Belmont Stakes Post Time, Belmont Stakes Post Positions, etc.

Video: The 2009 Belmont Stakes

2009-06-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

2009 Belmont Stakes Results

2009-06-06T18:08:00.001-07:00

Final Results of the 2009 Belmont Stakes:

Win: Summer Bird
Place: Dunkirk
Show: Mine That Bird
4th: Charitable Man
5th: Luv Gov
6th: Flying Private
7th: Brave Victory
8th: Mr. Hot Stuff
9th: Chocolate Candy
10th: Miner's Escape

Congratulations to all who ran!

Summer Bird Wins!

2009-06-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

The first mile had Dunkirk first, Miner's Escape second, Mr. Hot Stuff third, Charitable Man fourth. Mine That Bird was 6-7 lengths behind at the one mile mark.

Jockey Calvin Borel began to drive Mine That Bird hard at the one mile mark. Mine That Bird rocketed forward to take first place with less than 300 meters to go, but ran out of fuel and was overtaken in the last 100 meters by Dunkirk, then Summer Bird. Summer Bird won by less than 3 lengths.

It seems that Mine That Bird made its move too soon.

There is an inquiry into Dunkirk's run, as he ran into Charitable Man early in the race. If Dunkirk did indeed interfere with Charitable Man, he will be placed behind Charitable Man in the rankings, placing Mine That Bird in second.

Summer Bird, at 11-1 odds, has won the Belmont Stakes. Congratulations to jockey Kent Desormeaux, trainer Tim Ice, and owners Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman!

Belmont Stakes Odds: Updated (6:27 PM, Post)

2009-06-06T15:19:00.000-07:00

Odds for the Belmont Stakes, jockeys riding, updated 6:27 PM, Post:

1. Chocolate Candy, 9-1, Garrett Gomez
2. Dunkirk, 9-2, John Velazquez
3. Mr. Hot Stuff, 21-1, Edgar Prado
4. Summer Bird, 12-1, Kent Desormeaux
5. Luv Gov, 22-1, Miguel Mena
6. Charitable Man, 9-2, Alan Garcia
7. Mine That Bird, 6-5, Calvin Borel
8. Flying Private, 17-1, Julien Leparoux
9. Miner's Escape, 21-1, Jose Lezcano
10. Brave Victory, 27-1, Rajiv Maragh

Belmont Stakes Post Time

2009-06-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

This year's race at Belmont Stakes starts at 6:27 pm EST, July 6.

Tune your TV to ABC at 5pm, when coverage of the Belmont Stakes begins.

ESPN will be covering the Belmont Stakes nearly all day, starting at Noon EST.

Belmont Stakes Odds: Updated (6:18 PM)

2009-06-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Odds for the Belmont Stakes, jockeys riding, updated 6:18 PM:

1. Chocolate Candy, 9-1, Garrett Gomez
2. Dunkirk, 5-1, John Velazquez
3. Mr. Hot Stuff, 21-1, Edgar Prado
4. Summer Bird, 11-1, Kent Desormeaux
5. Luv Gov, 20-1, Miguel Mena
6. Charitable Man, 5-1, Alan Garcia
7. Mine That Bird, 2-1, Calvin Borel
8. Flying Private, 16-1, Julien Leparoux
9. Miner's Escape, 20-1, Jose Lezcano
10. Brave Victory, 26-1, Rajiv Maragh

Horses and Jockeys Headed To Track; Borel Ready To Go?

2009-06-06T09:28:00.001-07:00

The horses and their jockeys are all walking to the track now. It is of the utmost importance that the jockeys are able to keep their horses calm and rested prior to the race. As the procession makes its way to the track, some of the horses are visibly irritated. The Belmont is one and a half miles long, and the horses are going to need every ounce of their energy for the long race. The jockeys and trainers have their work cut out right now, trying their best to make their horses save their energy.

On another note, Calvin Borel has said that he has done little work in the past week. Some commentators take this as a bad omen for Mine That Bird's chances to win. Mine That Bird does look a little wound up, as he walks to the track.

Less than half an hour to race time!

Your Predictions?

2009-06-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of talk that Dunkirk will not run well, as he doesn't like the sand.

Mine That Bird has run hard in the previous two races, and may run strong again today. Then again, Mine That Bird could be fatigued, contrary to what his owners say.

Charitable Man looks like he could provide the upset, his pedigree a blend of sprinters and horses with good stamina. Charitable Man's pedigree may prove to be the winning formula at the long, grueling Belmont Stakes.

Lov Gov is still a long shot, though he could provide a major payout.

Who do you have winning?

Hoping For An Upset? Other Horses To Watch:

2009-06-06T09:27:00.001-07:00

There's no guarantee that Mine That Bird will win today's Belmont Stakes. Though the condition of the track, rated as "sloppy-fast," is favorable to Mine That Bird (who won at Churchill Downs in similar conditions) there are other serious contenders that could ruin Mine That Bird and jockey Calvin Borel's day.

