Post time co-favorite Union Rags got an excellent ride from new jockey John Velasquez to catch Bob Baffert trained Paynter at the wire and take the victory in a hotly contested Belmont Stakes. Paynter held on to finish second with Atigun finishing third.
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Before a major stakes race like the Belmont Stakes trainers and jockeys have no shortage of details to worry about and prepare for. Today, at least, the weather won’t be one of these factors as it looks like a good afternoon for racing with fast track conditions.
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Betting on the Belmont Stakes is a tradition that goes back to 1867. To put that into perspective, the first Belmont Stakes took place only two years after the Civil War ended in 1865.

We’re predicting a record crowd for the 2012 race, because people who like to bet on horse races love this event, and the popularity of horse racing is showing a steady rise in popularity. Continue Reading

The Belmont Stakes is obviously the highlight of Saturday’s racing card, but its definitely not the only race of interest. There are four other graded stakes races on the undercard with the most significant being the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1), a race in which a horse named Boisterous is looking to dominate.
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Some horse racing handicappers place a higher priority on workouts than others, but no one wants to wager on a horse that turns in a bad workout before the big race. In the final workouts before the Belmont Stakes most observers were impressed by Dullahan.
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Michael Matz is one of the most interesting characters in a sport full of them. He’s an Olympic medalist, a survivor of a horrific plane crash cited for his heroism in helping other passengers to safety and a very accomplished horse trainer. Currently, he’s hoping for some redemption for his horse, Union Rags, after a disappointing run in the Kentucky Derby.
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Whether one places a bet online, at an off-track betting (OTB) site, or at the race itself, one thing is for certain: A boatload of money will be changing hands in the hours leading up to the 2012 Belmont Stakes. The elusive Triple Crown is at stake – a single horse hasn’t taken all three of the biggest purses since Alydar did it in 1978, and this year, I’ll Have Another (the prohibitive favorite at 6 to 4 odds) has a chance to make history. Continue Reading

The contending horses for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes have been isolated in a security barn since Wednesday and the sometimes over the top paranoia is starting to wear on the nerves of some trainers. Most were accepting of the set up when it was announced, but now some trainers are complaining that it’s a logistical nightmare that makes proper race preparation difficult.
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The official Belmont Stakes lineup has been set and I’ll Have Another will have to defeat a field of 11 other contenders to take the race and win the Triple Crown. In fact, in terms of number of opponents beaten a victory by I’ll Have Another would set an all time record.
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Horse racing’s Triple Crown was never supposed to be easy but no one thought it would be *this* hard–it’s been 34 years since Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1977 and as I’ll Have Another gets ready for his shot at immortality it’s interesting to see how the Triple Crown compares to difficult accomplishments in other sports.
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