#US RACING: EIGHT HORSES NOMINATED IN 2022 BELMONT STAKES

The US$1.5 million Belmont Stakes drew a field of eight 3-year-olds who will contest the final leg of this year’s Triple Crown at Belmont Park on Saturday.

We the People was named the 2-1 morning-line favourite based on his convincing victory in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3), and the long-shot Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike was the third choice at 7-2.

We the People drew post position 1, which is an ideal spot for the only horse in the field who does his best running on the front end. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset will try to win the Belmont for the first time. That also would give the young trainer his initial Grade 1 victory. We the People will be expected to go to the lead and stay there for the 1 1/2-mile Test of the Champion.

“Yeah, he doesn’t have to, but we will play the break and go from there, that’s not my job,” Brisset explained after the post-position draw at Belmont Park. “(Jockey) Flavien (Prat) knows what to do.”

Brisset expects We the People to handle the extra distance on Saturday “the way he got about last time. I mean, it’s always a question mark. But I guess based on what we saw last time, based on what Flavien said to me after the race, we are hoping he’s going to be OK on the mile-and-a-half.”

Rich Strike will try to become the first horse since 1995 to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont without winning the Preakness. Veteran trainer Eric Reed claimed Rich Strike for US$30,000 in September and, six starts later, won America’s most prestigious race at 80-1.

Reed remained confident in Rich Strike.

“He’s doing every bit as well,” Reed said. “I see the energy level a little higher now, and he seems a little more confident.”

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will try to win the Belmont for the fourth time with either the 5-2 second choice Mo Donegal or the filly Nest, who was assigned odds of 8-1.

Pletcher has been preparing both horses for this race since they ran at Churchill Downs, where Mo Donegal was fifth in the Kentucky Derby and Nest was second in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

“We came in right after the Derby was over, and both have been training here,” Pletcher said. “Both of them have breezed together all three times, and we are really excited about the way they’re coming into it. The way they came out of their last breezes, they seemed to be in good order.”

Creative Minister was named the fourth choice with odds of 6-1. Since his career began in March, the Ken McPeek trainee won two races and then was third in the Preakness.

“I wanted to run on Derby day, and if he wins, let’s bring him up to the Preakness,” McPeek explained. “He handled that really well. Now he’s got to move step by step forward again.”

McPeek, who won the Belmont Stakes in 2002 with the 70-1 long shot Sarava, will rely on the experience he gained 20 years ago.

“I took the recipe from Sarava years back,” McPeek said. “I went straight from Pimlico to here, because I do believe that the trainers that are based here at Belmont have a bit of an advantage. This racetrack is tricky.”