Belmont Stakes 2016: Early Odds, Potential Contenders and Race Predictions

The 2016 Belmont Stakes won't be the site of a Triple Crown bid for the first time in three years, but the "Test of the Champion" at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, is still well worth tuning in for on June 11.

Kentucky Derby runner-up Exaggerator ended Nyquist's quest for the Triple Crown in Saturday's Preakness Stakes, racing to victory on a sloppy track as the previously undefeated colt settled for third.

Although the field for the Belmont Stakes isn't set yet, it's not too early to look into the odds from Oddschecker.com and preview what to expect based on the projected starters.

Horse	Odds
Exaggerator	7-4
Nyquist	7-2
Suddenbreakingnews	8-1
Cherry Wine	8-1
Stradivari	12-1
Lani	14-1
Brody's Cause	16-1
Unified	16-1
Mor Spirit	25-1
Creator	25-1

2016 Belmont Stakes Preview, Predictions

Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images

Nyquist jockey Mario Gutierrez opened up his horse too early in the Preakness, starting the race at a blistering pace. That ultimately proved costly, but if he learns from the mistake, it may well play into Nyquist's favor at Belmont Park.

With more room to work with in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, as opposed to the 1 3/16-mile Preakness, Gutierrez won't have to worry as much about matching a fast start. Nyquist also hadn't competed on a sloppy track before, so that factored into his first career defeat.

But Exaggerator is a Belmont Park prototype. Between his surge to the finish at Pimlico and the 6 1/2-length win he had in the Santa Anita Derby on a rain-soaked track, his blend of physicality and stamina is impressive.

Those attributes ought to have been evident regardless of Mother Nature's whim, as trainer Keith Desormeaux suggested following Saturday's triumph:

"I hope it's not only because of the muddy track," said Desormeaux of Exaggerator's victory, per the Courier-Journal's Jonathan Lintner. "The horse has been training phenomenally. ... I did what I could to get him happy and fresh and strong, and I've always said he's always had a great ability to recover, and he showed it today."

No matter what the track conditions are in Elmont, Exaggerator has shown superior strength in each of his previous three outings, Churchill Downs included. He was gaining on Nyquist down the stretch of the Triple Crown opener, but traffic issues prevented him from claiming first, as can be seen below:

Exaggerator jockey Kent Desormeaux has two second-place finishes and two third-place finishes at the Belmont Stakes, plus a 2009 win at the track aboard Summer Bird on his resume. That history bodes well for Exaggerator's chances in the Triple Crown finale and goes a long way toward justifying his status as the favorite over Nyquist, per the current odds.

Cherry Wine clipped Nyquist for second in the Preakness, and Stradivari flashed well in his graded stakes debut at Pimlico, nearly moving past Nyquist for third but finishing just outside the money instead.

There is some clear upside for Cherry Wine and Stradivari's teams to be excited about, particularly with regard to the latter colt. Stradivari has only four career races, and after finishing fourth in his debut, he had wins of 11 1/4 lengths and 14 1/2 lengths, respectively.

Churchill Downs and NYRA announcer Travis Stone weighed in on Stradivari and felt as though he was somewhat overlooked at the Preakness.

Despite the massive jump in competition this past Saturday, Stradivari showed he belonged among the best three-year-old horses. His strong finish down the stretch in Baltimore suggests an even bigger run may be in store at Belmont Park.

In terms of top-three predictions, look for Stradivari to sneak into the money in second place, barely besting Nyquist, while Exaggerator once again jaunts to the winner's circle and leaves horse racing fans wondering what could've been if he'd broken a little sooner at Churchill Downs.