The Lineup: Belmont Park Features 5 Stakes On TV
By Richard Rosenblatt
On the Saturday after the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs and before the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course, Belmont Park hosts five stakes races, including the Peter Pan (G3) for 3-year-olds that could produce a starter in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 5.
Three races are over the main track on Saturday (May 8), the Peter Pan, the Runhappy (G3), and the Vagrancy (G3); the others are on the turf, the Beaugay (G3) and the Man o’ War.
America’s Day at the Races on FS2 will have live coverage from Belmont from 2-6:30 p.m. ET.
TVG will be broadcasting racing throughout the weekend from tracks including Santa Anita.
2021 Preakness Stakes on TV
The Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, is May 15 at Pimlico. NBC Sports will televise the race, which has an approximate post time of 6:50 p.m. ET. On Preakness day, FS2 will broadcast live racing from 2-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Derby winner Medina Spirit, along with stablemate Concert Tour (both trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert), are the expected favorites in a still developing Preakness field. Other Derby runners set for the Preakness are Midnight Bourbon (sixth) and Keepmeinmind (seventh). Concert Tour, 3-0 before a third-place finish in the Arkansas (G1) Derby on April 10, did not run at Churchill Downs.
Other new shooters for the Preakness include Chad Brown trainees Crowded Trade and Risking Taking, Rombauer, Unbridled Honor, and Japan-based France Go de Ina.
On Thursday, trainer Brad Cox said neither Derby runner-up Mandaloun nor Caddo River would run in the Preakness.
A rundown of the races:
BELMONT PARK
$150,000 Runhappy (G3), 6 furlongs, 4-year-olds and up
Post time: 2:31 p.m., race 4
Firenze Fire (31-12-4-3) is the odds-on morning line favorite in a field of that includes Chateau and Stan the Man. The 6-year-old has won over $2.2 million.
$150,000 Beaugay (G3), 1 1/16 miles, turf, 4-year-olds and up
Post time: 3:34 p.m., race 6
A field of six is entered with Harvey’s Lil Goil the 8-5 early favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Civil Union is 2-1 and Nay Lady Nay is 4-1. All three make their 2021 debut after running, third, fifth, and eighth, respectively, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) in November.
$150,000 Vagrancy (G3), 6 ½ furlongs, 4-year-olds and up fillies & mares
Post time: 4:06 p.m., race 7
Pacific Gale (2-for-2 in 2021) is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for trainer John Kimmel, with four-time Derby winner John Velazquez aboard. A field of seven is entered.
$200,000 Peter Pan (G3), 1 1/8 miles, 3-year-olds
Post time: 5:12 p.m., race 9
Risk Taking was the morning-line favorite, but trainer Chad Brown says his colt will instead run in the Preakness next Saturday. A field of five is, including Nova Rags and new Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher’s Overtook and Promise Keeper.
$700,000 Man o’ War (G1), 1 3/8 miles, turf, 4-year-olds and up
Post time: 5:44 p.m., race 10
Sovereign (8-5) makes his first North American start for trainer Chad Brown looking for his first win since 2019 when he won the Irish Derby (G1) at 33-1 odds. Gufo (2-1), winner of the 2020 Belmont Invitational for trained Christophe Clement, has never been off the board in eight career starts. A field of eight is entered.
SANTA ANITA
$100,000 Santa Barbara (G3), 1 ½ miles, turf, 3-year-olds and up
Post time: 7:19 p.m., race 7
Tapwater is the 9-5 morning line favorite against seven fillies and mares as the 5-year-old seeks her first graded staes win. She is trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, and will be ridden by Flavien Prat. Also entered in Canada-bred Rideforthecause, trained by Michael McCarthy.
Over the years while working at The Associated Press, Rich Rosenblatt became a familiar name to legions of the horse racing fans and industry insiders with his award-winning articles on horse racing and his stories from the backstretch.
In addition to being an astute observer of sports, Rosenblatt is the co-author of The All-American Chili Cookbook. His work has been seen in just about every publication in the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine.