Belmont Stakes Entries Preview
EDITOR’S NOTE: Veteran handicapper Ed Sehon (aka Mr. Ed) offers an overview of Saturday’s 10-horse Belmont Stakes field. Later in the week, Ed will give VSiN readers his BEST BETS on Friday and Saturday’s cards at the historic Saratoga Race Course.
1 Seize the Grey (8-1)
Record: 10: 4-0-3
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Jamie Torres
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 100
Earnings: $1,819,938
Mr. Ed: Surprising (10-1) winner of Preakness, Lukas credited with nurturing son of Triple Crown winner Arrogate to Winner’s Circle in muddy Preakness three weeks ago. Speed numbers improve with every race. Broke maiden in slop over Spa oval. GREY FOR RAIN.
2 Resilience (10-1)
Record: 7: 2-1-1
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 90
Earnings: $494,630
Mr. Ed: Consistently speedy son of Into Mischief bounced slightly in Derby off a flashy Wood Memorial score. Jockey-trainer combo is one of the best. He should be in the mix early, but the added distance is a furlong too far. SPEED & FADE.
3 Mystik Dan (5-1)
Record: 8: 3-2-1
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 101
Earnings: $4,141,360
Mr. Ed: Longshot (18-1) Derby winner regressed slightly with runner-up finish in muddy Preakness. Trainer brings colt right back in search of a second Triple Crown victory. The trusted rider has been on board for all his wins. Barn earns high marks for always having a charge ready to fire. SECOND THOUGHTS.
4 The Wine Steward (15-1)
Record: 6: 3-3-0
Trainer: Michael Maker
Jockey: Manny Franco
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 92
Earnings: $467,260
Mr. Ed: Three straight wins versus cheaper followed by three straight seconds against tough guys. Top NY rider replaces Saez in irons. A notch below Triple Crown competitors. NEEDS TO STEP UP.
5 Antiquarian (12-1)
Record: 4: 2-1-0
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 92
Earnings: $173,000
Mr. Ed: Appears to be a minor-leaguer, not a Triple Crown player. He would need a 10-point jump in speed figure to compete here. However, with Johnny V. aboard for Pletcher, miracles have been known to happen. NOT ON MY TICKET.
6 Dornoch (15-1)
Record: 7: 3–2-0
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Luis Saez
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 91
Earnings: $552,275
Mr. Ed: Love the way this guy fights for every furlong. After being shuffled in Derby, he checked along the backstretch before getting up for 10th. Gargan-Saez popular combo. Has a win over Sierra Leone. Don’t sell the son of Good Magic short. LIVE LONGSHOT.
7 Protective (20-1)
Record: 4: M-1-2
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Best Beyer: 89
Earnings: $121,920
Mr. Ed: Four-time Belmont Stakes winner Pletcher enters lightly raced maiden looking to score 1-2 punch with more experienced stablemate Antiquarian. Colt showed he can run with the best. The question is whether he can finish in front of a classy field. Derby rough-rider Gaffalione picks up the mount. CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR.
8 Honor Marie (12-1)
Record: 6: 2-2-0
Trainer: Whit Beckman
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 96
Earnings: $526,175
Mr. Ed: My Derby choice mugged, squeezed at the start, eliminating any chance. Eighth-place finish testament to his grit. Solid Geroux picks up the ride for injured Ben Curtis. Better than the record indicates. DON’T OVERLOOK.
9 Sierra Leone (9-5)
Record: 5: 3-2-0
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 99
Earnings: $1,918,000
Mr. Ed: The morning line favorite took a month off after a near-miss in the Kentucky Derby. Nobody spots horses to win better than Brown. Speed ratings get better with every race. Closer should relish additional distance. Don’t punch a ticket without his number. on it. Fast, rested, READY TO WIN.
10 Mindframe (7-2)
Record: 2: 2-0-0
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Best Beyer Speed Figure: 103
Earnings: $87,360
Mr. Ed: Inexperienced fireball has won his only two starts versus lesser by combined 21 lengths. Sports highest speed figure in the field. Few jockey-trainer teams are better. SPEED THRILLS.
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