Is the Belmont Stakes even the best race on the Belmont card?
Mott, a Hall of Fame trainer, saddled two horses for the Derby. Almost no one thought Country House was the one we’d be talking about after the finish.
Tacitus, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby and the Wood Memorial, was supposed to be the star. He actually ran well in the Derby, moving up to third place after Maximum Security was disqualified, but he quickly became an afterthought in the tumult.
The morning after, Mott spoke with obvious enthusiasm about bringing Tacitus back for the Belmont. Now, he’ll have a chance to convince racing fans he was really the best 3-year-old in his barn all along.
Tacitus’ versatility and steady improvement marked him as potentially the best 3-year-old in this class heading into the Derby, and he could be favored over War of Will in the Belmont.
Which other returners from the Derby and Preakness could snatch the race?
Japanese qualifier Master Fencer has generated interest because of his surprise sixth-place finish in the Derby and his potential to pull international betting revenue into the Belmont. Lani was the last Japanese horse to run the third leg of the Triple Crown, and he finished third.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will try to win his fourth Belmont Stakes with 18th-place Derby finisher Spinoff. It would be easy to dismiss this colt, who never seemed comfortable on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, but Pletcher has always excelled at timing his preparations for the Belmont.
Fourteenth-place Derby finisher Tax and Preakness runner-up Everfast are also expected in the field.
New York-based Tax has the better overall resume, highlighted by his runnerup finish in the Wood Memorial and his victory in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.
This is the easiest question to answer: no.
The $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap is stocked with accomplished older horses such as Thunder Snow, Coal Front, Mitole, McKinzie, Firenze Fire and Promises Fulfilled.
Will any of those names register for a national audience? Probably not, and that’s an enduring dilemma the sport faces as promoters attempt to generate interest outside the Triple Crown series.
The Belmont card offers the best top-to-bottom day of racing in North America outside the Breeders’ Cup. But with no Triple Crown on the line, it’s largely a regional and industry event.
Just know that if you’re looking for the most interesting race to bet and watch June 8, look to the undercard.