Favorite Essential Quality beats Hot Rod Charlie to the line to win the Belmont Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. — In the summer of last year at Keeneland, Brad Cox had just seen Essential Quality complete a strong workout when the trainer made a proclamation. “That’s my Belmont Stakes horse,” Cox said.
And he was right.
You can forget the fact that Cox has made that statement about other horses and that Essential Quality was his first Belmont starter. The way the 3-year-old colt looked Saturday, there was no doubt he was a Belmont Stakes horse.
He ran patiently mid-pack through the opening half of the 1½-mile race under a strong hold from jockey Luis Saez. Entering the far turn he started picking off horses, and at the top of the stretch he had drawn even with leader Hot Rod Charlie.
Essential Quality wins the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Hot Rod Charlie, based at Santa Anita and trained by Doug O’Neill, ran a winning race. He just didn’t win, instead finishing second by 1¼ lengths in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Essential Quality paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.60. Rombauer, trained by Michael McCarthy, was third, followed by Known Agenda, Bourbonic, Rock Your World, Overtook and France Go De Ina.
“I thought the [fast pace] benefitted our horse,” Cox said. “Hot Rod Charlie ran a tremendous race, and I thought, with the hot pace, we were in a good spot where they would come back. [Saez] did a fantastic job putting him in position turning for home, and he really showed his stamina late.”
Updated odds ahead of Belmont Stakes: Essential Quality primed to remain favorite
ELMONT, N.Y. — There is less than an hour until post time and it seems clear Essential Quality will go off as the favorite. His 2-1 odds have held steady most of the day and, as more money goes into the mutuel pool, the more difficult it is to move the odds. Hot Rod Charlie is the second favorite at 7-2 and Rock Your World is at 4-1. The surprise was Preakness winner Rombauer, who has gotten no lower than 7-1.
The only horse whose odds moved in the last hour was Bourbonic, who went from 9-1 to 10-1.
Here are the odds at 3 p.m. PDT at Belmont Park.
1. Bourbonic 10-1
2. Essential Quality 2-1
3. Rombauer 7-1
4. Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
5. France Go de Ina 19-1
6. Known Agenda 9-2
7. Rock Your World 4-1
8. Overtook 13-1
Latest Belmont Stakes odds: Rombauer starting to gain more traction
ELMONT, N.Y. — Rombauer, who has been at 8-1 all day, is starting to get some betting action and has dropped to 7-1 with less than two hours until post time. Rombauer was 3-1 on the morning line after winning the Preakness, but the betting public seems suspicious of his ability to win the third leg of the Triple Crown.
Essential Quality remained the favorite at 2-1 with Hot Rod Charlie the second choice at 7-2. Rock Your World was 4-1 and Known Agenda stayed at 9-2.
France Go de Ina, the Japanese horse, moved from 18-1 to 19-1, the longest shot in the field.
Here are the odds at 2 p.m. PDT at Belmont Park.
1. Bourbonic 9-1
2. Essential Quality 2-1
3. Rombauer 7-1
4. Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
5. France Go de Ina 19-1
6. Known Agenda 9-2
7. Rock Your World 4-1
8. Overtook 13-1
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Overtook
Post 8: Overtook
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Manny Franco
Owners: Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith
Purchase price: $1 million
Morning line: 20-1
Jon White’s analysis: Manny Franco rode the 4-5 favorite in the 2020 Belmont, Tiz the Law, who won by 3 3/4 lengths. What a difference a year makes. This time Franco’s Belmont mount is Overtook, who will receive little respect from bettors, as evidenced by his morning-line price. Overtook has won once in five career starts. He finished second in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 6, then ran third in the Peter Pan at Belmont Park on May 8. In an equipment change, Overtook adds blinkers Saturday. Overtook did race with blinkers in two of his three races as a 2-year-old, but he lost both times. In fact, the last time he raced with blinkers, he lost by 21 lengths in a Nov. 8 maiden race won by Known Agenda. Overtook, like Known Agenda, is by 2007 Belmont runner-up Curlin. Overtook’s dam is a daughter of 1992 Belmont winner A.P. Indy and granddaughter of 1977 Belmont winner Seattle Slew.
