two have won and they - Ruler On Ice and Monzon - are a pair of longshots.



One aspect is for sure: a sloppy track favors speed. That should bode well for Shackleford even though the Preakness winner starts from the far outside in post 12.
Regardless of the final order of finish, the Belmont Stakes has a unique resemblance to the Kentucky Derby without the excess baggage of 20 horses. The top seven finishers from the Run for the Roses will hit the ground running in the final jewel of the Triple Crown.


The leaders of the bunch are the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners, Animal Kingdom and Shackleford, respectively. However, Nehro, the Derby runner-up, could throw a monkey wrench into the equation despite finishing second in three straight races. In addition, don't count out the other four horses that might be overlooked in the wagering.
Animal Kingdom will be the deserving post-time favorite despite his failure to pass Shackleford through the stretch in the Preakness. Look for him to sit much closer to the pace on Saturday than he was in Baltimore, which should give him a slight edge in a very competitive field.


Trainer Graham Motion brought the Derby winner to New York early to get him acclimated to Belmont Park's sandy surface. The strategy has already paid off as the colt skipped four furlongs on Monday in 47 3/5 seconds, the fastest work at the distance. Even though Animal Kingdom has had a pair of tough races over the last five weeks, he's still the class of the race. However, his low odds might force some folks to look elsewhere for the winner.


Shackleford surprised many in the Preakness, winning at 12-1 despite a decent fourth-place finish in the Derby. The threat of a speed duel with both Flashpoint and Dance City discouraged a lot of folks from wagering on the son of Forestry. Nevertheless, he was extremely game in holding off Animal Kingdom inside the final furlong.
The main question with Shackleford in the Belmont is whether or not he can last the 1 1/2 miles. If the Preakness was 1 1/4 miles instead of 1 3/16, it's doubtful he would have won.


And don't forget how he packed it in inside the eighth-pole in the Kentucky Derby. Still, a possible wet track moves him up, so don't discount his chances even if he might not be as effective at 12 furlongs.


Mucho Macho Man is another colt that might not want the Belmont Stakes' grueling 12 furlongs. He does have a new rider as Ramon Dominguez replaces Rajiv Maragh in the saddle. However, Dominguez will not be able to coax the Risen Star winner to last the 1 1/2 miles.


Mucho Macho Man is a horse that had never been worse than fourth, 2 1/2 lengths behind the leader after the first half-mile prior to his two races beyond nine furlongs. The one thing Dominguez will do differently than Maragh will be to keep the horse closer to the pace. To that end, it will be very difficult for the son of Macho Uno to have enough steam to pass Shackleford and then hold off the closers.



Nehro will get a lot of attention at the windows based on his second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. On the surface, it seemed as if jockey Corey Nakatani moved him a little too early, which made it easy for Animal Kingdom to pass him at the eighth-pole. However, the pace of the race forced the rider to move when he did.
After opening up with a 23 4/5 first quarter, Nehro ran the next half-mile in a dawdling 50 1/5 seconds. He was well within himself in a brisk 23 2/5 quarter when he caught Shackleford approaching the top of the stretch. Unfortunately, the wide trip from post 18 took its toll and the horse was caught by a raging "Animal" inside the final furlong.
With plenty of rest, Nehro should be primed for another huge effort. The main problem in betting him is his reluctance to win as evidenced by his three consecutive second-place finishes.


THE REMAINING THREESOME
Master of Hounds is getting a bit of love from the prognosticators due to his fifth-place finish in the Derby. He closed a lot of ground late on the rail, but he did have a decent trip, except for one instance when he had to weave his way around a tiring Comma to the Top through the stretch.


His breeding, by Kingmambo out of a Sadler's Wells mare, makes him a viable candidate to flourish at 12 furlongs. Still, three flights across the Atlantic in a little over a month might be too much too overcome.


Santiva finished a nose behind Master of Hounds in the Derby at 34-1. There were five other horses 30-1 or higher and they all ran 13th or worse. It was Santiva's third start of the year and second straight off-the-board finish after beginning his career with five in-the-money finishes.
Like Mucho Macho Man, he should be closer to the pace in the Belmont, but as is the case with that colt, Santiva doesn't have the pedigree to last the distance. Stamina usually comes from the dam side and his ancestry should preclude him from being effective at 1 1/2 miles.


Brilliant Speed, unlike the previous duo, should love the added distance. His second dam, Daijin, is a full-sister to Touch Gold (the 1997 Belmont Stakes winner) and a half-sister to With Approval (the 1989 Canadian Triple Crown winner).


