Belmont Stakes Entries 2017: Race-Day Predictions for All Horses and Jockeys

The hope of a Triple Crown winner might have been dashed, but the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes is certainly set to be an interesting end to the 2017 edition of the traditional trilogy. 

The field is truly wide-open as 11 horses will be involved in the Run for the Carnations on Saturday, and winning the Test of the Champion won't be easy. The weather doesn't figure to be a factor, but there's still a grueling 1½-mile track to be conquered. 

What awaits the winner, though, is the prestige that comes with winning a Triple Crown race and the lion's share of a $1.5 million purse. 

Gone are the winners of the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness. Lookin At Lee is the only horse to run in both of the previous two legs of the Triple Crown, while the rest of the field is composed of a combination of horses that are coming back after a post-Derby break or joined the chase during the Preakness. 

Here's a look at the post positions and odds from OddsShark, followed by a predicted order of finish and breakdown of the projected win, place and show. 

Belmont Stakes Post Positions, Jockeys and Odds

No. 1: Twisted Tom, Javier Castellano (20-1) 
No. 2: Tapwrit, Jose L. Ortiz (15-2) 
No. 3: Gormley, Victor Espinoza (12-1) 
No. 4: J Boys Echo, Robby Albarado (16-1) 
No. 5: Hollywood Handsome, Florent Geroux (33-1) 
No. 6: Lookin At Lee, Irad Ortiz Jr.  (5-1)
No. 7: Irish War Cry, Rajiv Maragh (3-1) 
No. 8: Senior Investment, Channing Hill (12-1)
No. 9: Meantime, Mike Smith (14-1)
No. 10: Multiplier, Joel Rosario (16-1) 
No. 11: Epicharis, Christophe Lemaire (7-2) (Scratched, per BloodHorse's Claire Novak and Jeremy Balan)
No. 12: Patch, John R. Velazquez (25-1)

Predicted Finish

No. 1 Lookin At Lee

No. 2 Tapwrit

No. 3 Multiplier

No. 4 Irish War Cry

No. 5 Gormley

No. 6 Senior Investment

No. 7 Meantime

No. 8 J Boys Echo

No. 9 Twisted Tom

No. 10 Patch

No. 11 Hollywood Handsome

Win: Lookin At Lee

Lookin At Lee is the only horse to compete in all three of the Triple Crown legs this year. The colt raced to a second-place finish at the Kentucky Derby and a fourth-place finish at the Preakness. 

While racing in all three legs is becoming increasingly rare for horses because of the strain it puts on them, Lookin At Lee appears primed and ready. Everything the colt's connections say about him points to him being an exceptionally durable horse with great endurance. 

"He's a unique horse in how strong he is, how he takes things, how he comes out of his races, how gritty he is, how durable he is," trainer Steve Asmussen said of his horse, per Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form. "We realize how fortunate we are."

Top-end speed has been an issue, but he's finished strong in both races. That could be the difference as the 1½-mile track becomes a big factor in this one. 

The imminent threat of fatigue is real, but Lookin At Lee appears to be special in his approach, and it might not matter. With a watered down field, he might just prove to be the best horse. 

Place: Tapwrit

Tapwrit has gained some steam as race day approaches among bettors, and there's good reason to believe he'll put in a respectable showing. The colt should be well rested after sitting out the Preakness and finished sixth at the Kentucky Derby. 

The best thing going for Tapwrit is that he is a Todd Pletcher-trained horse, though. Pletcher has done extremely well at the Belmont, winning two Belmont Stakes and netting five second-place finishes. 

After winning his first Kentucky Derby this year, it might just be time for another big win for the New York-based trainer. Pletcher believes that doing his training at the track gives him a leg up when it comes to the final race of the Triple Crown season. 

"Any time you are at your home base, it gives you a bit of an advantage," Pletcher said, per Tom Pedulla of America's Best Racing. "I don't know if the mile and a half suits our training style or what, but it seems like it's been good for us."

This is a largely unproven field, but Pletcher is a proven contender around this time of year, and Tapwrit is his best horse in the field. 

Show: Multiplier

In a race like this, it feels like a long shot is going to get on the board. If that's the case, Multiplier might be the prime suspect. 

After winning the Illinois Derby, Multiplier was entered into the Preakness, where he finished sixth. But most importantly he was closing the distance at the end of the 1 3/16-mile long race, whereas the 1½-mile track will give the colt even more time to make a move on the pack. 

Whereas Lookin At Lee might be overworked heading into this race, it's Multiplier who could just be hitting his stride. This will only be his fourth start, and we haven't seen the best of him yet. 

If Multiplier can be anywhere near the front of the pack at the beginning of the race, he's definitely a horse to watch. He'll be tough to hold back coming down the home stretch.