White’s ranking: Seventh
Latest Belmont Stakes odds: Essential Quality remains favorite
ELMONT, N.Y. — The odds for the Belmont Stakes remained remarkably stable as post time kept getting closer. Essential Quality remained the favorite at 2-1 with Hot Rod Charlie the second choice at 7-2. Rock Your World was 4-1 and Known Agenda stayed at 9-2.
The only horse whose odds moved in the last hour was Overtook, who went back to 13-1 from 12-1.
Here are the odds at 1 p.m. EDT at Belmont Park.
1. Bourbonic 9-1
2. Essential Quality 2-1
3. Rombauer 8-1
4. Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
5. France Go de Ina 18-1
6. Known Agenda 9-2
7. Rock Your World 4-1
8. Overtook 13-1
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Rock Your World
Post 7: Rock Your World
Trainer: John Sadler
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owners: Hronis Racing and David Michael Talla
Purchase price: $650,000
Morning line: 9-2
Jon White’s analysis: Unraced at 2, Rock Your World won a pair of grass races at Santa Anita, then registered a front-running 4 1/4-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby when racing on dirt for the first time. Taking a three-for-three record into the Kentucky Derby, Rock Your World was sent away as the 9-2 second favorite. But Rock Your World’s race essentially was over about as quickly as you can say his name. With Rosario in the saddle, Rock Your World broke a step slowly, then got squeezed back. The incident was severe enough that Rosario temporarily had a foot slip out of the stirrup. As a consequence of the rocky start, Rock Your World was much farther back early in the Kentucky Derby than he had ever been before. With an alert and clean break this time, look for the Kentucky-bred Candy Ride colt to set the pace. It’s possible that Rock Your World will be allowed to roll along comfortably on a solo lead through the early furlongs. If that does happen, Rock Your World is a big-time threat to do what he did in the Santa Anita Derby. There is encouragement that Rock Your World can succeed at Saturday’s 1½-mile trip in that he’s a grandson of 2003 Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker.
White’s ranking: Second
Latest Belmont Stakes odds: Only slight changes for France Go de Ina and Overtook
ELMONT, N.Y. — The odds board for the Belmont Stakes remained remarkably stable as post time kept getting closer. Essential Quality remained the favorite at 2-1 with Hot Rod Charlie the second choice at 7-2. Rock Your World was 4-1 and Known Agenda stayed at 9-2.
The only horses whose odds moved was France Go de Ina, who dropped from 19-1 to 18-1, and Overtook, who went from 13-1 to 12-1.
Here are the odds at 12 p.m. PDT at Belmont Park.
1.Bourbonic 9-1
2. Essential Quality 2-1
3. Rombauer 8-1
4. Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
5. France Go de Ina 18-1
6. Known Agenda 9-2
7. Rock Your World 4-1
8. Overtook 12-1
Trainer Michael McCarthy addresses California field sizes
ELMONT, N.Y. — Southern California horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, although the Kentucky Derby winner is under review. Michael McCarthy was the winning trainer in the Preakness, saddling Rombauer, who is the 3-1 second choice in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
McCarthy was at a loaner barn on the backstretch at Belmont Park this week when he was asked how California can have such good horses but such bad field sizes. It was a question he really didn’t want to tackle, given the sensitivity of the subject.
“I can’t really comment on field size, this and that,” McCarthy said. “Obviously, I wish it were a bit more robust, especially doing business there day in and out.”
McCarthy then gave a quick lesson on the problems racing has in California.
“I think it’s hard to deny the quality of horses that comes out of the state of California,” McCarthy said. “It’s an island first of all, right? I think you have 11 racetracks within five hours here [New York]. I think you have maybe three in California within five hours.
“The horse population is definitely an issue and it’s starting to become an issue wherever you go. Smaller racetracks that are casino driven are starting to become more popular because of the inflated purses and things like that. It may not take away some of the better horses, the top horses, but day in and day out it will affect field sizes anywhere. It doesn’t matter if it’s California, Kentucky or New York.”
