2014 Belmont Stakes Horse Capping Picks

Belmont Stakes is the final and longest leg of the United States Triple Crown. It is a Grade 1 stakes Throughbed horse race that inaugurated in 1867.   The event is held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Belmont Stakes is also nicknamed the Test Of The Champion and it is ran over a dirt track covering a distance of 12 furlongs (1 ½ miles) marking it the third final leg of the Triple Crown after the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. 

2014 marks the 146^th running of the Belmont Stakes and will be held on the 7^th of June. Firstly, the event was held at Jerome Park Racetrack in The Bronx, and later moved to Morris Park Racecourse until 1905 and finally moved to Belmont Park and has remained there till to date.

The Beginning of Triple Crown Series

The Belmont Stakes is held on the first Saturday in June whilst the Kentucky Derby is always held on the first Saturday in May and the Preakness Stakes follows two weeks later after the Kentucky Derby. Previously, the Preakness Stakes was always held before the Derby and in 1922, both the Preakness and Derby were held on the same day. The Belmont Stakes was held before the Preakness Stakes on eleven occasions.

In 1919, Sir Barton was the first winner of the Triple Crown Series and in 1973, Secretariat made a record of the fastest speed for Belmont Stakes with a record time of 2:24 and won the U.S Triple Crown Champion that year. Secretariat’s record still stands undefeated till to date.

There has been a great change in the distance of Belmont Stakes. In 1867 to 1873, it started off with a run of a mile and five furlongs, in 1890 to 1905 it changed to a mile and a furlong, in 1893 to 1894 it was a mile and three furlongs and the current distance of mile and half was established in 1926.

In 1960 to 1985, CBS was the first to broadcast the event and ABC Sports took over from 1986 to 2000. NBC Sports broadcasted the event from 2001 to 2005 and ESPN on ABC took over from 2006 to 2010 at which NBC Sports attained broadcasting rights to broadcast the event again from 2011 to 2015.

The 2014, Saturday, June 7 Belmont Stakes will have a purse of $1,000,000 with the winner taking 62% of the purse and the second runner taking 20% of the purse.

Winner                                                 $620,000 (62%) 

Second                                                 $200,000 (20%) 

Third                                      $100,000 (10%) 

Forth                                     $50,000 (5%) 

Fifth                                       $30,000 (3%)

The TV schedule of the Belmont Stakes will kick-off from 5.00pm to 7.00pm (ET) on NBC. 

The next biggest event from the Belmont Stakes is the 2014 World Cup so make sure to sign up for winning handicapping picks for the soccer games as well. 

Belmont Stakes Picks

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On Saturday June 11, the gates open for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park racing a total of 12 contenders on a 1 ½ mile track. The race known as the ‘Test of the Champion’ will surely have so much at stake having the pervious winners – the Kentucky derby winner and Preakness stakes winner. We will certainly see a lot of surprises as it is the final leg of the Triple Crown 

In the Preakness Stakes, Animal Kingdom, the Kentucky Derby winner gave all his best but Shackleford broke the wire first and was just half a length ahead.

Is there still hope for any of these two to win the Belmont Stakes?

Others say that the Belmont stakes is a race between Animal Kingdom vs. Shackleford and 10 others.

It seemed like Animal Kingdom was racing to the Triple Crown. It could have been so close but the Triple Crown has remained unclaimed for a streak of 23 years. It has become obvious that the race for the Triple Crown is very difficult for the three-year-old thoroughbred American horses to clinch the biggest prize.

For the Belmont Stakes, the favorites include Animal Kingdom, Shackleford, and Mucho Macho Man but are these three a guarantee?

 Animal Kingdom will be making his third start and his previous were impressive although Shackleford did a surprise by pacing the Derby winner by half a length in the Preakness Stakes. Comparing the two, Shackleford would have to rely on making a good start so as to out beat Animal Kingdom as he did previously. Mucho Macho Man has not been making an impressive start and at the Preakness stakes, he came out sixth having lost a shoe during the race.  

Nehro, another prospective contender is versatile and can show anywhere.

However, as a professional punter, I have no doubt that Animal Kingdom and Shackleford will certainly show and the other horses that can show much surprise is Master of Hounds, Santiva, and Brilliant Speed. These horses can surely boost your bankroll and if you did not win anything during the previous events then you surely have to utilize your last chance and get a share of the cake. Although playing boxes can be costly, you will get to win something form the pool.

Straight bets tend to be very costly during major events hence it is wise to focus mainly on boxes. My best bet is for you to include the favorites as well as the other horses listed above and make use of Animal Kingdom and Shackleford as your banker.

Wolfson invades Belmont for stakes

Handicappers have learned over the years to pay close attention when Florida-based trainer Marty Wolfson ships horses in to New York for graded stakes. Over the last 18 years - and not including You and I Forever in Monday's Metropolitan Handicap - Wolfson has won eight graded stakes in New York from just 41 starters.

This weekend, Wolfson will bring a mini-army of six to New York to compete in five of the eight stakes to be run Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, Wolfson will send out Stones River in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap. On Saturday, he'll run Jet Propulsion in the Grade 1 Manhattan, Dances With Ashley in the Grade 1 Acorn, Speak Easy Gal and Cherokee Queen in the Grade 1 Just a Game, and Thank You Phillipe in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens.

