Belmont Stakes Preview - Mine That Bird is a BIG Favorite
by BetUS Staff
Belmont Stakes.
Borel rode Mine That Bird to victory in the Kentucky Derby, but switched to filly Rachel Alexandra when she won the Preakness Stakes. With the filly taking a pass on the Belmont, Borel will return to the saddle of Mine That Bird as a heavy favorite. On the latest horse racing odds Mine That Bird is a huge -150 favorite to win at Belmont Park. Borel has gone as far as to basically guarantee the win after being quoted as saying “we’re gonna win, no questions asked” by the press earlier this week.
Of course there are no guarantees at the horse track, especially at Belmont Park. Just look at what happened to Triple Crown contender Big Brown last season after he went from first in the Derby and the Preakness to dead last in the Belmont.
The biggest challenger to Mine That Bird this weekend appears to be Charitable Man, who clocks in at +300 on the horse racing odds. Since confirming his entry in the Belmont, Charitable Man has been the talk of the race field because of his speed, his pedigree (his sire was 1999 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid), and the fact that he will be one of the freshest horses in the field. Charitable Man did not run in the Derby or the Preakness and last raced on May 9 in the Peter Pan Stakes, which is also held at Belmont Park. He won that race by 3 ¾ lengths, making him a perfect 2-for-2 in races at Belmont and a perfect 3-for-3 in races on a dirt track. A cracked left shin last season cost Charitable Man seven months and kept him from attempting a run in the Derby and a shot at the Triple Crown.
Aside from Mine That Bird and horse racing odds; that would be Dunkirk at +400. Dunkirk last raced in the Derby, where he was expected to contend for the crown. Instead he stumbled badly out of the gate and finished well back in 11th place. Dunkirk had two wins earlier this season on dirt tracks and his +400 odds imply that his 11th-place finish in the Derby was more bad luck than the norm.
