BELMONT STAKES – 2021 PICKS
Every year when the Belmont Stakes rolls around again, I can’t help but to think of Secretariat’s triumphant romp around Big Sandy in 1973 when he won by 31 lengths and set the North American dirt record for 1.5 miles in 2:24, a mark that will likely never be broken. It is one of my favorite sports performances of all time and to be honest, I watch the race several times a year when I need a pick-me-up.
Embed from Getty ImagesTo those lucky fans who were in attendance on that historic day, I salute you. And to those bettors who still have uncashed tickets from Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown winning campaign, I am in awe of you…
This year, we won’t see the winner of the Belmont Stakes come anywhere near the beatdown Secretariat put on his adversaries. What we will see is a highly contested clash of eight competitors, several of whom have a legit chance to take home the Belmont Stakes Trophy. In fact, I feel this race will be a close finish which should make for an exciting ending to the Triple Crown season.
One of the horses I like to finish well is Rock Your World, the talented colt many of us predicted would vie for the chance to win the Kentucky Derby on May 1. That wasn’t meant to be, however, as he got bumped hard out of the starting gate between two horses, was forced wide and never recovered. He would go on to finish 17th out of 19 at Churchill Downs.
Fast forward five weeks later, the Belmont Stakes should prove to be a much better race for Rock Your World. He will be well rested having skipped the Preakness, he also has an outside post and will only have seven other contenders to deal with this go around. And if he gets the lead and holds on to it, he has the speed and the pedigree for stamina to get the job done.
Another favorite to win the Belmont Stakes is Hot Rod Charlie. Chuck hit the board in his last four graded stakes races including a win at the Louisiana Derby and a third-place finish at the Kentucky Derby. The Doug O’Neill trained colt has also shown high tactical speed and his pedigree suggests he will get the mile and half distance. But jockey Flavien Prat‘s decision to jump off Preakness winner Rombauer in this race and ride this horse instead says something to me as I admire Prat’s ability to pull special performances out of the horses he rides.
We also must consider Essential Quality as a top contender to win this year’s Belmont Stakes. The only loss he suffered in his career so far was coming in fourth at the Kentucky Derby. Prior to that, he had four straight graded stakes wins over tough competition. Yes, we were all disappointed he didn’t hit the board at Churchill Downs, but we can’t dismiss the excellent qualities this colt still retains. He certainly has the tactical speed to win the Belmont along with the breeding from his sire, Tapit, a horse who has had THREE progenies win the Belmont Stakes (2014, 2016, 2017).
And, then there’s Rombauer, the Preakness Stakes winner. I’m not super high on this colt achieving the rare feat of winning the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, but it should definitely be considered as a possibility. For the Preakness, he had the advantage of rest over the other contenders and as I mentioned earlier, Flavien Prat’s decision to ride Hot Rod Charlie in this race is a sign to me that he has more confidence in the other horse winning. Of course, his replacement John Velazquez is no slouch. He has two wins at the Belmont Stakes already.
Finally, I can’t discount Known Agenda in the mix at the finish line. This Todd Pletcher trained colt won the Florida Derby, but then came in ninth at the Kentucky Derby. Unfortunately, he had the dubious honor of running from the #1 inside post at Churchill Downs, not a good place to be in a twenty-horse field. So, now he comes into Belmont Park fresh having skipped the Preakness, a real benefit given the mile and half distance he’ll have to cover on the heavy sandy track. The bonus is his breeding suggests he could run all day… The only knock on Known Agenda could be that his usual mount Irad Ortiz Jr. got hurt this week and will not be riding him for the Belmont Stakes. His brother Jose Ortiz will be the mount instead.
So, what to make of these competitors and who crosses the finish line first? I think this will be a close one. But I’m going with Essential Quality as my top pick to win the 2021 Belmont Stakes if Rock Your World falters.
Like I said for the Kentucky Derby, it’s really up to Rock Your World to get the lead and keep it. He’s got the tools in the toolbox to finish it off, but the question is: can he do it in a big, long race like this? It’s time for him to prove it.
My Top Five Finish:
1. Essential Quality
2. Hot Rod Charlie
3. Known Agenda
4. Rock Your World
5. Rombauer
BELMONT STAKES Date: Saturday, June 5
Post time: 6:47 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
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