Mo Donegal is the winner of the 154th Belmont Stakes in an official time of 2:28.28. This is Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher’s fourth time winning the Belmont.
Pletcher’s previous victories at Belmont Stakes were with Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013 and Tapwrit in 2017. Saturday was a terrific day at the racetrack for him, as his other trainee in the race, Nest, finished in second place.
The odds were in Mo Donegal’s favor, as historically, the betting favorite had won the Belmont Stakes more than 42% of the time. He came into the race as the top pick with 5/2 odds and also had a solid resume in New York, as all three of his previous wins had happened there.
Mo Donegal was in the middle of the pack for a good part of the race, as We the People — the favorite when the morning line odds dropped — took an early lead. Skippylongstocking was in the second position and was trying to take over, but Mo Donegal came up from fifth place and began overtaking his competitors with a strong push toward the end.
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike finished sixth. This is the first time ever that three different horses have won the Triple Crown races in four consecutive years.
This will mark the fourth straight year without a Triple Crown winner. However, Rich Strike could still make history by becoming the 12th horse to win the Kentucky Derby & Belmont in the same year.
Belmont Stakes is traditionally the last leg of the American Triple Crown of horse racing. It is referred to as the “Test of the Champion” because it is the longest of those races at 1 1/2 miles, or 12 furlongs. Because of the length, tactical speed is important. The purse is $1.5 million.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will try to win Belmont Stakes for the fourth time in his career. He brought two horses today: Mo Donegal and Nest. The current odds have them both as top three favorites. The 54-year-old won the Test of the Champion with Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013) and Tapwrit (2017).
Welcome to CBS Sports’ official live blog for the 154th Belmont Stakes. It’s an overcast day and the National Weather Service is forecasting 20% chance of showers for this afternoon and evening, with a high temperature of 72 degrees. The post time is 6:44 p.m. ET.
Historically, the betting favorite has won 42.5% of the time. The morning line odds had We the People as the top pick with 2/1 odds. He is currently at 5/1, while Mo Donegal has taken over as the favorite with 5/2 odds.There will not be a Triple Crown winner today, but Kentucky Derby champion Rich Strike is looking to become the first horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont in the same year since Thunder Gulch did so in 1995.
source: CBSSports.com