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Known Agenda
Post 6: Known Agenda
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owners: St. Elias Stable
Purchase price: Homebred
Morning line: 6-1
Jon White’s analysis: Known Agenda appears to be Pletcher’s best chance to get a fourth Belmont Stakes victory. After winning just one of his first four starts, Known Agenda added blinkers for his next three starts. Known Agenda won a race by 11 lengths at Gulfstream Park on Feb 26, followed by a 2 3/4-length triumph in the Florida Derby. Breaking from the inside rail in the Kentucky Derby, Known Agenda lacked early speed, never menaced and finished ninth at odds of 9-1. Curlin is the sire of Known Agenda. Curlin finished second in the 2007 Belmont Stakes, losing by only a head to the filly Rags to Riches. A victory Saturday by Known Agenda certainly is not out of the question.
White’s ranking: Fifth
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: France Go de Ina
Post 5: France Go de Ina
Trainer: Hideyuki Mori
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Owners: Inaida Yuji
Purchase price: $100,000
Morning line: 30-1
Jon White’s analysis: Based in Japan, France Go de Ina won two of three in that country last year. In his 2021 debut, France Go de Ina finished sixth in the UAE Derby. The Kentucky-bred son of Will Take Charge then ran seventh in the Preakness at odds of 24-1. France Go de Ina is eligible to receive a $1-million bonus offered by the New York Racing Assn. to any Japanese-based horse who wins the Belmont. Let’s just say it will be shocking if NYRA has to cut that check.
White’s ranking: Eighth
Latest Belmont Stakes odds: Essential Quality remains favorite
ELMONT, N.Y. — Essential Quality ticked down to his morning-line odds of 2-1 with less than five hours to post for the Belmont Stakes. The Brad Cox-trained colt, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby, was 5-2 before dropping in the latest scan of the odds. The only other horse whose odds changed was France Go de Ina, who went from 18-1 to 19-1.
Hot Rod Charlie was the second favorite at 7-2, followed by Rock Your World at 4-1 and Known Agenda at 9-2.
Here are the odds at 11 a.m. PDT at Belmont Park.
1. Bourbonic 9-1
2. Essential Quality 2-1
3. Rombauer 8-1
4. Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
5. France Go de Ina 19-1
6. Known Agenda 9-2
7. Rock Your World 4-1
8. Overtook 13-1
Jose Ortiz to replace brother as jockey of Known Agenda for Belmont Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y.— An injury to Irad Ortiz Jr. on Thursday left a lot of trainers scrambling to find a new jockey to ride their horse. But none more than Todd Pletcher, who had the meet’s leading rider on Known Agenda in the Belmont Stakes.
On Saturday morning, Pletcher found his new rider by keeping it in the family. Jose Ortiz, Irad’s younger brother by a year, was named to ride Known Agenda in the 1½-mile race.
Trainer Brad Cox hoping for first Triple Crown win (which could be his second)
ELMONT, N.Y.— Trainer Brad Cox has the favorite for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. If he wins with Essential Quality, it will be his first Triple Crown victory. And, it wouldn’t surprise, if that first victory actually ends up as his second victory.
Doesn’t make sense?
The story that has dominated horse racing since just before the Preakness has been the medication positive on Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. The colt tested positive for betamethasone, a legal medication, but not on race day.
If Medina Spirit is disqualified, a process that could drag on for years after subsequent litigation, then the winner of the Kentucky Derby would be Mandaloun, trained by Cox.
Cox was asked this week if he thinks about that possibility.
“No, no,” Cox said. “I don’t know why people keep asking me that.
“I can’t control the outcome on that. It’s something I give very, very little thought to.”
If it happens, Mandaloun would be the second winner of the Kentucky Derby to not have a winner’s circle picture. In 1968, Dancer’s Image was thought to have won the Derby but he was later disqualified for a medication violation. Forward Pass was eventually declared the winner. It took four years to settle the case after appeals.
