Belmont Stakes 2013 Field: Underrated Long Shots Worth a Bet

The 2013 Belmont Stakes promises to be one of the more exciting races of the year, as 14 competitors are gearing up to fight tooth and nail over 12 furlongs in order to claim the blanket of carnations.

While most of the focus is on Kentucky Derby-winner Orb and Preakness Stakes-winner Oxbow going head-to-head in a rubber match, there are 12 other entrants that are all looking for glory and could care less about previous accolades.

Let’s take a look at some of these possible winners that are worth a bet as long shots on Saturday.

2013 Belmont Stakes | Belmont Park, Elmont, NY | Purse: $1 Million | Grade I | Saturday, June 8 | Distance: 12 furlongs | Post Time: 6:20 p.m. ET | Watch Live on NBC | Live Stream on NBC Sports

Post Positions, Complete Field and Updated Odds

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Morning Line
1	Frac Daddy	K. McPeek	A. Garcia	30-1
2	Freedom Child	T. Albertrani	L. Saez	8-1
3	Overanalyze	T. Pletcher	J. Velazquez	12-1
4	Giant Finish	A. Dutrow	E. Prado	30-1
5	Orb	C. McGaughey III	J. Rosario	3-1
6	Incognito	K. McLaughlin	I. Ortiz Jr.	20-1
7	Oxbow	D.W. Lukas	G. Stevens	5-1
8	Midnight Taboo	T. Pletcher	G. Gomez	30-1
9	Revolutionary	T. Pletcher	J. Castellano	9-2
10	Will Take Charge	D.W. Lukas	J. Court	20-1
11	Vyjack	R. Rodriguez	J. Lea	20-1
12	Palace Malice	T. Pletcher	M. Smith	15-1
13	Unlimited Budget (f)	T. Pletcher	R. Napravnik	8-1
14	Golden Soul	D. Stewart	R. Albarado	10-1

Odds and post position courtesy of Nailah E.Timberlake of NYRA.

Incognito (20-1)

After claiming his maiden race in mid-March, Incognito began looking like a true Triple Crown contender and quickly won his next outing, which was a simple allowance race.

However, on May 11, this colt entered the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park and finished a paltry fifth. It was an extremely disappointing result for Kiaran McLaughlin, but the trainer and his team didn’t give up on this horse’s chances of greatness and believed he should be entered into the Belmont Stakes.

McLaughlin certainly knows what it takes to win the Test of Champions, as he captured the August Belmont Trophy back in 2006 with Jazil. While it wasn’t the strongest field in the long history of this event, it’s certainly comparable to this year’s group of entrants.

With no clear favorite and no contender ready to destroy the 12-furlong stretch of dirt, a 20-1 horse like Incognito is a solid bet to hit the board. He has the speed and endurance to get it done.

Golden Soul (10-1)

It seems that everyone has forgotten that this 34-1 major long shot finished an impressive second-place at the 2013 Kentucky Derby.

Golden Soul’s trainer, Dallas Stewart, made the brilliant decision to pull his colt out of the Preakness Stakes and concentrate on winning the Belmont in early June. It proved to be the right call, as Oxbow ran a wire-to-wire victory on the short, 9.5-furlong track at Pimlico three weeks ago.

As an endurance horse, Golden Soul is much better suited for the mile-and-a-half romp in New York. At the end of the Derby, he made a strong push to cross the finish line first and came up just short at the end. He edged out Revolutionary—the second-favorite in this event—and just missed surpassing Orb—the favorite here and winner of the Run for the Roses.

Don’t be surprised if Golden Soul shocks the world again and proves that a month of training and preparation for a distance race pays dividends.  

Unlimited Budget (8-1)

This filly is attempting to become the first since Rags to Riches (2007) to win the Belmont Stakes, and she’s not a bad bet to accomplish that goal at 8-1.

She will not be a small filly in a group of bigger colts, but rather one of the larger thoroughbreds competing on Saturday.

The offspring of Street Sense—the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner—possesses great size and a powerful stride, which makes her much more than just a token entrant into this competition.

Rosie Napravnik, who will be the first female to compete in all three Triple Crown races in one calendar year, will ride Unlimited Budget. They are looking to make history as the first female jockey-filly combo to ever win a Triple Crown race together and could become one of the best stories in horse racing in a long time.

Don’t be surprised if they pull it off, as they have prime post position at No. 13, an experienced jockey who is on the cusp of Triple Crown glory, and a filly with the raw power and stamina required to beat the boys down the stretch.