Charitable Man (3-1 odds) is considered as the horse most likely to upset Mine That Bird. Charitable Man's pedigree includes horses raised to raise one and a half mile tracks. History is also on Charitable Man's side in another way, is Charitable Man has actually won at Belmont before. Charitable Man is also rested, as he did not race at the Preakness.

Flying Private (12-1 odds) is another horse likely to upset Mine That Bird. Though not as rested as Charitable Man, Flying Private is a powerful horse that is not quite the underdog Mine That Bird was to being the Triple Crown. Flying Private showed well at the Preakness on a late surge, finishing fourth.

Four of the past nine winners of the Belmont Stakes skipped the Preakness. That statistic favors Dunkirk (4-1 odds), who has seemingly been forgotten. Don't sleep on Dunkirk, because he is rested, and at 4-1 odds, there are obviously many others who believe Dunkirk has the drive and ability to win at the Belmont. Dunkirk, like Flying Private, also has the one and a half mile pedigree that may help him eek out a victory.

What's At Stake: Prize Money

2009-06-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Horse racing is a lucrative business--at least for the winners. Take a look at how much prize money is on the line at today's Belmont Stakes:

First place: $600,000
Second Place: $200,000
Third Place: $110,000
Fourth Place: $60,000
Fifth Place: $30,000

Expert Belmont Picks

2009-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

A list of Expert Picks to help you bet:

From the NYTimes:

Win: Mine That Bird x 4, Flying Private x 2, Charitable Man x 1
Place: Charitable Man x 2, Summer Bird x 2, Mine That Bird x 3
Show: Charitable Man x 2, Dunkirk x 2, Mr. Hot Stuff x 1, Summer Bird x 1, Brave Victory x 1

More picks to win:

Bernard Aguinaldo of SportsTicker: Charitable Man
Jerry Bossert of New York Daily News: Mine That Bird
Ed DeRosaof Thoroughbred Times: Charitable Man
Joe Drape of The New York Times: Mine That Bird
Dick Jerardi of Philadelphia Daily News: Mine That Bird
Ed McNamara of Newsday: Dunkirk
Tom Pedulla of USA TODAY: Mine That Bird
Laffit Pincay III of Horse Racing TV: Dunkirk
Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form: Charitable Man
Jennie Rees of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal: Mine That Bird
Richard Rosenblatt of The Associated Press: Charitable Man
Mike Watchmaker of Daily Racing Form: Dunkirk
Alicia Wincze of Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader: Charitable Man

Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel

2009-06-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Calvin Borel was the jockey who rode Mine That Bird to its victory in the Kentucky Derby. Mine That Bird entered the Kentucky Derby as an underdog, with 50-1 odds. With Borel on the back of Bird, the two beat the closest competition by a stunning 6 3/4 lengths.

On May 16th, Borel would ride a different horse, a filly named Rachel Alexandra whom he rode regularly prior to Mine That Bird's win at the Kentucky Derby, at the Preakness in Baltimore, Maryland. Rachel Alexandra was nearly unchallenged throughout most of the race. Mine That Bird, would make up ground, closing Rachel Alexandra's largest lead of 4 lengths to 1 length at the finish line.

Unfortunately, Rachel Alexandra was pulled from the Belmont Stakes by owner Jess Jackson due to fatigue and not being in top shape. So, with his regular horse out of the race, Borel is again on the back of Mine That Bird for today's Belmont Stakes. Borel is attempting to win his own personal Triple Crown, and has a good chance to achieve this riding Mine That Bird, which is the favorite with 2-1 odds.

The Future: Mine That Bird

2009-06-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Mine That Bird has shown well throughout the Triple Crown series, and his future still looks bright. Co-owners Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen have decided to continue to run Mine That Bird after the Belmont Stakes.

Mine That Bird was purchased by its current co-owners after winning four races in Canada. Blach and Allen paid $400,000 for Mine That Bird. According to Allen, there was no haggling for horse. Everyone knew running the horse could pay off in the future, and Mine That Bird has not failed to live up to his promise.

Bennie Woolley Jr., Mine That Bird's trainer, says that the horse naturally looks for open space. Once Mine That Bird sees the lead, he pushes with what he has left. This year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness are evidence of Mine That Bird's ability to launch into a gear most other horses don't possess.

If you're betting on Mine That Bird today, don't be afraid of a poor initial showing. The last quarter mile will be where Mine That Bird will make his move. A great showing today most likely means more races--and more prize money--in the future.

Belmont Stakes Picks, Odds, and Jockeys

2009-06-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Below are the Belmont Stakes Picks, with the jockeys that will be riding in the race, at the beginning of the day:

1. Chocolate Candy, 10-1, Garrett Gomez
2. Dunkirk, 4-1, John Velazquez
3. Mr. Hot Stuff, 15-1, Edgar Prado
4. Summer Bird, 12-1, Kent Desormeaux
5. Luv Gov, 20-1, Miguel Mena
6. Charitable Man, 3-1, Alan Garcia
7. Mine That Bird, 2-1, Calvin Borel
8. Flying Private, 12-1, Julien Leparoux
9. Miner's Escape, 15-1, Jose Lezcano
10. Brave Victory, 15-1, Rajiv Maragh