Exaggerator Draws Wide in Belmont Stakes

Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Exaggerator drew post 11 in a field of 13 and was tagged the 9-5 morning-line favorite for the June 11 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (gr. I) during the race’s post position draw June 8 in New York.

The two-time grade I winner is only inside Brody's Cause (post 12, 20-1) and Creator (post 13, 10-1). 

Trainer Keith Desormeaux wasn’t all that excited with the potential of drawing wide after the Curlin   colt—owned in partnership by Big Chief Racing, Head of Plains Partners, and Rocker O Ranch—jogged Wednesday morning.

“The gates here are placed around the wire, which means there’s not that much of a run-up,” Desormeaux said. “It’s not as inconsequential as it is in the other two races, so I’d prefer not to be on the outside, because we have to take back and drop in. Three-sixteenths (to the turn) is a decent run, but not enough—not enough to say that the gates don’t matter.”

Desormeaux’s brother and Exaggerator’s rider, Kent Desormeaux, wasn’t as concerned with the draw.

“I think it’s a wonderful post position,” Kent Desormeaux said. “I can’t see any horses that will cross over on him. (We should be) able to establish position, preferably, without getting a grain of sand in his face.”

Stradivari, who finished fourth in the Preakness, was labeled the 5-1 second choice on the morning line and drew post 5. Fellow Todd Pletcher trainee Destin, who sat out the Preakness after a sixth-place run in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), is the 6-1 third choice and will break from post 2.

"I think Destin ran a sneaky-good race in the Derby," Pletcher said. "He didn't get away from the gate the way we wanted to. We didn't get to the position that we wanted to. He had to work to kind of get to the top of the stretch in the position that we hoped he'd already naturally be in just kind of stalking the pace. He's trained well since then, he's won a race over the Belmont track, and sometimes five weeks in between is helpful when you're taking on horses like Exaggerator that are having their third race in five weeks.

 

"Stradivari, I think you can make a case that he was behind schedule a little bit leading into the Preakness and sometimes a race like that will move him forward. That's' what we're hoping. I think they've both shown that on their days they're capable of running with the best of this crop."

Cherry Wine, who edged Nyquist for second in the Preakness, drew post 3 and is the 8-1 fourth choice, while Japanese-based Lani, the only horse other than Exaggerator scheduled to participate in all three legs of the Triple Crown, drew post 10 at 20-1.

Dale Romans, who trains both Cherry Wine and Brody's Cause—a multiple grade I winner—likes the chances for each.

"I would say Brody is the more talented, but Cherry Wine is on the improve,." Romans said. "They're both good horses, but the key going into these big races is they're just training so well, and they feel so good and they're so healthy. We're not trying to stop any leaks."

Newcomers Governor Malibu (second in the grade II Peter Pan at Belmont Park May 14) and Gettysburg, who could play be the race's early leader, drew posts 1 and 6, respectively.

"It takes a good horse to win the Belmont," said Governor Malibu's trainer, Christophe Clement. "This race is a huge deal for me. I train at Belmont and it means a lot. It's very ambitious, so let's run it and see what happens."