Others: Belmont Stakes

The Belmont is less than 2 weeks away. Here's the early odds -

Belmont Rundown

Smarty jones is the obvious early favorite. Is this the year we finally get another Triple Crown winner?

also, a link to The Ballad of Smarty Jones

would be nice if he won it

There mighte as few as 5 other horses in the Belmont -

story link

Wouldn't that take away from the feat, if in fact Smarty wins?

Well he is favourite and holds every chance. It would be some feat though if the Smarty did it.

But if ther are only 5 other horses, doesn't that put an asterik next to his name in the history books?

Why? If there is only 2 horses he could still get beat. He has to go out and beat them yet. It doesn't matter if there is 5 or 25 as long as the other horses are top class and he wins.

I just think it's more impressive if you have a full field to beat, the chances of getting beat are greater, and to win is then more impressive.

Well thats not exactly true. You could have twelve runners and 6 of them are over 33-1 so it doesn't give them that much of a chance. So you could go with the remaining six to get the winner from. So if you took out the 6 worse priced horses you only got the best 6 running.

Also it looks like there may be 9 running in the Belmont......

This is the horse to watch out for and could halt the Smarty's winning run.

Eddington.

Eddington has finished third in each of his three stakes tries, including the Preakness, in which he finished 13 1/2 lengths behind dual classic winner Smarty Jones and two lengths behind runner-up Rock Hard Ten. Thing is the Belmont is futher than the Preakness and it will be easier to make up the distance. And he put up a double fast time today in a workout the fastest of 35 works at the distance on a fast main track.

Originally posted by TRD
Well thats not exactly true. You could have twelve runners and 6 of them are over 33-1 so it doesn't give them that much of a chance. So you could go with the remaining six to get the winner from. So if you took out the 6 worse priced horses you only got the best 6 running.

good point, but there is always a chance for the underdog...

Looks like Smarty should be in NY by now -

link