Travis Stone

It is hard to argue with the notion the Belmont Stakes lost much of its luster when Barbaro pulled-up in the Preakness, before receiving a second devastating blow when the connections of Bernardini, inexplicably referring to their horse needing rest after a tough schedule, elected to skip the race as well.

So those at the New York Racing Association have been facing an uphill battle for their premiere day of racing in New York. For the past three weeks they have had to enhance a depleted product as best they could, luring fans with the best under card line-up in the nation and hope the main event, despite lacking star power, would use its historical significance to lure the lost fan out of the woodwork.

The racing cooperated though and what Belmont Park offers Saturday is a race card stacked with class, excitement and one of the more competitive Belmont Stakes we have seen in a while. Dwell on the lack of Barbaro and Bernardini at your own risk. Twelve horses are ready to roll the grueling distance of 12 furlongs with many of them carrying a legitimate chance at victory.

Consider Bluegrass Cat, the forgotten horse in the Kentucky Derby after being the now horse early in the year. Todd Pletcher, arguably the top trainer in the nation, conditioned his horse nicely for the Kentucky Derby. The Blue Grass Stakes was a dismal effort, but Pletcher wisely chalked it up to the quirky surface at Keeneland. Often horses will run superbly there, only to reverse their form inexplicably in their next start. The opposite also occurs – enter Bluegrass Cat.

The full field of the Kentucky Derby meant Bluegrass Cat, second to Barbaro, ran better than 18 other horses, a drastic improvement over his shaky form throughout the spring. The son of Storm Cat was also relatively close to the pace considering, which was sharp and definitely taxing. Pletcher elected to skip the Preakness and have a fresh horse for the Belmont Stakes. Three solid, foundation-building workouts since the Derby indicate Bluegrass Cat has not lost a step and remains a serious horse for the Belmont.

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Pletcher does have a back-up plan, one in which many trainers would do anything to have it be their option number one. Sunriver was dismissed from the Kentucky Derby because of his lack of earnings and when the horses hit the first turn in the big race, Sunriver was biding his time in his stall. The scenario might have been a blessing in disguise though as Sunriver avoided the hoopla at Churchill Downs and gained much needed experience in the Peter Pan, which he won by a game neck. While one would think a classy horse would win such a race by a wider margin, Sunriver had not raced since the Florida Derby. An advantageous post position draw as well means the Belmont Stakes is his chance to shine.

One particular horse receiving a lot of attention is Jazil. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Jazil’s steady closing stride is considered appealing considering the long distance of the Belmont Stakes. However, McLaughlin realizes that to win the Belmont Stakes you need to be closer to the pace than you would think, and he intends to have the young Fernando Jara do just that.

Jazil’s fourth place finish in the Kentucky Derby was the result of a flawless ride and a clear trip. Simply put, he just was not good enough. From seven career starts, Jazil has but one victory, making him eligible for an entry-level allowance. Handicappers seem obsessed with his running style fitting the race, but one must also realize that Steppenwolfer’s does as well.

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