As indicated in Cyclonic's thread on American Pharoah, there seems to be some interest in this year's 147th running of the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 6th, so thought I'd try a separate thread on the race:
American Pharoah is all the rage, and quite rightly so. The colt has done everything asked of him so far, and most impressively, one must say. Ante-Post odds way too short for this peasant, so have tried to find one that might cause the favourite a problem, but it is not easy this year.
So, have come up with trainer Todd Pletcher's Materiality. The horse's breeding is a right old mish-mash, and Bustino would know more than I on this, but it does appear there is some middle-distance influence in its ancestory, which should be enough. Also, I felt sure that in the end, somewhere, we would get back to Northern Dancer, and sure enough we did, on the dam's side. Materiality is very lightly raced, and is a fairly late foal, and in his first race, at Gulfstream Park in January of this year, he won in "Sloppy" conditions over 6-furlongs. In his next two races, both in March, the colt won on "Fast" ground over 9-furlongs, the last one being the Florida Derby (time of 1:52.30 very slow for this Group 1 race though, however, horse was still very inexperienced). In the Kentucky Derby, Materiality was unable to lie-up with the pace in the big field and had to drop back, but did stay-on to finish a fairly respectable 6th.
The following, from "Bleacher Report", spells out the colt's chance in the Belmont much better than I can:
"Materiality (8-1) is another horse who did fairly well in the Derby and did not run in the Preakness. He came into the Run for the Roses undefeated in three starts, but he had been lightly raced. Materiality had won his three previous races by getting to the front early. But that was a task he could not handle in the 18-horse field, and he was shuffled toward the back of the pack. He should be much more comfortable in the 11-horse Belmont field.
If Materiality can get off to a sharp start and the fractions are not abusive, he has a chance to make a strong showing.
As rains drenched the Pimlico Race Course and American Pharoah sloshed 1 3/16 miles Saturday while winning the Preakness Stakes, a number of his future foes rested.
Belmont Stakes probables Materiality and Madefromlucky, both trained by Todd Pletcher, as well as Mubtaahij, are already stationed in New York leading up to the June 6 race.
Pletcher held out of the Preakness altogether, with the once-beaten Florida Derby winner Materiality -- who overcame a tough trip in the Derby to run sixth -- the horse he considered entering most.
"With those kinds of decisions you just never know, but with the downpour and everything, I was happy we were safely at home and got a good work into him," said Pletcher, whose colt breezed a half mile in 49.03 seconds Saturday on Belmont's training track."
So, after all that, have had a sporting ante-post bet on Materiality at 8-1 with Bet365! With my current luck, watch one of Pletcher's other two win it!
American Pharoah is all the rage, and quite rightly so. The colt has done everything asked of him so far, and most impressively, one must say. Ante-Post odds way too short for this peasant, so have tried to find one that might cause the favourite a problem, but it is not easy this year.
So, have come up with trainer Todd Pletcher's Materiality. The horse's breeding is a right old mish-mash, and Bustino would know more than I on this, but it does appear there is some middle-distance influence in its ancestory, which should be enough. Also, I felt sure that in the end, somewhere, we would get back to Northern Dancer, and sure enough we did, on the dam's side. Materiality is very lightly raced, and is a fairly late foal, and in his first race, at Gulfstream Park in January of this year, he won in "Sloppy" conditions over 6-furlongs. In his next two races, both in March, the colt won on "Fast" ground over 9-furlongs, the last one being the Florida Derby (time of 1:52.30 very slow for this Group 1 race though, however, horse was still very inexperienced). In the Kentucky Derby, Materiality was unable to lie-up with the pace in the big field and had to drop back, but did stay-on to finish a fairly respectable 6th.
The following, from "Bleacher Report", spells out the colt's chance in the Belmont much better than I can:
"Materiality (8-1) is another horse who did fairly well in the Derby and did not run in the Preakness. He came into the Run for the Roses undefeated in three starts, but he had been lightly raced. Materiality had won his three previous races by getting to the front early. But that was a task he could not handle in the 18-horse field, and he was shuffled toward the back of the pack. He should be much more comfortable in the 11-horse Belmont field.
If Materiality can get off to a sharp start and the fractions are not abusive, he has a chance to make a strong showing.
As rains drenched the Pimlico Race Course and American Pharoah sloshed 1 3/16 miles Saturday while winning the Preakness Stakes, a number of his future foes rested.
Belmont Stakes probables Materiality and Madefromlucky, both trained by Todd Pletcher, as well as Mubtaahij, are already stationed in New York leading up to the June 6 race.
Pletcher held out of the Preakness altogether, with the once-beaten Florida Derby winner Materiality -- who overcame a tough trip in the Derby to run sixth -- the horse he considered entering most.
"With those kinds of decisions you just never know, but with the downpour and everything, I was happy we were safely at home and got a good work into him," said Pletcher, whose colt breezed a half mile in 49.03 seconds Saturday on Belmont's training track."
So, after all that, have had a sporting ante-post bet on Materiality at 8-1 with Bet365! With my current luck, watch one of Pletcher's other two win it!
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