2017 Belmont Stakes
| Belmont Stakes | |
 "The Test of the Champion" | |
| Location | Belmont Park Elmont, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Date | June 10, 2017 |
| Distance | 1+1⁄2 mi (12 furlongs; 2,414 m) |
The 2017 Belmont Stakes will be the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes and the 106th time the event will take place at Belmont Park. The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion", is the final jewel in Thoroughbred horse racing's American Triple Crown series.[1] The race is scheduled to be held on June 10, 2017 and will be broadcast by NBC starting at 5 PM EDT.[2] For the second straight year, the Belmont will have no Triple Crown at stake as 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming lost in the Preakness Stakes.
Field
The connections of both Always Dreaming, the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner, and Cloud Computing, the winner of the 2017 Preakness Stakes, decided to bypass the Belmont.[3][4] Classic Empire would have been the favorite of the remaining contenders for the race, but was withdrawn on June 7 because of a recurrent foot abscess.[5] Classic Empire, the champion two-year-old colt of 2016, finished fourth in the Derby and second in the Preakness.[6]
Another leading contender was Epicharis, a Japanese-bred horse who qualified on the 2017 Road to the Kentucky Derby but who bypassed that race to focus on the Belmont. The New York Racing Association offers a $1 million bonus to any Japan-based horse who wins the Belmont.[7] Epicharis entered a one-week isolation protocol on May 25 and shipped to Belmont Park on June 1. Unfortunately, Epicharis went lame on June 7 and was scratched on June 10 by the state veterinarian. "He had foot soreness – heel soreness – earlier in the week and he just wasn’t sound," said Scott Palmer, NYRA's equine medical director. "In a week maybe he could be ready, but we ran out of time. The right decision was made. The top priority is the horse."[8]
In their absence, Irish War Cry was made the morning line favorite at odds of 7-2.[9] Irish War Cry won the Wood Memorial Stakes in April and finished tenth in the Kentucky Derby.[10]
Other confirmed contenders include Gormley (Santa Anita Derby),[11] J Boys Echo (Gotham Stakes), Lookin At Lee (2nd Kentucky Derby), Multiplier (Illinois Derby), Senior Investment (Lexington Stakes), Tapwrit (Tampa Bay Derby), Twisted Tom (Federico Tesio Stakes),[6] Meantime (2nd Peter Pan Stakes), Patch (2nd Louisiana Derby) and Hollywood Handsome (5th Illinois Derby).[12]
The post position draw was held on June 7.[13]
Chart
| Finish | Number | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Opening Odds |
Post Time Odds |
Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Tapwrit | Jose Ortiz | Todd Pletcher | 6-1 | ||
| 2 | 7 | Irish War Cry | Rajiv Maragh | H. Graham Motion | 7-2 | ||
| 3 | 12 | Patch | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 12-1 | ||
| 4 | 3 | Gormley | Victor Espinoza | John Shirreffs | 8-1 | ||
| 5 | 8 | Senior Investment | Channing Hill | Kenneth McPeek | 12-1 | ||
| 6 | 1 | Twisted Tom | Javier Castellano | Chad Brown | 20-1 | ||
| 7 | 6 | Lookin At Lee | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 5-1 | ||
| 8 | 9 | Meantime | Mike Smith | Brian Lynch | 15-1 | ||
| 9 | 4 | J Boys Echo | Robby Albarado | Dale Romans | 15-1 | ||
| 10 | 10 | Multiplier | Joel Rosario | Brendan Walsh | 15-1 | ||
| DNF | 5 | Hollywood Handsome | Florent Geroux | Dallas Stewart | 30-1 | ||
| Scratched | 11 | Epicharis | Christophe Lemaire | Kiyoshi Hagiwara | 4-1 | — | — |
See also
References
- ^ "Triple Crown season arrives". The Baltimore Sun. May 5, 2017.
- ^ "Belmont Stakes 2017". NBC Sports. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
- ^ "Always Dreaming Officially Ruled Out of Belmont Stakes". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ "It's official: Cloud Computing will skip Belmont Stakes | Daily Racing Form". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Champion Classic Empire to Miss Belmont Stakes". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Classic Empire to Begin Belmont Training May 26". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
- ^ "Epicharis Begins Journey to Belmont Park". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
- ^ "Epicharis Out of Belmont Stakes". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ Chiari, Mike. "Belmont Stakes 2017 Post Positions: Complete Listing for Every Horse". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "Belmont Scenario Shifts With Classic Empire's Absence". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "Good Feelings Still Flowing for Espinoza". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
- ^ "Irish War Cry, Hollywood Handsome to Belmont". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
- ^ "Irish War Cry 7-2 Morning-Line Pick for Belmont Stakes". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 June 2017.