Creator pulls an upset in the Belmont Stakes

While he always says he’s thankful just for being able to train horses, Keith Desormeaux stops short of characterizing his newfound success as a dream come true. “It’s the close run-up to the turn. If you watched him in the Arkansas Derby, I mean, having a horse that runs from behind that just, all of a sudden, sort of hits the gas around the far turn.it’s an exhilarating moment”. This was Creator’s second grade one victory and his career stats now stand at 10: 3-4-1 with $1,568,320 in earnings. The winning time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2:28.51. Tens of thousands of fans are placing their bets and racing to Nassau County for the Belmont Stakes.

Post time for the 2016 Belmont is set for 6:32 p.m. ET on Saturday.

I’m on record as believing Exaggerator, the 9-5 morning-line Belmont favorite, is a very good colt that moves way up when the track is sloppy. His brother, Kent, is back riding after a brief stint in an alcohol rehab program.

Nyquist spiked a fever after the Preakness and showed an elevated white blood count and was taken off the Triple Crown trail.

Stormy weather could interfere with Saturday’s running of the 148th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. “When he got clear, he started rolling and I knew he’d get to the other horse”.

“I was glad to see them put that number up!” said Asmussen, whose other runner, Gettsburg, set the early pace with Destin and Stradivari close. Castellano has won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey the last three years.

But I do believe he benefited greatly in the Preakness from the sizzling early pace and the slop, so if Big Sandy is dry on Saturday evening, I’m trying to get him beat.

According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, Exaggerator is a 9/5 favorite to win the Belmont Stakes, which has a post time of 6:37PM ET tonight.

That’s especially so because this Belmont, the 148th running, promises to be one heck of a race. He was visibly upset after Commissioner was edged out of a 2014 win by Tonalist. But after finishing third in the Preakness two weeks later, Nyquist was withdrawn from consideration for the Belmont by trainer Doug O’Neill, whose 2012 Derby and Preakness victor, I’ll Have Another, was scratched on the eve of the Belmont because of tendinitis.

Being outside should not be an obstacle for Exaggerator, one of several 3-year-olds in the field who like to run well off the lead.

A year ago, American Pharoah captured racing’s ultimate prize by becoming the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. An admirable performance, but the Belmont field is better than the Preakness. He’s been training for more than a quarter-century.

The high-strung colt couldn’t handle the crowded paddock at the Derby and came onto the Churchill track before the University of Louisville band could strike up “My Old Kentucky Home”. Pletcher has two Belmont titles under his belt, and is one of the most well known names in NY racing, having captured hundreds of victories in Elmont. Lani was also taking money at 11-1.

After making an impressive Dubai debut at Meydan in February, Frosted – another grey son of supersire Tapit – could finish only fifth behind California Chrome when well fancied in the World Cup itself.