Belmont Stakes 2013: Updated Predictions for Win, Place and Show

The 2013 Belmont Stakes is drawing nearer, so it is worth looking into what horses are worth wagering on as the final leg of the Triple Crown approaches on June 8.

Kentucky Derby winner Orb sports the best combination of size and speed and will likely open as the morning-line favorite. However, there are several other horses that should give him a run for his money on Belmont Park's arduous 1.5-mile track.

This Test of Champions is a physically grueling ordeal, and horses who don't have the requisite stamina to keep pace will leave themselves too much work to generate a legitimate comeback down the final stretch.

Below are some updated projections for what the top-three will look like when the dust settles in Elmont, New York, on Saturday.

Note: Racing history for each horse and statistics are courtesy of Equibase.com.

Win: Revolutionary

The horse that rivals Orb best in terms of physicality is Revolutionary, who had a strong chance at winning the Kentucky Derby before Orb's surge had him settle for third.

Among the five expected entries for renowned trainer Todd Pletcher, this horse has the best chance at finding the winners circle. Prior to Churchill Downs, he had won the Grade II Louisiana Derby and the Grade III Withers Stakes.

Those wins not only showed he could beat out strong competition, but also maintain a modest cruising speed while having the endurance to burst to the finish.

Javier Castellano is one of the best jockeys in the industry, and is second only to Orb's Joel Rosario in earnings this season. It would also mark Castellano's first Belmont win after two runner-up finishes.

There is plenty at stake for Pletcher, too, since he has yet to win a Triple Crown race this season. It would mean a lot for him to have a winner in this one, and Revolutionary has the chops and proper jockey in the saddle to get it done.

Place: Freedom Child

It isn't likely that Freedom Child will get a ton of fanfare entering this race, but he did win the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes in his last time out at Belmont Park.

On May 31, 21-year-old jockey Luis Saez trumped in five different races on the track, according to BloodHorse.com. Thus, Saez clearly has a good feel of what he needs to do at this venue—even if his age suggests inexperience.

Mike Welsch of The Daily Racing Form documented how at home Freedom Child seemed to feel at Belmont Park on Tuesday morning:

Trainer Thomas Albertrani would not have entrusted Saez in the saddle if he didn't think the precocious rider could get it done in such a marquee race. Only four other jockeys had more total wins than Saez last year (h/t Equibase.com), which proves he's eagerly taking on a heavy workload to gain as many reps as possible ahead of the Belmont Stakes.

Among the less heralded horses, Freedom Child is one to watch for. Though he finished just 10th at the Wood Memorial Stakes, that was sandwiched by two impressive wins and worthy of consideration to finish in the money.

Show: Orb

It's difficult to argue against Orb, outside of the Preakness Stakes loss to Oxbow that thwarted his individual Triple Crown bid and blemished his undefeated record.

There are horses for certain courses, and that seems to be the case with Orb in this instance. A combination of a shorter track at Pimlico, smaller field and traffic contributed to his fourth-place finish.

Now that the disappointment—and pressure—of the Triple Crown pursuit is off of jockey Joel Rosario, he can relax a little more in getting the mount and hopefully not be pinned closest to the rail this time around.

Orb has plenty in the tank to keep up with the pace in the early going, which may lead Rosario to attempt to beat the traffic that doomed him in the last race and get out to an early advantage.

However, the 12-furlong track is longer than the Churchill Downs venue where Orb triumphed, so it's a bit of a dicey prospective strategy. Rosario is arguably the most prolific active jockey, but he may get too greedy and push his physically superior horse too far.

That should still lead to a finish in the top-three, but I believe Orb will run out of gas on the last straightaway and be passed in a photo finish.