As for his performance on the track, Brilliant Speed ran better than expected in the Kentucky Derby, his first race on conventional dirt since last August. He was bothered on more than one occasion by Archarcharch as the field passed the stands the first time, yet he was in good position approaching the far turn, about nine lengths from the lead.
As the field reached the top of the stretch, Brilliant Speed had nowhere to go. Jockey Joel Rosario was forced widest of all, into the eight or nine path. He got there with a brilliant 23 1/5 quarter, and followed that up with a final quarter in 24 3/5 seconds.



Nevertheless, he was too far back to reach the leaders. With a better trip on Saturday, look for the son of Dynaformer to be right in the thick of it at the wire.


Miami Herald..


 

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Coming off a winning 12-1 selection with Shakleford in the Preakness, stay tuned for another double-digit dog with my BELMONT selection..............stay tuned, releasing on this forum shortly.

-FH-
 

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1 Master of Hounds 10-1
2 Stay Thirsty 20-1
3 Ruler On Ice 20-1
4 Santiva 15-1
5 Brilliant Speed 15-1
6 Nehro 4-1
7 Monzon 30-1
8 Prime Cut 15-1
9 Animal Kingdom 2-1
10 Mucho Macho Man 10-1
11 Isn't He Perfect 30-1
12 Shackleford 9-2
 

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5 Brilliant Speed 15-1- probably won't go off at 15-1 but will still pay a nice price..I am going to key him in exactas, TRIs and what other gimmicks I can work him into.


Best of luck to all. wil..
 

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Coming off a winning 12-1 selection with Shakleford in the Preakness, stay tuned for another double-digit dog with my BELMONT selection..............stay tuned, releasing on this forum shortly.

-FH-

Sounds like a something a tout might say! :):)
 

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5 Brilliant Speed 15-1- probably won't go off at 15-1 but will still pay a nice price..I am going to key him in exactas, TRIs and what other gimmicks I can work him into.


Best of luck to all. wil..




Wil .........I like this one too ...........please keep us / updated on your " key " selections ...............hope all is well.
BTW my wife sends her best to you ............you left quit a impression on her w/ your early stories of getting sober .........she has quite a few family members who are " Friends of Bill "
 
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Coming off of a 12-1 winner and the $115 Ex, I will be Releasing My Picks by tomorrow Morning :)
 

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Coming off of a 12-1 winner and the $115 Ex, I will be Releasing My Picks by tomorrow Morning :)

It would be unique if we have the same horse................but I doubt that will occur, as I'm on a limb with this one.

Releasing tommorrow morning if I get good reports from trainer up to then.

Stay tuned
 
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I like Nehro and Master Of Hounds. Still looking for another to throw into the mix.


I could see Nehro. Big plus missing the Preakness . But why Master of hounds ??
this horse has been back and forth from Ireland with a trip to Dubai in between.
I don't like that this horse has spent most of his time on a Plane.
 

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FYI ........ not the best conditions today .........
Could be late storms..............
 

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1 Master of Hounds 10-1 will win the Belmont well rested Gomez aboard good value


Good article on Masters of Hound
http://www.irishcentral.com/story/s...animal-kingdom-and-shackleford-123510564.html

When I saw the draw for the Belmont Stakes with Master of Hounds drawn number one I found my selection for the race.

With all the speed and the favorites drawn to the outside Master of Hounds under Garret Gomez should get the perfect ground-saving trip in behind the leaders.

If Gomez can get him to relax around Big Sandy he can come with his run down that endless Belmont straight where so many Triple Crown hopefuls have come to die

The Aidan O'Brien Irish trained horse ran a great race in the Derby where he finished fifth finishing like a train.

He will be overlooked on Saturday but the fact that Gomez has elected to come back and ride him speaks for itself.

There is no better jockey in America and you can bet he had a few to pick from for the last Triple Crown event.

I didn't like Master of Hounds in the Kentucky Derby.

Too many of O'Brien's horses have competed for the American classics but never adapted to the dirt from turf racing.

Master of Hounds was different. In addition, he can take Lasix over here for breaking blood vessels which has happened him in Ireland.

Animal Kingdom will be favorite but I think he might have left his race on the track after his bullet work on Monday.

Shackleford will go to the lead but his pedigree says a mile an d a half is too far.

Mucho Macho Man is the 'now horse' and can trundle up for a second place finish while Nehro, second in the Derby can take third.

But I'm looking for an Irish success in this race for the first time since Go and Go in 1987.
 

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