#1 GOVERNOR MALIBU – Won 2 straight at Aqueduct over the winter then finished first in the Federico Tesio but was DQ’d to 2nd. He followed that up with with a 2nd in the Peter Pan Stakes about a month ago. Has shown consistent development from start to start and ran a new top in his last, which was here at Belmont. Similar pattern that trainer Clement used with Tonalist. Definite contender.
#2 DESTIN - After winning one of two races as a 2-year-old, Destin struggled when fourth in his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes in January at Fair Grounds. Destin rebounded in a big way in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes when posting a new career-best 110 Equibase Speed Figure in a 2 ¼-length win. He then followed with a clear win in the Tampa Bay Derby. Destin came into the Kentucky Derby with eight weeks of rest and ran a solid sixth in the race. In the Belmont, Destin will be coming in off of a five-week layoff, which is closer to the layoffs he had during his wins at Tampa Bay Downs. He also has a very impressive pedigree: Destin is by three-time leading sire Giant’s Causeway out of Grade 1 winner Dream of Summer, which makes him a full-brother (same sire [father], same dam [mother]) to Grade 1 winner Creative Cause, who finished third in the 2012 Preakness and fifth in that year’s Kentucky Derby. Seems sound and has the best single race figure in the race a nice stalking style. Definite contender.
#3 CHERRY WINE - Has really started to come into his own in the last six months. He won back-to-back races by a combined margin of 15 ¼ lengths before finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes and third in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. He was beaten by just a head for second in the Blue Grass, which cost him a spot in the Kentucky Derby field. After sitting on the Kentucky Derby also-eligible list, Cherry Wine was rerouted to the Preakness where he closed from 10th to beat Nyquist for the second spot by a nose at odds of 17.30-to-1. He’ll be one of two horses trainer Dale Romans runs in the Belmont. Has developed a lot since last year and ran a new top in Preakness. I don’t expect as good of an effort. Probably not using.
#4 SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS - Was one of the more impressive closers in the Kentucky Derby, rallying from nearly 28 lengths back at the second call of the race to finish fifth, 4 ¾ lengths behind Nyquist. During the Kentucky Derby prep season, Suddenbreakingnews was impressive at Oaklawn Park, winning the Southwest Stakes and finishing second in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Suddenbreakingnews’ unraced dam is by 2005 Preakness and Belmont winner Afleet Alex and his grandam (maternal grandmother), Party Cited, is a Grade 2 winner who produced multiple Grade 1 winner Composure. One thing to keep in mind is that while it seems like closers in the Kentucky Derby should love the added distance of the Belmont Stakes, the last time a true closer won the Belmont (Summer Bird was ninth at one call in 2009 but spent most of the race between fourth and fifth) was Jazil in 2006. Would need his best race yet but definitely in the mix and could hit ticket.
#5 STRADIVARI - Made his debut in early November, finishing fourth. He subsequently was ultra-impressive in two starts with a combined margin of victory of 25 ¾ lengths. Stradivari won at 1 1/16 miles and 1 1/8 miles, and the colt appeared to be getting better the farther he goes. For his first stakes attempt, Stradivari was thrown in the deep end by racing in the Preakness Stakes and, facing a sloppy track for the first time, the colt ran a credible race, finishing half a length behind Nyquist in fourth. Stradivari is by Medaglia d’Oro, who finished second in the 2002 Belmont Stakes and both the 2002 and 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and he is out of multiple graded stakes winner Bending Strings. Had reasons to bounce in the slop in the Preakness but ran a strong race with a difficult trip. Has tactical speed to get good early position. Pletcher has better results in Belmont than in Derby and Preakness. Major player.
#6 GETTYSBURG - A $425,000 purchase as a yearling, Gettysburg earned his first victory going 1 1/8 miles on the dirt in his third start. After finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes, he finished second to Collected in the Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes. A fifth place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby kept Gettysburg out of the Kentucky Derby and a month later he finished third in an allowance optional claiming race at Belmont. On the back of that win, and due to the lack of speed in the Belmont Stakes, the decision was made to enter the colt in the Belmont. Gettysburg is by the same sire (father) as 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Should be on or near the lead early on but figures just aren’t good enough to be there in the end. Not using.