2023 Belmont Stakes: Early Predictions Following Preakness | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
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There will be no Triple Crown winner in 2023 after Mage finished third in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday in Baltimore, losing out to Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure at Pimlico Race Course.
But that doesn’t mean that there will be any shortage of interesting storylines going into June 10th’s Belmont Stakes in the final leg of the Triple Crown races.
Although, it will be tough to pick out any odds given how ever-changing and unpredictable the field has been over the first two legs.
In the Kentucky Derby, Forte—who was the big favorite to win it all at Churchill Downs—was scratched with a bruised right front foot on the day of the race, an almost unprecedented circumstance.
Forte was placed on the veterinary list for two weeks due to his injury and wasn’t allowed to race in that time. Therefore, he also missed the Preakness.
Several other top competitors from the Derby like Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire and Two Phil’s all sat out of the Preakness, mostly due to the short turnaround.
It led to what was a much lower quality field in Baltimore, even with Mage and National Treasure competing.
It should be expected that with about a month between the Derby and the Belmont a few of the horses return to the lineup for the final leg of the Triple Crown, making for some more thrilling action.
And if he does show up to Belmont Park, Two Phil’s is the horse that could win it all given his strong performance in the Derby and some of the qualifying races.
Perhaps the biggest and most important storyline going into the Belmont, however, is the state of the sport.
After seven horses died ahead of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, two more horses have been euthanized, including one on Saturday at Pimlico. Another Baffert-trained horse, Havnameltdown broke broke his left front fetlock, similar to an ankle, in one of the undercard races.
It’s been a brutal few weeks for horse racing and there will be plenty of scrutiny on the Triple Crown’s final race.
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