Belmont Stakes 2013 Entries: Outside Contenders That Should Not Be Counted Out

The 2013 Belmont Stakes entries are set, and barring a last-minute scratch, the deep field of 14 will vie for the final jewel in the Triple Crown at Belmont Park.

Courtesy of a Kentucky Derby triumph, Orb and jockey Joel Rosario are the morning-line favorites for the third consecutive Triple Crown showcase.

Revolutionary ran to third place at Churchill Downs, and is held in nearly as high of regard by oddsmakers—more favorably than Preakness winner Oxbow, even. Those two sit at 9-to-2 and 5-to-1 respectively, trailing Orb's line of 3-to-1.

There are plenty of other contenders to consider placing some coin on, though, because particularly on the long, 12-furlong track in Elmont, New York, just about anything is possible.

Below is a breakdown of the entire field, followed by analysis of a viable trio of horses that should push the odds-on favorites.

Complete Field with Post Positions

Post No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Frac Daddy	Ken McPeek	Alan Garcia	30-1
2	Freedom Child	Tom Albertrani	Luis Saez	8-1
3	Overanalyze	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	12-1
4	Giant Finish	Anthony W. Dutrow	Edgar Prado	30-1
5	Orb	Shug McGaughey	Joel Rosario	3-1
6	Incognito	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Irad Ortiz Jr.	20-1
7	Oxbow	D. Wayne Lukas	Gary Stevens	5-1
8	Midnight Taboo	Todd Pletcher	Garrett Gomez	30-1
9	Revolutionary	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	9-2
10	Will Take Charge	D. Wayne Lukas	Jon Court	20-1
11	Vyjack	Rudy Rodriguez	Julien Leparoux	20-1
12	Palace Malice	Todd Pletcher	Mike E. Smith	15-1
13	Unlimited Budget	Todd Pletcher	Rosie Napravnik	8-1
14	Golden Soul	Dallas Stewart	Robby Albarado	10-1

*Odds are from morning line numbers, courtesy of America's Best Racing on Twitter.

Freedom Child

The champion of the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park rightfully opens as an 8-to-1 shot to find the winners circle on Saturday.

Those are pretty favorable odds, but it still knots Freedom Child with the speedy filly Unlimited Budget as the No. 4 favorite, which projects him to finish out of the money.

Don't be surprised if Freedom Child finds his way into the top-three, though—or if prodigious 20-year-old jockey Luis Saez manages to capture the trophy after the 1.5-mile track around Belmont Park.

Mike Welsch of The Daily Racing Form reported on Wednesday that Freedom Child had yet another dazzling workout session:

Track familiarity and prior success can't be diminished in a race like this. Saez may be facing a field filled with horses that feature Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers as part of their respective connections, but he loves it in Elmont. He even bagged five wins here back on May 31.

Freedom Child may be rather lightly raced, and Saez may have less experience than many of his peers, but this upstart tandem just may be a winning combination on Saturday.

Golden Soul

A surprising second-place finish at the Kentucky Derby despite being a 34-to-1 long shot proved that Golden Soul is a force to be reckoned with.

Beginning on the very outside post at No. 14 is somewhat of a disadvantage, but trainer Dallas Stewart likes what he's seen from his horse thus far, per the New York Racing Association on Twitter:

Just as at Churchill Downs, jockey Robby Albarado is getting the mount yet again, and clearly has had success aboard Golden Soul before. The longer track, which Stewart mentions, should give Golden Soul an edge on the competition.

Even a sloppy track in the first leg of the Triple Crown and an ambitious pace set by Palace Malice didn't prevent Golden Soul from bolting into second place before all was said and done.

Golden Soul and Albarado will prove their magnificent run in the Kentucky Derby was no fluke. Having rested up since then, there's no reason they shouldn't contend in this race as well.

Will Take Charge

Will Take Charge was a disappointment in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby and seventh out of nine competitors in the Preakness Stakes.

Having discouraged him in the past, I understand the hesitancy by some to even consider wagering on him this time around.

However, there is reason to believe that this is finally where D. Wayne Lukas' talented pupil will put it all together. Jon Court is in the saddle, and though he doesn't boast a win in horse racing's marquee three races, he is a veteran who's bound to break through at some point.

Many experts picked Will Take Charge to finish in the money in the Preakness, as renowned thoroughbred analyst Larry Zap points out:

Don't forget that Court also got the mount when Will Take Charge won the Grade II Rebel Stakes, beating the likes of Preakness champion Oxbow in the process.

If there were a long shot to take a flier on, there aren't many better candidates than Will Take Charge. At 20-to-1, he is a bargain, and if he puts it together, he could pull off a surprising triumph if traffic allows for it.