Chrome not without challengers
One circuit around the Belmont Park main track is all that stands between California Chrome and racing immortality.
It is a mile and a half, the longest and most demanding of the three Triple Crown races, and many racing greats have been found wanting at that distance.
Here is how I see the opposition at this point in time.
Ride on Curlin, Wicked Strong and Tonalist make up my A-list.
The best pedigree in the race belongs to Ride on Curlin, who exits a gaining second in the Preakness Stakes.
His sire, Curlin, was twice Horse of the Year and won the Dubai Gold Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Ride on Curlin belongs to a female family that includes Shuvee, winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 2 miles, and Belmont Stakes winner Coastal.
Until I saw the video of Wicked Strong’s workout Sunday morn-
ing on the Belmont Park training track, I was going to make Ride on Curlin my win bet. Now I’m not so sure. Wicked Strong looked terrific, and he should be ready to roll since his fourth in the Kentucky Derby.
Belmont’s massive track should give him plenty of room to stretch his legs.
Tonalist’s dominant victory in the Peter Pan Stakes made clear his talent.
Although he has made only four career starts, and none at longer than 1 1/8 miles, his trainer Christophe Clement is a master at distance racing
nd if the track is wet, look out.
Commanding Curve, Commissioner, General a Rod, Medal Count, Samraat, and Social Inclusion are on my B-list.
If Commanding Curve duplicates his Derby effort, he is going to be a factor.
Racing in 18th place in the early stages, he launched a sustained rally that got him second place, less than two lengths behind California Chrome.
Commissioner, who broke his maiden last summer at Saratoga at the rare August distance of 1 1/8 miles, has always seemed to want a distance of ground.
That said, his victories have been marked by a determined and steady rally, rather than a strong late punch.
Commissioner’s sire, A.P. Indy, and maternal grandsire, Touch Gold, are both Belmont Stakes winners.
General a Rod is coming off troubled trips in the Derby and Preakness.
He seems to have regressed a bit from his form at Gulfstream Park last winter, where he turned in three fine efforts in the Gulfstream Park Derby, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.
Medal Count was fifth, beaten more than nine lengths in the Fountain of Youth, but rebounded to win the Grade 3 Transylvania on turf and finish a close second in the Grade 1 Blue Grass on Polytrack at Keeneland.
Eighth in the Derby, he is a son of stamina influence Dynaformer who might turn in a big race in the Belmont.
There is no denying Samraat’s courage, and he broke his maiden at first asking last fall on the Belmont oval.
At the top of the Churchill Downs stretch, he was right alongside California Chrome before weakening in the late stages to finish fifth.
The Belmont distance may be asking too much, but if gets into his rhythm, Samraat could make his presence felt.
Social Inclusion is the wild card in this edition of the Belmont Stakes.
Extraordinarily gifted and powerful, he makes only his fifth lifetime start here.
Social Inclusion was very fractious before the Preakness Stakes and continues to have problems with gate schooling.
I have to wonder if this is asking too much, but if he puts it all together on Saturday, he might not look back.
His connections are also considering the Woody Stephens at 7 furlongs on the Belmont card.
Matterhorn and Matuszak round out the prospective field as longshots.
Matterhorn is another with only four lifetime starts, and he exits a fourth in the Peter Pan.
Matuszak is trained by Bill Mott, who won the Belmont in 2010 with Drosselmeyer.
Matuszak was several lengths behind Kid Cruz in two Maryland stakes, the Private Terms and Federico Tesio.
His only victory from eight starts was his maiden win last fall at Churchill Downs.
BELMONT PINK SHEET
The Saratogian will publish a special edition of the Pink Sheet for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Included in our issue is a look back at Birdstone’s stunning upset of Smarty Jones, who looked to have the Triple Crown at his mercy.
It is the tenth anniversary of that event.