Belmont Stakes 2017: What Video Replay Shows About Tapwrit's Win

Tapwrit reeled in Irish War Cry to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, bringing the curtain down on the 2017 Triple Crown races.

Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the Todd Pletcher-trained horse timed his surge to the line brilliantly, running alongside Irish War Cry and overtaking him before the finish line, winning by a couple of lengths. Patch came through to take third position.

It was a thrilling showdown in New York amid concerns the race wouldn't live up to expectations after some key withdrawals, with Classic Empire and Epicharis pulling out of contention prior to Saturday's contest.

Here's a reminder of how the race played out and a look back what the video replay shows us:

Tapwrit Takes It

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

Given there was no Triple Crown at stake this year and that the winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing respectively, were absent, there was a sense this year's Belmont Stakes may not have lived up to the hype.

Those fears were fuelled when Classic Empire, an early favourite, was pulled from the lineup. Japanese hope Epicharis, who was expected to do well, was scratched on the morning of the race.

But as the footage above shows, we still got an absorbing race. Per ESPN Stats & Info, it showed the benefits of skipping one of the Triple Crown outings:

There was a freshness about Tapwrit as he motored to the head of the field at Belmont, steadily chopping down the gap to Irish War Cry. In the saddle, Ortiz kept composed, and once he moved his horse alongside the pre-race favourite, there was only going to be one outcome.

It was testament to Pletcher and his team's work, as they've enjoyed another tremendous season.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

This is his third winner in the Belmont Stakes, with Rags to Riches winning in 2007 and Palace Malice crossing the line first four years ago.

Pletcher can reflect on an exceptional season, as he also watched Always Dreaming take the Kentucky Derby. As noted here by Anna Seitz, it’s been quite the spell for his camp:

"The last five weeks have been the ultimate roller coaster," Pletcher said, per Beth Harris of the Associated Press (h/t the Washington Post). "We felt really good coming in that both horses were doing very well. We felt like both horses suited the mile-and-a-half distance. They had the right running styles and the right dispositions and the right pedigrees. Fortunately, it all fell into place."

As noted by Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form, it has been a long time since a trainer was able to accomplish what Pletcher has achieved this year:

Per track announcer Matt Dinerman, Pletcher also trained Patch, who came third in the Belmont:

It will be fascinating to see how Tapwrit gets on at November's Breeders' Cup Classic, where winners of the Triple Crown races tend to test their mettle.

Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing will likely line up for that one, while Classic Empire's camp will be desperate to see him get a big race win on the board in 2017. If Tapwrit replicates Saturday's performance, he'll be in the hunt for another landmark triumph.