Belmont Stakes 2013: Favorites That Won't Live Up to the Hype
As the 2013 Belmont Stakes rapidly approaches—scheduled for Saturday, June 8—the hype around the favorites in the race continues to grow by the day.
However, as is always the case, there are certain horses that won’t live up to the expectations.
All of the following horses are considered major contenders for the win Saturday, but whether it’s a poor post position or a lack of elite talent on longer tracks, each of these favorites will falter.
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2013 Belmont Stakes Odds, Posts and More
Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Watchmaker Odds | ML Odds |
1 | Frac Daddy | K. McPeek | A. Garcia | 30-1 | 30-1 |
2 | Freedom Child | T. Albertrani | L. Saez | 8-1 | 8-1 |
3 | Overanalyze | T. Pletcher | J. Velazquez | 15-1 | 12-1 |
4 | Giant Finish | A. Dutrow | E. Prado | 30-1 | 30-1 |
5 | Orb | C. McGaughey III | J. Rosario | 5-2 | 3-1 |
6 | Incognito | K. McLaughlin | I. Ortiz Jr. | 20-1 | 20-1 |
7 | Oxbow | D.W. Lukas | G. Stevens | 6-1 | 5-1 |
8 | Midnight Taboo | T. Pletcher | G. Gomez | 30-1 | 30-1 |
9 | Revolutionary | T. Pletcher | J. Castellano | 5-1 | 9-2 |
10 | Will Take Charge | D.W. Lukas | J. Court | 20-1 | 20-1 |
11 | Vyjack | R. Rodriguez | J. Leparoux | 15-1 | 20-1 |
12 | Palace Malice | T. Pletcher | M. Smith | 15-1 | 15-1 |
13 | Unlimited Budget (f) | T. Pletcher | R. Napravnik | 12-1 | 8-1 |
14 | Golden Soul | D. Stewart | R. Albarado | 12-1 | 10-1 |
*Table via Daily Racing Forum. Updated through June 6.
Revolutionary
While Revolutionary comes into the 2013 Belmont Stakes as one of the top favorites to win it all, there is too much stacked against the colt this weekend.
Not only has Revolutionary been given one of the worst draws imaginable for a notoriously slow-starter—stuck in the middle of the track with the No. 9 post—but he also has to deal with a field full of serious contenders.
Marching his way to the front won’t be easy.
Add in that Revolutionary will not be running with legendary jockey Calvin Borel on his back this time—switching back to Javier Castellano for the Belmont—and the deck is thoroughly stacked against this horse Saturday.
Palace Malice
After leading much of the Kentucky Derby, the expectations surrounding Palace Malice are through the roof despite going on to finish the Derby in 12th place. This is a favorite that should be avoided at all costs.
The allure of a legendary trainer like Todd Pletcher and a top-flight jockey like Mike Smith always excites horse-racing fans, but with just one victory and sporadic performances each time he races, the hype around Palace Malice is undeserved.
The course at Belmont Park is 1 1/2 miles long, and with little success for Palace Malice on tracks longer than a mile (he has never even run on a track longer than 1 1/4 miles), the odds that he will contend for a win are very low.
Golden Soul
One of the fastest risers up the odds board is Golden Soul. After a second-place finish at the Kentucky Derby that saw the horse charging late, the longer Belmont Stakes could be the change this horse needs to shine.
The problem for Golden Soul, though, is that the horse has drawn the unfortunate outside post position (No. 14) for the start of Saturday’s race and will have to get an amazing start while still dealing with traffic.
Add in the fact that the horse will be ridden by jockey Robby Albarado for the first time, and all signs are pointing toward a disappointing finish for the talented colt at Belmont Park.
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