Belmont Stakes is anybody’s horse race

to lure a horse from Japan.

Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming finished eighth in the Preakness, so he is skipping the Belmont. His trainer Todd Pletcher has two shots at winning the $1.5 million race on his home track: He will saddle 6-1 fourth choice Tapwrit and one-eyed Patch.

Tapwrit was sixth in the Derby and Patch was 14th.

“I think he ran a sneaky good race in the Derby,” Pletcher said of Tapwrit. “I don’t think it would be a surprise if either of them ran well.”

Cloud Computing skipped the Derby, won the Preakness and is sitting out the Belmont. His trainer Chad Brown has 20-1 shot Twisted Tom, who brings a three-race winning streak into the race on his home track.

Lookin At Lee will be the only horse to run in all three Triple Crown races. He was second in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness. He’s the early 5-1 third choice on Saturday.

Gormley, ninth in the Derby, flew from his Southern California base to take a shot after staying home from the Preakness.

Multiplier sat out the Derby and was sixth in the Preakness.

The longest shot in the field is 30-1 Hollywood Handsome, who along with 15-1 Meantime, didn’t run in either of the first two legs.

J Boys Echo is one of five Belmont runners who skipped the Preakness after running in the Derby, a route taken last year by Belmont winner Creator. Trainer Dale Romans is ready to get his hands on the trophy after finishing third four times.

“The mile and a half should help him and hopefully we’re going to see the best of him,” Romans said. “He’s got a good rhythm to the way he runs and I think that’s important going that far.”

Belmont Park’s deep, sandy track and sweeping turns can wipe out a tiring horse and benefit a closer able to negotiate the long stretch.

Senior Investment surged late to take third in the Preakness and his trainer, Ken McPeek, won the 2002 Belmont with 70-1 shot Sarava. In 2012, he trained 20-1 shot Atigun to a thirdplace finish.