Look to the Longshots In the Belmont Stakes

I have been watching The Test of Champions for the past four decades, and I know it takes a unique kind of horse to succeed over a mile and a half at Big Sandy. The Belmont Stakes is a race that will underscore the greatness of a champion, but it also is one that tends to point out the deficiencies of a lesser horse. Over the years, I have learned to look past the favorites who will be beaten at Belmont. The average winning payoff for the Belmont winner over the last decade is a hefty 40 dollars, and I expect more of the same this year, so my money will be on the live longshots over the clear favorite. ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Belmont Stakes Blues

No Triple Crown this year. So what. We have not had a sweep in 32 years, and I am used to living without one, and now we do not have to worry about being disappointed by the Derby and Preakness winner going down in New York. The Triple Crown should be reserved for the crème de la crème. If we do not have that this year, than so be it, there should be no Triple Crown winner. Personally, I am not going to cry about it, nor am I going to talk about the Belmont as less of a race because there is no opportunity for a Crown winner. The Belmont is still the Belmont, which is one of the most important races in our nation. This year’s edition will be sans a Derby or Preakness winner, which will guarantee a trio of classic winners in 2010. That could make things very interesting later in the year, say in the Travers, with the three winners hooking up. Without a standout, the Belmont promises to be a very interesting race from both a competitive standpoint as well as a wagering opportunity. I know I am already looking forward to betting against the favorite. Here is a list of horses currently looking at the Belmont Stakes, with my earliest of morning lines: Ice Box   2-1 Fly Down   4-1 First Dude   6-1 Dublin   10-1 Make Music For Me   12-1 Devil May Care   15-1 Uptowncharlybrown   15-1 Game On Dude   15-1 Drosselmeyer   20-1 Stately Victor   20-1 Stay Put   20-1 Setsuko   20-1 New Madrid   20-1 Superstars and world beaters? No, but doesn’t this still look like a pretty interesting race? I will be looking forward to the Belmont Stakes as usual, plus the fabulous card that Belmont puts together for the day. If you want to sing your Belmont Stakes Blues, do it someplace else. ZATT is all in!