Preakness 2013 Winner: Top Threats to Oxbow at Belmont

Oxbow entered the Preakness as a long shot to even end up in the money. After his thrilling wire-to-wire win at Pimlico, he's the biggest thing in horse racing since, well, Kentucky Derby winner Orb.

Oxbow's effort was nothing short of extraordinary. Starting from the No. 6 post, he took the lead from the outset and maintained his extraordinary pace. Despite 15-1 odds entering the race, he proved to be the best sprinter of the bunch.

However, that doesn't guarantee him success at the Belmont. Winning big in the last leg of the Triple Crown will be an entirely different challenge. Only five horses have won the final two legs since the last Triple Crown winner was crowned in 1978, so doing so would put him in rare company.

If he wants to join that elite company he'll have to overcome the following challenges.

A Longer Track

Going wire-to-wire on the short track at the Belmont is one thing. It's the shortest of the Triple Crown races and generally rewards sprinting specialists.

Attempting to seize the early lead and keeping it the whole time is not a strategy that will work at the Belmont. The 1.5 mile track is even longer than the 1.25 mile track run at the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby didn't go so well for Oxbow. After getting off to a strong start, he couldn't keep up the pace and lost ground over the last quarter. He faded back to sixth place in what was ultimately a disappointing finish.

Oxbow's win at Pimlico showed he has the elite speed, but endurance is the featured trait at Belmont.

Orb's Redemption

While it may seem silly to consider Orb a big threat to Oxbow after the latter just defeated him soundly at the Preakness, a rubber match between the two horses could yield different results.

Orb had a tremendous run at the Kentucky Derby and that can't be discounted based on one bad run, especially when he still managed to finish in fourth place after being boxed in from the No. 1 post to start the race.

As Rick Snider of the Washington Examiner points out, Belmont is Orb's home track.

With a different post and a longer track to stage another late run like he did in Louisville, Orb should be right back in the thick of things at the Belmont.

Rejuvenated Field

The official entrants haven't been announced for the Belmont yet, but it's safe to say that there will be a few horses that skipped out on the Preakness with eyes set on the race.

According to the New York Racing Association via Ray Paulick, it could be a tough field:

If both Golden Soul and Revolutionary are part of the field, it will be difficult for Oxbow to best them. They finished second and third in the Derby and have the kind of pacing and endurance that make the Belmont a favorable race for them.

With 12 races under his belt, Oxbow is fairly seasoned horse. The extra weeks off for horses that skipped the Preakness could be the deciding factor that keeps Oxbow from making history.