2017 Belmont Stakes Dark Horses And Longshots

For fans of horse racing, it was a little disappointing to hear that Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming was not going to be a part of the Belmont Stakes. The news got even worse when Classic Empire was scratched from the final leg of the Triple Crown earlier this week. While it is certainly disappointing to not have these two great horses in the field, it now means that we have a 12-horse race that is about as wide open as it gets. Irish War Cry has been installed as the morning line favorite, with Epicharis and Lookin at Lee also considered to be legitimate contenders by the bookies. While those three horses do look to be the class in this field, it’s worth remembering that the mile and a half track can be a great leveler. Horses in the US very rarely run this distance, so it’s a real test of stamina that could deliver a longshot winner. Let’s look at a few horses that might be able to spring the upset as well as the updated horse racing betting odds.

Here’s A Closer Look At The 2017 Belmont Stakes Dark Horses And Longshots

Twisted Tom (20-1)

There is a lot of speed in this race, and drawing the inside post is certainly a nice bit of luck for this horse. Twisted Tom is stepping up in class to race with these horses, but he has always run well at the NYRA tracks, and his breeding suggests that the distance may not be too big of a deal for him. I’m not convinced that he can actually win this race, but getting into the money may not be totally out of the question.

Tapwrit (6-1)

It’s hard to consider a horse who is the 4th favorite as a dark horse, but there are a lot of bettors looking at other runners besides him. Tapwrit is well rested after a decent 6th place finish at the Kentucky Derby, and by all accounts is working out very nicely on the Belmont track. I actually like this horse ahead of a couple of the others with lower odds.

Senior Investment (12-1)

You need only look at what Senior Investment did in the Preakness to see that he has a shot in this race. He came from well off the pace to finish 3rd in the second leg of the Triple Crown, and if this race sets up for him, which it might given the speed in this race, he might be mowing down a lot of runners coming down the stretch. Yes, it’s a class jump for this horse, but stamina at this distance might just be key.

Meantime (15-1)

An inexperienced horse when compared to this group, but one that has never finished out of the money in 4 career starts. Those runs included a solid 2nd place finish in the Grade 3 Peter Pan here at Belmont Park. This is a horse that is getting better with every start, and another one that looks as though he could run forever, which is key in this race. Definitely one to figure in your exotics.