This weekend's Belmont Stakes may be lacking this season's big Sportsbooks, but that could be a good thing for bettors if an underdog can sneak through and steal the show.
The Belmont's field immediately took a blow when Super Saver's Triple Crown chances were dashed at the Preakness Stakes. That loss all but guaranteed the Kentucky Derby Sportsbook would skip the Belmont, and that's exactly what he's doing. The Preakness Sportsbook, Lookin at Lucky, has also decided to take a pass on the Belmont, leaving the field without both of this year’s prior Triple Crown race Sportsbooks.
The 12-horse field making up the Belmont has ended up including only three horses that ran in the Derby and only one horse that ran in the Preakness. No horse will end up running in all three Triple Crown races this season.
With the Belmont field looking a little thin the favorite is Ice Box at 3/1. He was one of the stronger horses in the Derby where he finished second right behind Super Saver. Ice Box should be very fresh for the Belmont after skipping the Preakness, and many experts think he'll adapt well to the 1 ¼ mile run at Belmont Park, which is the longest of the three Triple Crown races. Ice Box is trained by Nick Zito, who has previously trained two other Belmont Sportsbooks, Da' Tara in 2008 and Birdstone in 2004.
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Following Ice Box on the Belmont list are the only other horses receiving single-digit odds, First Dude at 7/2 and Fly Down at 9/2. First Dude is the only horse running in the Belmont that also raced in the Preakness. He finished second in the Preakness behind Lookin at Lucky. In seven career starts First Dude has one win and four second-place finishes, but he's looked really good in training sessions and could steal the spotlight from favorite Ice Box in the Sportsbook’s circle.
Fly Down, like Ice Box, is trained by Nick Zito and gives him another good chance at winning another Belmont. Fly Down put together an impressive win in the Dwyer Stakes by six lengths last month and he could be finding his footing at just the right time to make a real name for himself at the Belmont.
The only other horses in the Belmont field that also ran in the Derby are Make Music for Me and Stately Victor. Make Music for Me finished fourth at the Derby and is a 10/1 underdog in the Belmont, while Stately Victor finished eighth in the Derby and is a 15/1 ‘dog in the Belmont.
Odds to Win Belmont Stakes
Dave in Dixie 20/1 Spangled Star 30/1 Uptowncharlybrown 10/1 Make Music for Me 10/1 Fly Down 9/2 Ice Box 3/1 Drosselmeyer 12/1 Game on Dude 10/1 Stately Victor 15/1 Stay Put 20/1 First Dude 7/2 Interactif 12/1
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