From many reports, Orb is the horse to beat in Saturday's Belmont Stakes. With remnants of tropical storm Andrea moving up the east coast, predicitions are for a wet muddy day for the race.
First Lap of Kentucky Derby
Orb is the 3-1 favorite in a field of 14 in this third leg of the Tiple Crown at Belmont Park, and Shug McGaughey appears confident that his horse can bounce back from his fourth-place finish in the Preakness.
© 2013 by Steve Ryan
Orb is the 3-1 favorite in a field of 14 in this third leg of the Tiple Crown at Belmont Park. Shug McGaughey appears confident that his horse can bounce back from his fourth-place finish in the Preakness.
Orb drew the No. 5 post on Wednesday, two gates over from Oxbow in No. 7. The field for the Belmont Stakes is the largest since 1996 when Wayne Lukas won the race with Editor's Note.
With tropical storm Anrea in the area, weather will likely be a factor, as heavy rains are forecast Friday into Saturday. Post time is 6:36 p.m Saturday, and there’s an 80 percent chance of showers on race day.
The sloppy track at Churchill Downs five weeks ago didn’t seem to bother Orb. The colt, under Joel Rosario, romped to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Kentucky Derby, although Shug McGaughey, Orb’s trainer, prefers a fast track on a pleasant day.