In less than a month, the narrative in horse racing has changed. After Nyquist’s impressive performance at the Kentucky Derby, there was talk he could follow in American Pharoah’s Triple Crown footsteps.
Exaggerator was the horse that had no answer for getting in front of Nyquist. Nyquist had defeated him in four straight races. This was the narrative before the Preakness.
As the rain came down before the race, it looked like it could be Exaggerator’s race. Exaggerator excels in the mud and used the weather to his advantage as he found the Winner’s Circle in Baltimore.
Days later it was announced Nyquist came down with a virus and would be unable to race at the Belmont. All this sets the narrative for Saturday’s race where Exaggerator enters as the favorite.
According to OddsShark, Exaggerator and Lani are the only two horses to compete in all three Triple Crown races.
The odds below are courtesy of OddsShark while the post positions are courtesy of Asbury Park Press.
Here’s the details for the 2016 Belmont Stakes.
Odds, Horses & Post Positions
| Post # | Horse/Odds |
| 1 | Governor Malibu (14/1) |
| 2 | Destin (9/1) |
| 3 | Cherry Wine (8/1) |
| 4 | Suddenbreakingnews (7/1) |
| 5 | Stradivari (7/1) |
| 6 | Gettysburg (40/1) |
| 7 | Seeking the Soul (40/1) |
| 8 | Forever d’Oro (40/1) |
| 9 | Trojan Nation (40/1) |
| 10 | Lani (16/1) |
| 11 | Exaggerator (5/4) |
| 12 | Brody’s Cause (14/1) |
| 13 | Creator (16/1) |
Prediction
In his first race with the big boys, Stradivari held his own in the Preakness with a fourth place finish. Exaggerator is the favorite for a reason, but the horse took advantage of ideal circumstances in Baltimore to find the Winner’s Circle. With jockey Kent Desormeaux making a stop in rehab between races, the team does not exactly exude confidence.
Barring inclement weather, we like the field in this one. Based on his Beyer number, Stradivari has shown he has the speed to win, and Heavy likes the horse to get the first major victory of his career.
Heavy’s Pick: 1. Stradivari 2. Exaggerator 3. Cherry Wine
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