2013 Belmont Stakes Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites to Win the 145th Belmont Stakes

2013 Belmont Stakes Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Favorites to Win the 145th Belmont Stakes: The Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, but as the race prepares for its 145th running this Saturday, there just isn’t the same buzz around the race that there would have been had a horse been going for the Triple Crown. Instead, there is somewhat of an anticlimactic feel to the race, but while history won’t be made, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the Belmont is one heck of a test for any horse. The 1.5-mile course is the longest of the Triple Crown events, and it takes both stamina on the part of the horse and proper strategy on the part of the jockey to emerge victorious.

The Favorite

After many experts thought that Orb was going to be the horse to end the Triple Crown drought after his victory in the Kentucky Derby, a lackluster showing in the Preakness thoroughly shattered that notion. That being said, bettors won’t want to write off Orb just because he finished fourth in Baltimore. No, he didn’t run his best, but Orb was still closing down the stretch, and stamina is the horse’s biggest asset. If anything, it isn’t a huge surprise that a horse built for distance had a mediocre showing in the shortest Triple Crown race. On the flip side, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Orb had his best performance in Saturday’s grueling 1.5-mile event.

Other Contenders

He basically dominated the Preakness from start to finish, and after a performance like that, Oxbow is sure to have the attention of the competition at the Belmont this weekend. Based on his running aggressive nature, the horse will likely be out front early Saturday. The best case scenario for Oxbow is that his run in the Preakness was a sign that he is peaking at the right time and is ready to deliver a similar showing in New York. The worst case scenario is that he won’t be able to sustain his fast pace against a larger field and over the longer distance of the Belmont and will be overtaken down the stretch. Either way, Oxbow figures to be a factor.

Consistency has been the calling card of Revolutionary throughout his career, and entering Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, he has never finished worse than third. One of those top-three finishes came in the Kentucky Derby, and after skipping the Preakness, Revolutionary should be well rested and ready to go. Plain and simple, this horse has been a contender in every race regardless of the field size, track conditions, competition level and distance. At this point, there is no reason to expect that to change Saturday.

Sleeper Special

If you believe in a horse’s bloodline being a predictor of performance, you will be hard pressed to find a horse in the field with a better pedigree than Palace Malice. The horse was sired by Curlin, and all that horse did was finished third, first and second in the three Triple Crown events in 2007. Not to mention the fact that Palace Malice exploded out of the gate in this year’s Kentucky Derby before fading hard down the stretch, but the horse’s top-end speed was clear nonetheless. Granted, the fact that Palace Malice faded at Churchill Downs doesn’t exactly bode well for his chances at the Belmont, but after skipping the Preakness and resting up, there is always an outside chance that he could hold up down the stretch this time around.

For bettors that want to go with a real underdog, Unlimited Budget could be worth gambling on. The filly will be trying to beat the boys, and trainer Todd Pletcher hasn’t been shy about stating his beliefs that she is both big enough to handle the Belmont field but has the stamina to win on the 1.5-mile course. Whether or not Pletcher’s opinion is grounded in reality remains to be seen, but Unlimited Budget did finish third in the Kentucky Oaks earlier this year, and she was sired by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. The bottom line is that Pletcher wouldn’t throw her out there Saturday just to get embarrassed, and when an accomplished trainer decides to run a filly in the Belmont, bettors at least need to take note.