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Hot Rod Charlie
Post 4: Hot Rod Charlie
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Owners: Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss
Purchase price: $110,000
Morning line: 7-2
Jon White’s analysis: The feeling here is Hot Rod Charlie has an excellent chance to finish 1-2-3, just as the Kentucky-bred Oxbow colt has done in each of his five races since having blinkers added to his equipment. Virtually ignored by bettors at last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Hot Rod Charlie finished second at odds of 94-1, three-quarters of a length behind Essential Quality. Hot Rod Charlie did defeat Essential Quality in the Kentucky Derby when edging him by a head for third. Hot Rod Charlie lost that race by one length at odds of 5-1. Two days after the Kentucky Derby, O’Neill received a commitment from agent Brad Pegram that Prat would ride Hot Rod Charlie in the Belmont. Prat then won the Preakness aboard Rombauer in an 11-1 upset. Despite that victory, Pegram told O’Neill that Prat would honor his commitment to ride Hot Ride Charlie in the Belmont.
White’s ranking: Third
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Rombauer
Post 3: Rombauer
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owners: John and Diane Fradkin
Purchase price: Homebred
Morning line: 3-1
Jon White’s analysis: “When Flavien Prat elected to stick with Hot Rod Charlie, Velazquez found himself in the right spot at the right time to pick up the mount on Rombauer, a strong Belmont Stakes contender. Rombauer was impressive in the Preakness. Sixth early, he generated a powerful closing kick to win going away by 3½ lengths. It was his best race yet by far. Can Rombauer turn the tables on both Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie? Rombauer finished fifth behind that pair in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Essential Quality also defeated Rombauer by 5 3/4 lengths in the Blue Grass. The concern here is Rombauer is being asked to come back in just three weeks and go 1½ miles after running such a big race in Baltimore. The Kentucky-bred Twirling Candy colt seems to be a candidate to regress off such an effort. On the other hand, Rombauer just might be blossoming and, if that’s the case, another dynamite performance could be seen from him Saturday. Rombauer is attempting to become the first horse to win the Preakness and Belmont without having started in the Kentucky Derby since Pillory in 1922. The Derby and Preakness were run on the same day (May 13) in 1922.
White’s ranking: Fourth
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Essential Quality
Post 2: Essential Quality
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owner: Godolphin
Purchase price: Homebred
Morning line: 2-1
Jon White’s analysis: When Essential Quality was a 2-year-old, the first time he had a workout for Cox at Keeneland on June 16, the trainer told his assistant that the Kentucky-bred colt “was a Belmont horse,” or words to that effect. All these months later, Essential Quality gets his chance to prove if that statement was prophetic. Essential Quality was five for five going into the Kentucky Derby. He ended up fourth as the 5-2 favorite in the 1 1/4-mile classic, one length behind Medina Spirit, who won at odds of 12-1. Essential Quality had a wide trip, traveling 68 feet (approximately seven to eight lengths) farther than Medina Spirit, according to Trakus. Before that, when Essential Quality won the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass Stakes by a neck at Keeneland, he traveled 29 feet farther than runner-up Highly Motivated. The Belmont Stakes is known as “The Test of the Champion.” That’s literally the case this year in that Essential Quality, the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male champion of 2020, will be tested in a 1 1/2-mile race Saturday.
Tapit is the sire of Essential Quality. Cox often has alluded to his belief that 1 1/2 miles will suit Essential Quality because of his sire. If Essential Quality gets the job done Saturday, it will be Tapit’s fourth Belmont victory as a sire, tying Lexington’s longstanding record. Lexington’s four Belmont winners were General Duke in 1868, Kingfisher in 1870, Harry Bassett in 1871 and Duke of Magenta in 1878. Tapit’s three Belmont Stakes winners so far have been Tonalist in 2014, Creator in 2016 and Tapwrit in 2017. Tapit also has sired a pair of runners-up in this race: Frosted in 2015 and Tacitus in 2019. Two sons of Tapit have finished third in the Belmont: Lani in 2016 and Hofburg in 2018. Essential Quality appears to have trained splendidly. He recorded sharp five-furlong workouts in :59 and change at Churchill Downs on May 22 and May 29 to suggest it’s all systems go for Saturday’s race.
