A field of 13, led by GI Preakness S. winner Exaggerator (Curlin), was entered Wednesday for Saturday's GI Belmont S. in Elmont, New York. Exaggerator was installed the 9-5 morning-line favorite after drawing post 11 during the draw ceremony held at Rock Center Café at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.
Kent Desormeaux, who will be aboard Exaggerator for the Belmont, was happy with the post.
“I just told [co-owner] Matt [Bryan] it's a wonderful post position,” Desormeaux said. “I can't see any horses that will cross over on him, be able to establish their position preferably without ever getting a grain of sand in his face.”
Still a relative newcomer to racehorse ownership, Bryan is reveling in his Triple Crown experience.
“It's been a true blessing,” Bryan said of Exaggerator's late-closing runner-up finish in the GI Kentucky Derby and his subsequent Preakness victory. “I mean, this is unbelievable, to be in the business for four years and be able to say that we ran in all three legs of the Triple Crown. Only being in it four years, being on the budget that we're doing it on is pretty amazing, and we're just very blessed to have both [trainer] Keith [Desormeaux] and Kent. You know, it starts with Keith and finishes with Kent.”
'TDN Rising Star' Stradivari (Medaglia d'Oro), fourth in the Preakness, is the 5-1 second choice on the Belmont morning line after drawing post five. Stablemate Destin (Giant's Causeway) is 6-1 and breaks from post two.
The late-running Creator (Tapit) will break from post 13 in the Belmont and was installed at 10-1 on the morning line.
“I actually bet Creator in the Derby,” celebrity chef Bobby Flay admitted at the draw Wednesday. Flay will have more than a betting interest Saturday after purchasing a minority interest in the GI Arkansas Derby winner.
“I've never run in the Belmont S. before,” Flay said. “Being a native New Yorker, this has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid.”
Flay continued, “One thing for sure is, I know where Creator's going to be when the race starts. He's going to be easy to find because he's going to be way back. But, listen, he has that incredible turn of foot. If you watched him in the Arkansas Derby, I mean, having a horse that runs from behind that just all of a sudden sort of hits the gas around the far turn, when that moment happens, I mean, it's an exhilarating moment. So I'm going to have about 15 or 16 people with me, and hopefully we're going to fill up the winner's circle.”
Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon), one of four newcomers to the Triple Crown races, is 12-1 on the morning line. The New York-bred is coming off a late-closing second in the GII Peter Pan S. and will break from the rail Saturday. The colt, who won the Gander S. and inherited the victory via disqualification in the Apr. 9 Federico Tesio S., could give trainer Christophe Clement his second Belmont in three years.
“He's finished strong in each of his races–he's getting stronger,” said co-owner George Walker. “We feel incredibly fortunate to be working with Christophe Clement and his extraordinary team. So we're eager to give it a shot.”
Saturday, Belmont Park
BELMONT S.-GI, $1,500,000, 3yo, 1 1/2m
1 Governor Malibu (Malibu Moon), Rosario, 12-1
2 Destin (Giant's Causeway), Castellano, 6-1
3 Cherry Wine (Paddy O'Prado), Lanerie, 8-1
4 Suddenbreakingnews (Mineshaft), Smith, 10-1
5 Stradivari (Medaglia d'Oro), Velazquez, 5-1
6 Gettysburg (Pioneerof the Nile), Lopez, 30-1
7 Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}), Geroux, 30-1
8 Forever d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), Ortiz, 30-1
9 Trojan Nation (Street Cry {Ire}), Gryder, 30-1
10 Lani (Tapit), Take, 20-1
11 Exaggerator (Curlin), Desormeaux, 9-5
12 Brody's Cause (Giant's Causeway), Saez, 20-1
13 Creator (Tapit), Ortiz, Jr, 10-1
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