Animal Kingdom Should Be Favorite For Belmont Stakes 2011
Animal Kingdom leads the pack of favorites if trainer Graham Motion decides to run him in this year’s edition of the Belmont Stakes. The horse came in 2nd during the Preakness, and lost by less than a length to Shackleford.
The Belmont track plays more towards Animal Kingdoms style, and if the ground that he was picking up around the last turn is any indication, the extra 5/16th of a mile that Preakness lacks could have altered the fate of these two horses.
Shackleford is another horse that cannot be discounted; he won a Triple Crown race and if he competes in another, has potential to surprise everyone for a second time in a row. Many people are pessimistic on his chances but don’t sleep on this horse.
Nehro may be the best horse to place a wager on to show. He has come in second place his last three races and was a late scratch from Preakness after a strong Kentucky Derby showing. Nehro has been consistently second best and will be looking to prove himself winner once again at the Belmont Stakes.
Other potential horses for the field include Mucho Macho Man, Stay Thirsty, and Santiva. These horses all have had promising showings over their last few races and have a high probability to compete in the 2011 Belmont Stakes.
Master of Hounds is another intriguing horse that may run in the Belmont. The European based pony finished fifth in the Derby on its first attempt running on dirt. The horse skipped out on the Preakness but trainers have hinted they may want to run him again in the Belmont, and if that happens look out for a very mysterious, but highly potential competitor.