The Triple Crown is already under a cloud of controversy, and the early sports betting odds opening for the Belmont Stakes will not likely reveal a clear favorite, at least not at the outset. Medina Spirit, who finished first at the Kentucky Derby but who tested positive for banned levels of betamethasone, and whose split sample remains under analysis, finished third at the Preakness Stakes and will not run at Belmont Park at all, as he, and Bob Baffert’s other likely entrant, Concert Tour, are barred from the race. New York racing officials have suspended Baffert and all of his horses from the grounds of racetracks in the state pending an investigation.
So what does this mean for the Belmont Stakes?
Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect in terms of opening Belmont Stakes odds.
Horse Racing News: Early Belmont Stakes Odds
How did we get here? Medina Spirit beat Mandaloun by a half-length at Churchill Downs, but a positive test for betamethasone came out, making disqualification a real possibility. Split sample analysis will not come back for weeks, and appeals could come after the announcement, so it is likely that the Belmont Stakes will have been run before the Kentucky Derby’s victor becomes official. There has only been one other disqualification in the Kentucky Derby for the use of a banned substance, all the way back in 1968, when Dancer’s Image was disqualified in a process that ended up taking years in the legal system.
Betamethasone is a corticosteroid that is used to reduce swelling and pain in joints. Baffert had initially denied using betamethasone on Medina Spirit, but then he indicated that a prescribed topical treatment had contained more of the drug than he had known, leading to the test results. The fallout from Baffert’s suspension runs wider than this race, because the Travers Stakes at Saratoga as well as other important races take place in New York, and none of the many horses in his stable will be able to compete in those events until the investigation runs its course.
Even without Baffert’s horses, though, the Belmont Stakes will still have a robust field. Rombauer, the winner at the Preakness Stakes at +1100 odds, might be the favorite, but his prior race was a third-place result at the Blue Grass Stakes. His odds will not be as high as +1100, but the field’s depth and bettors’ doubts that Rombauer has instantly becomes the nation’s top three-year-old will keep him around +500, if not slightly higher.
Essential Quality was the favorite at the Kentucky Derby, as he had won at the Breeders’ Cup and brought an undefeated resume to Churchill Downs. He ended up settling for fourth, and his connections had him skip the Preakness Stakes to get some rest and train for the Belmont Stakes. He was the winner of the Blue Grass Stakes, the same race where Rombauer finished third.
Malathaat is the nation’s top filly, with five wins in five career starts. She won the Kentucky Oaks on the eve of the Kentucky Derby. Fillies do not often enter the Triple Crown races, but there have been quite a few fillies to win these elite events. Swiss Skydiver won the Preakness Stakes in 2020, while the last filly to win the Belmont Stakes was Rags to Riches, who pulled away in 2007.
Rebel’s Romance, the winner of the UAE Derby in March, could also impress at the Belmont Stakes. Hot Rod Charlie, who came in third at Churchill Downs, could push hard at the end as well. Watch our updates as the Belmont Stakes gets closer.
Preakness Stakes Betting Odds
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