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Belmont Stakes Betting: Belmont Stakes Betting: With a strong finish to take third at the Kentucky Derby, Audible could be a threat to Justify’s chances of winning the Triple Crown. However, with some of the same ownership group as Justify, will they take the chance of running him against the Triple Crown hopeful? A decision is expected to be made closer to race time. That didn’t stop oddsmakers from chiming in, though. Audible opened as the second favorite with 4/1 odds. He’s been impressive in his six races with four victories and a pair of third-place showings on his resume.
The 150th running of the Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday, June 9, 2018 with post time set for 6:40 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Catch the Belmont Stakes live on NBC.
Audible
Career Record: 4-0-2
Career Earnings: $1,082,920
Belmont Stakes Odds at BookMaker.eu: +400
We may not see a rematch from the Kentucky Derby when Audible had a powerful stretch run on his first wet track to finish third behind Justify and Good Magic. With WinStar Farm having connections to both the Triple Crown hopeful and one of his top competitors, a decision needs to be made – and it hasn’t been as of yet. Audible became a Derby contender with a brilliant performance in the mile and 1/16th Holy Bull Stakes in early February, topping the field by five-and-a-half lengths.
Why Audible Will Win the Belmont Stakes
Running on a sloppy track for the first time in his career, Audible had a strong close to take third at the Kentucky Derby, finishing in the money for the sixth time in his six career starts. He was never going to the Preakness as trainer Todd Pletcher rarely turns his horses around that quickly, so he is rested and eager to see how he stacks up on a dry surface.
Given nearly two months off after his emphatic showing at the Holy Bull Stakes, Audible returned to the track at the Florida Derby and used a powerful finish to break away from the field for an easy win, and earning his ticket to the Kentucky Derby. He’s held up well against stiff competition, beating Free Drop Billy at the Holy Bull and outpacing Hofburg in Florida.
Why Audible Won't Win the Belmont Stakes
While he closed strongly at the Derby, Audible still didn’t have enough to overtake Justify or Good Magic, and that doesn’t bode well for the longer run at Belmont. The biggest concern here is the connection to Justify. If Audible does run will jockey Javier Castellano, or whoever takes the mount, hold back so as not to beat Justify? It’s hard to imagine, but it is something to think about. Also worth noting is that Audible just isn’t as sound as Justify at this stage. A strong finish at the Derby still left him several lengths off the lead and he can’t make that up.
The Final Verdict
Pletcher would love to have the chance of knocking off the favorite and the trainer feels his horse has the goods. The additional time off after the Derby puts Audible in a good spot and he should finish in the money. However, the field is stronger all the way around and Audible hasn’t been a part of a race with this many quality horses. He’s raced over a mile in his last three starts and fared well, however he couldn’t overcome Justify at the Derby and he likely won’t do it at Belmont.
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2018 Belmont Stakes Contenders
