Field in Belmont Gambling Coming into Focus

The field for Belmont betting is starting to become clear as numerous trainers have stated their intentions. D. Wayne Lukas, who trains Dublin, has stated he won't enter the horse in the race.

Nick Zito is sending two horses to NY for Belmont and Ice Box is the most likely favorite in Belmont wagering.

Belmont betting won't include the Derby winner or the Preakness winner and in fact, it won't have any horse that raced in both the Derby and the Preakness. Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky won't be in the field and currently Dublin was withdrawn.

The likely favorite in Belmont wagering is Derby second place finisher, Ice Box. He should get some opposition from Preakness runner-up First Dude and Dwyer Stakes winner Fly Down. Those two horses have competed twice and Fly Down finished in front of First Dude in both contests. "It'll be the third time," First Dude's trainer, Dale Romans, said "Maybe the third time's the charm and we'll catch him." Romans is really confident heading to New York. "I think he's going to move forward again," he said regarding First Dude, "The mile and a half suits him, and we're excited to go up there."

Fly Down is trained by Nick Zito, but it is Zito's other horse, Ice Box, who is the most likely favorite. He ran four furlongs in 49.65 seconds on the Saratoga training track recently. Zito won Belmont in 2004 and in 2008. He started his career as a hot walker and steadily advanced to be a groom, an assistant trainer, and then a trainer. He claimed his first Derby with Strike the Gold in 1991. Other titles from Zito's stable include the Champagne Stakes x4, Wood Memorial Stakes x3, Blue Grass Stakes x3 and the Florida Derby x2. In 2005 his stable picked up in excess of $8 million in purses. That year, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing And Hall of Fame. Besides training horses, he is a National Spokesperson and Honorary Director of the National Horse Protection Coalition.

Derby fourth place finisher Make Music for Me ran at Belmont recently. Jockey Joel Rosario, who rode the horse in the Derby, is anticipated to retain the mount.

Dwyer runner-up Drosselmeyer ran four furlongs in 47.64 seconds at Belmont a short while ago for trainer Bill Mott. He will have a new jockey as Kent Desormeaux was removed in favor of Mike Smith. An additional horse in Belmont will probably be Stay Put and his typical jockey Jamie Theriot is anticipated to stay on board in Belmont. Other potential horses in Belmont field are Stately Victor who was 8th in the Kentucky Derby, Uptowncharlybrown, Spangled Star and Game on Dude. It had been believed that New Madrid might run but he was a poor fifth in his prep race on Thursday. Setsuko was another possibility but he is now out as a result of inflammation in his ankles.