2017 Belmont Stakes Predictions
Will Irish War Cry emerge victorious this evening at the Belmont Stakes?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, Irish War Cry remains the favorite at 7/2. Those odds are followed by Lookin At Lee, who is 5/1, and Tapwrit, who is 6/1. Gormley, meanwhile, is 8/1 to win the Belmont Stakes, followed by Senior Investment and Patch at 12/1, respectively. J Boys Echo, Meantime and Multiplier are 15/1, respectively, while Twisted Tom is 20/1. Hollywood Handsome has the longest odds at 30/1.
To Win: Tarpwrit
As I explain below, the value just isn’t there in the favorite tonight, so might as well roll the dice on one of the long-shots. Tapwrit had a rough start in the Kentucky Derby and found himself farther off the pace than usual before rallying down the homestretch. He should rebound today after skipping the Preakness Stakes a few weeks ago. His sire, Tapit, led the North American sire list three times and is represented by recent Belmont winners Tonalist (2014) and Creator (2016). I’ll take my shot with Tapwrit here.
To Place: Irish War Cry
He’s the favorite, and for good reason. Irish War Cry is the most talented horse in today’s field. The problem is that there’s no value in taking him as his odds continue to drop the closer we get to Saturday’s 6:37PM ET post time. He also finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby and also had a dud in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth when he finished seventh. The Wood Memorial winner should place somewhere on today’s board, but I’ll roll the dice on a long-shot to win and simply have Irish War Cry in my tri-fecta.
To Show: Gormley
Similiarly to Tapwrit, Gormley had a rough start in the Kentucky Derby, causing him to finish a disappointing ninth. He had a wide trip but still turned heads by moving into fourth before tiring late. Assuming he gets a better trip in a much-less crowded Belmont field, the two-time Grade 1 winner is a solid bet to finish somewhere on the board today. His pedigree suggests that the 1 1/2-mile distance won’t be an issue either.
