Like Alan, I’ll be watching this afternoon’s Belmont Stakes more as a fan than bettor, cheering on Rags to Riches. Sure, no filly has won the Belmont Stakes since Tanya in 1905, but of the 21 fillies that have started, two have won and seven finished second or third (that’s 43% in the money) and Rags to Riches has a good shot to become the third filly winner of the Belmont. There’s her pedigree (sired by Belmont winner A.P. Indy, half sib to Belmont winner Jazil), her class (three Grade 1 wins this year), and her freshness (she comes into the race off a five week layoff, trainer Todd Pletcher’s sweet spot). Curlin will be formidable, but he’s going against history as well — no horse unraced as a two-year-old has won the Belmont since 1885 (Courier-Journal, via). Cases can be made for almost all of the starters (and Steve Haskin tries hard to do just that), but for me it comes down to Rags to Riches with Hard Spun, Tiago, and Curlin following.