Stones River, a half-brother to the Grade 1 winner Unbridled Belle, drew post 6 of 8 for the Brooklyn, which will be run at 1 1/2 miles and goes as the last of 10 on Friday.

Stones River is winless in three starts for Wolfson, but he did finish third in a high-class third-level allowance race at Gulfstream on March 3.

"A mile and a half is going to suit him," Wolfson said.

Wolfson is particularly high on Dances With Ashley, who is 4 for 5 in her career with wins on turf and dirt at Calder, on a synthetic surface at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co., and on dirt at Tampa in the Sophomore Fillies Stakes. Her only loss came in the Grade 3 Old Hat, which was run over a sloppy track.

"It's the way she does it," Wolfson said. "She's got a beautiful stride, she's push-button. That day at Tampa, she came from well out of it. I really like this filly."

John Velazquez will ride Dances With Ashley. Others pointing to the Acorn include Amen Hallelujah, Buckleupbuttercup, Champagne d'Oro, Indian Burn, Much Rejoicing, Quiet Temper, Streaker, and Tanda.

In the Grade 1 Manhattan, Jet Propulsion will attempt 1 1/4 miles for the first time in his 49-race career. Wolfson claimed the horse for $50,000 last December as 6-year-old and has run him four times between a mile and nine furlongs.

"I claimed him for running a distance," Wolfson said.

Jet Propulsion set the pace and lost a three-length lead in the stretch of the Mervin Muniz Jr. Handicap at New Orleans.

"You can't have a front-runner on the Fair Grounds turf," Wolfson said. "He opened up six lengths and he's cruising, but it doesn't matter there, they always close on the outside of that turf."

Wolfson said Jet Propulsion's eighth-place finish in the Miami Mile at Calder on April 25 is a throw-out because "they held his head at the gate and he broke last."

Speak Easy Gal, a front-runner, has gone 4 for 4 since Wolfson and Farnsworth Stables purchased her privately from Gary Contessa. She is a front-runner, while Cherokee Queen, also owned by Farnsworth Stables, comes from well off the pace.

Thank You Phillipe won the statebred stakes at Tampa in his last start. Last fall, he finished a well-beaten second to Buddy's Saint in the Grade 2 Remsen.

Gio Ponti ready for Manhattan

After watching Gio Ponti work a strong five furlongs over the Belmont turf course on Sunday, trainer Christophe Clement confirmed the dual Eclipse Award winner for Saturday's Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Gio Ponti, working in company with Winchester, went five furlongs in 59.67 seconds. Winchester was given a time of 1:00.05

It was Gio Ponti's first published work since May 9. On May 16, he worked too slow to get his time published. He then missed a scheduled breeze on May 23 because he had coughed a couple of times beforehand. But Clement was quite pleased with the way Gio Ponti breezed Sunday.

"The work today was a very nice work, easy, on the bridle," Clement said. "My only concern would be his fitness. He's probably good enough to overcome that."

Gio Ponti, who won last year's Manhattan as well as three other Grade 1 races and earned the titles of champion turf and older male, has not run since finishing fourth in the Dubai World Cup in March.

Clement said Winchester may be entered in the Manhattan but would only run if the course came up with some give in the ground. Rain was in the forecast for Friday.

Others pointing to the Manhattan include Expansion, Grand Couturier, Interpatation, Just as Well, Pinckney Hill, Marsh Side, Strike a Deal, and Take the Points.

Unrivaled Belle sharp in Phipps drill

One of the most visually impressive workouts turned in Sunday was by Unrivaled Belle, who zipped five furlongs in 59.71 seconds. She started six lengths behind a stablemate and finished a couple in front.

Unrivaled Belle, who defeated Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne on April 30, is pointing to the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps here June 12.

Trainer Bill Mott called the work "smooth as silk."

"We planned on her going a little bit fast," Mott said. "Last week, we thought she went a little bit slow, so we thought we'd put a fast work in her. She's a filly capable of doing that. We don't do it every week."

Mott also got another fast work from Proviso, who went four furlongs in 46.63 seconds on the turf Sunday morning in preparation for Saturday's Grade 1 Just a Game.

Nordic Truce heads Hill Prince

The defection of Interactif to the Belmont Stakes had the racing office scrambling to fill Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Hill Prince Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf. A field of six was entered, led by undefeated Nordic Truce, but it is unlikely that all six will run. The race was carded as the fourth on the 10-race program.

Lethal Combination, who finished fourth in Saturday's Lamplighter Stakes at Monmouth Park, was one of two horses entered by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who is more likely to start Krypton.

Nordic Truce, trained by Clement, is 3 for 3 including victories in the Dania Beach at Gulfstream and Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland. He will likely be a heavy favorite under Ramon Dominguez from post 5.

The field, from the rail out, comprises Krypton, Avenging Spirit, Noah's Dream, Gold Medallion, Nordic Truce, and Lethal Combination.

Remand and Six Clicks were entered for the main track.

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