The field for Belmont betting is starting to come into focus as a number of trainers have declared their intentions. D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Dublin, has said he will not enter the horse in the race.
Nick Zito is sending two horses to New York for the Belmont and Ice Box is the likely favorite in Belmont odds. Belmont betting will not have the Derby winner or the Preakness winner and in fact, it won’t have any horse that raced in both the Derby and the Preakness. Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky won’t be in the field and now Dublin has been withdrawn.
The likely favorite in Belmont odds is Kentucky Derby second place finisher, Ice Box. He should get some competition from Preakness runner-up First Dude and Dwyer Stakes winner Fly Down. Those two horses have already met twice and Fly Down finished in front of First Dude in both races. “It’ll be the third time,” First Dude’s trainer, Dale Romans, said “Maybe the third time’s the charm and we’ll catch him.” Romans is very confident heading to New York. “I think he’s going to move forward again,” he said about First Dude, “The mile and a half suits him, and we’re excited to go up there.”
Fly Down is trained by Nick Zito but it is Zito’s other horse, Ice Box, who is the likely favorite. He worked four furlongs in 49.65 seconds over the Saratoga training track recently. Zito won the Belmont in 2004 and in 2008.
Kentucky Derby fourth place finisher Make Music for Me worked at Belmont recently. Jockey Joel Rosario, who rode the horse in the Derby, is expected to keep the mount.
Dwyer runner-up Drosselmeyer worked four furlongs in 47.64 seconds at Belmont recently for trainer Bill Mott. He will get a new jockey as Kent Desormeaux was removed in favor of Mike Smith. Another horse in the Belmont will be Stay Put and his regular jockey Jamie Theriot is expected to stay on board in the Belmont. Other possible horses in the Belmont field are Stately Victor who was eighth in the Derby, Uptowncharlybrown, Spangled Star and Game on Dude. It was thought that New Madrid might run but he was a poor fifth in his prep race on Thursday. Setsuko was another possibility but he is now out due to inflammation in his ankles.