At 3/5 morning line odds, American Pharoah will test his endurance to the limits over the mile and one half journey on the main track against seven rivals. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness hero has done everything right in his seven race career – save for a bad first start resulting in a fifth-place finish and the lone defeat of the superstar colt’s career. With the champ reportedly posting strong works from Churchill Downs, the taxing Belmont surface may present a new hurdle, but even that is unlikely as the Bob Baffert trainee has won over four different surfaces and proven to handle every type of going from sloppy to synthetic.
Frosted (5/1) finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and was the only closer in the race to make up any ground in the stretch. Since that effort, the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee has been freshened and working well at Belmont – the colt’s home base. For the third consecutive time, Frosted will be piloted by the capable hands of Joel Rosario.
Materiality (6/1) is another logical contender returning from defeat in the KY Derby where the lightly-raced colt finished sixth after an uncharacteristically poor start. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Materiality is a son of 2005 Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex.
The Grade 2 $1.25 million Pennsylvania Derby features the two biggest names from the Triple Crown trail September 24 at Parx as a field of 12 gathers in one of the most intriguing betting races of the year.
The $1 million Cotillion Stakes September 24 at Parx features a true clash of the titans as the six-horse field is headlined by the undefeated, five-time grade 1 winner Songbird who figures to face the most stern challenge of her career.
In a completely wide open renewal of the Presque Isle Mile September 18 at Presque Isle Downs, 13 runners including the also-eligible will contest the eight furlong trip over synthetic footing.
Champion Songbird is set to make her much-anticipated return to the races in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita on Saturday. The Grade 2 event will be run at a mile and a sixteenth and has attracted a field of seven.
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