A stellar field lines up in the $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational on Saturday, including the likes of Tiz the Bomb, Classic Causeway and Emmanuel.
It’s one of the better fields we have seen in some time and many of the runners have bright futures.
horse racing odds are available for the feature race in the world this weekend.
Colt Back After Kentucky Derby
Tiz the Bomb hasn’t raced since finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby and he could hit the ground running this preparation.
The Kenneth McPeek-trained son of Hit It a Bomb had shown excellent form prior to the Derby, including a win in the Jeff Ruby Steaks over Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike.
It’s a lovely form guide for the Belmont Derby and getting back on the grass surface is right up his alley.
“We gave him a Kentucky Derby chance,” McPeek told DRF.com. “He ran respectable, but he’s certainly not as good on the dirt as he is on the grass.
“I think he’s definitely a better grass horse than a dirt horse. He’s really intelligent. I think the sire line is a little more grass, but he handles about everything.”
McPeek also lines up Classic Causeway, who disappointed for 11th in the Derby before running third in the Ohio Derby last time out.
“We tried to rate him a little bit, but he’s a really headstrong horse early in the race,” McPeek said. “I think he’s got his mind set on go when he leaves the gate and we’re trying to re-tool him a little bit and get him to turn off for a bit. He’s a really smart horse. Tactics wise in the Ohio Derby, I would have liked to have seen him rated a little further back and then make a run. But he fought to the finish and ran a real respectable third.”
The sportsbook won’t have much between the McPeek pair and we could see them going to the line together.
Confidence With Emmanuel
The son of More than Ready comes off a win in the Grade II Pennine Ridge and that confidence should take him close in the Belmont Derby.
He hadn’t won since scoring in allowance company in January but he faced some tough fields in the Fountain of Youth and Blue Grass Stakes.
Running third behind Zandon in the Blue Grass is an excellent form guide and it should be reflected with horse racing betting markets.
It could pay to watch betting moves on race day.
O’Brien Seeking Consecutive Wins
European trainer Aidan O’Brien won the Derby/Oaks double last year and he’s back with Stone Age, who was the early favorite.
The well-bred son of Galileo finished sixth in the Epsom Derby where the distance might have caught him out.
“We thought the mile and a half would not be any problem, maybe he didn’t need the mile and a half like we thought he did,” O’Brien said.
His form in the Derby Trial Stakes was a much better form guide and he could match fellow European Nations Pride, who carries the Godolphin colors.
Nations Pride finished eighth in the Epsom Derby after winning the Newmarket Stakes, so he’s another runner looking to bounce back. However, the Europeans are dominant on the grass so betting online markets should have them safe in the betting.