White’s ranking: First
First odds for Belmont Stakes 2021: No love for Preakness winner Rombauer
ELMONT, N.Y.— The early betting odds for the Belmont Stakes makes one thing clear — there is no love for Preakness winner Rombauer. He was the 3-1 second choice in the morning line, but bettors currently have him at 8-1. There does seem to be some interest in Known Agenda, who started at 6-1 and has been bet down to 9-2. He has a jockey change from Irad Ortiz Jr., who was injured in a spill this week, to his brother Jose Ortiz.
The favorite remains Essential Quality, although he has drifted up from his morning line of 2-1 to 5-2. Hot Rod Charlie is the second choice at 7-2. Rock Your World is at 4-1.
Here are the odds at 10 a.m. PDT at Belmont Park.
1. Bourbonic 9-1
2. Essential Quality 5-2
3. Rombauer 8-1
4. Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
5. France Go de Ina 18-1
6. Known Agenda 9-2
7. Rock Your World 4-1
8. Overtook 13-1
Rock Your World, Essential Quality hope for Belmont Stakes success
ELMONT, N.Y. — The Kentucky Derby was perfectly set up with two undefeated horses next to each other in the starting gate. Essential Quality, the favorite, was in the 14th position, and Rock Your World, the second favorite, was in the 15th. What could go wrong?
Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the finish line. Way before the finish line.
The gates opened and Rock Your World broke a step slow, but jockey Joel Rosario hustled him forward. That’s when Essential Quality veered to the outside and Highly Motivated, in the 16th position, veered to the inside. Rock Your World was hit from both sides and dreams of winning the Kentucky Derby are over within seconds.
“I turned around after that and looked at my owners and said, ‘That’s it, it’s over,’” said John Sadler, trainer of Santa Anita-based Rock Your World. “I’ve never done that before.”
Sadler was right. Essential Quality was able to rally and finish fourth while Highly Motivated came in 10th. As for Rock Your World, a deflating 17th.
What time does the 2021 Belmont Stakes start? What TV channel is it on?
ELMONT, N.Y. — If a major horse race is held in a city that never sleeps, does it really matter what time the race is? Of course it does. And that is today’s question: What time is the Belmont Stakes?
As always, it depends on where you live. If you are here on the border of Queens and Nassau counties in the shadow of New York City, it’s at 6:47 p.m. EDT. And as you move west, subtracting an hour at each stop, it’s at 5:47 p.m. in Chicago and 4:47 p.m. in Denver and, of course, 3:47 p.m. in Los Angeles.
The thing about the Triple Crown races is the time is heavily controlled by NBC. The network needs to be done with its horse racing broadcast by 7:15 p.m. EDT in order to go 10 miles down the road to Uniondale, where the New York Islanders will play the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their NHL playoff series.
Belmont Stakes 2021 horses: Bourbonic
Post 1: Bourbonic
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche
Owner: Calumet Farm
Purchase price: Homebred
Morning line: 15-1
Jon White’s analysis: Even though Bourbonic is going to be a longshot Saturday, his odds probably will be considerably shorter than in the Wood Memorial. He rallied from last to win the Wood by a head at 72-1. Bourbonic returned $146.50 for each $2 win wager. It was the highest win mutuel in the 96-year history of the Wood, breaking the record of $129.50 Manassa Mauler paid in 1959. Bourbonic went on to finish 13th in the Kentucky Derby at odds of 30-1. Bernardini, the 2006 Preakness winner, is the sire of Bourbonic. Bernardini is a son of 1992 Belmont winner A.P. Indy and grandson of 1977 Belmont winner Seattle Slew. Bourbonic’s dam, Dancing Afleet, is a daughter of 2005 Belmont winner Afleet Alex.
White’s ranking: Sixth