Belmont Stakes - 12F Dirt TRIPLE CROWN - COMPLETED!

Weather
Overcast

Course: Dirt
Fast

Previous Record
2:32.3 (Seattle Slew 2013)

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Post Positions (per Random.org)

1. Remington
2. Bells o War
3. Riparian
4. Dortmund
5. American Pharaoh
6. Skeptic
7. Rancor
8. Warlord

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Post Time Odds

1. Remington: 35.5 - 1
2. Bells o War: 11 - 1
3. Riparian: 7 - 2
4. Dortmund: 5.5 - 1
5. American Pharaoh: 7 - 2
6. Skeptic: 5 - 2 (f)
7. Rancor: 3- 1
8. Warlord: 6 - 1

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Call

Three weeks ago, Skeptic burned his rivals to a crisp and demolished his half-sister's stakes record in the process for a record win in the Preakness Stakes. The red son of Sent By Ares continued his family's affinity for the Preakness and he returns for the greuling 12 furlong distance as a Triple Crown hopeful against only 7 other rivals. Skeptic is the morning line favorite with Rancor close behdin in the bidding; Riparian and American Pharaoh are both third choice and could prove to be a danger, with the speedy Warlord and Dortmund as the only other single digit entries. Bells o War comes off a win in the Rio series but is still a longshort with Remington the longest of them all, as he still searches for a 2016 victory. With only 8 colts heading to the track under the threat of rain, it is Skeptic with the biggest target on his back in his career, and he'll have to face five other speed horses and two closers to get it done as they load into the gate for the 2016 Belmont Stakes.

The Triple Crown all comes to an end NOW on Seeing Stars!



Results
1. (7) Rancor - 2:31.4 (new stakes record!)
2. (3) Riparian (3/4 length)
3. (6) Skeptic (1/2 length)
4. (4) Dortmund (1 1/2 lengths)
5. (5) American Pharaoh (length)
6. (8) Warlord (1 3/4 lengths)
7. (2) Bells o War (length)
8. (1) Remington (3 1/2 lengths)

Places 1 - 5 take your points, while 6 - 8 will earn 1 pt for courage and 1 pt for stamina.

Congrats to RANCOR for winning the Belmont Stakes! While I know all of us are disappointed that it's another year without a Triple Crown, I think it speaks volumes that it took a stakes record - one that stood for several years - to topple Skeptic, and even then I feel he lost nothing in defeat. Rancor comes back to improve on his third place finish in the Preakness, while Riparian snuck by on the inside to just get up over his rival; it's the beginning of another fantastic rivalry between the Rhapsody and Hard Tack horses after Rhapsody denied Hard Tack of a Triple Tiara earlier in the day, and something tells me we'll be seeing more of these horses in the months to come!

I am super proud of ALL of the horses that competed this year - and so excited to see all the new faces in racing! The Triple Crown will return next year as the drought continues (but hopefully not for 37 years!) with Seabiscuit as the only Triple Crown winner on the forum. However, there's still a year left to go and I can pick out a number of colts on this forum that are looking scary good for the TC next year, so I hope I will see some of this up and comers on the Road to the Roses next year when we reconvene for the colt spring classics.

The Breeders' Cup is just around the corner and preps will be starting IN ONLY A MONTH so be sure to get your colts nice and rested for the dramatic 2nd half of the 2016 racing season.

See you all soon!

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Time
Quarter Splits: 25.4 | 51.5 | 1:16.4 | 1:41.7 | 2:07 | 2:31.4
Final: 2:31.4

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