Here are the rounded payouts for the Belmont Stakes for $2 wagered for win, exacta and trifecta tickets for the last eight years.
W Ex Tri
Union Rags $8 31 556
Ruler on Ice 51 928 8,268
Drosselmeyer 29 144 766
Summer Bird 26 121 295
Da’Tara 79 695 3,703
Rags to Riches 10 25 131
Jazil 92 92 436
Afleet Alex 4 44 1,249
Recent history has shown that in this race, even when the favorites win, playing longshots in the exotic bets (Exacta, Trifecta) can pay extraordinarily well.
Stamina and experience count for a lot in this race. The two horses with the most obvious credentials in these areas are Orb and Revolutionary. For our purposes, let’s call them favorites.
Longshots with the pedigree that suggests a preference for a long distance race like the Belmont are:
Golden Soul:
Second in the Derby and bred to love going even longer.
Incognito:
Bred to run two miles, has demonstrated heart , running through a difficult trip two races ago. He hasn’t been successful against this quality of opponent to this point, but may be ready.
Will Take Charge:
He hasn’t run his best race yet. The distance and a dry Belmont track may make the difference.
Two others to consider:
Giant Finish:
Capable of improvement off the middle of the pack finish in the Kentucky Derby, he is not a likely winner, but a 2nd or 3rd place finish wouldn’t shock.
Oxbow:
Not likely to appreciate the longer distance, but could be a valiant 2nd or 3rd.
Special Aside: If the track turns up sloppy, be sure to add Freedom Child who could win it all. If not, 3rd place could be possible.
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