ESPN and ABC will offer seven hours of coverage of the $1-million Belmont Stakes (G1) on Saturday starting at noon EDT, including ABC’s two-hour race broadcast that begins at 5 p.m. Jockey Calvin Borel will attempt to complete an unprecedented personal Triple Crown by sweeping the three classic races with two different horses.
All Belmont programming on ABC and ESPN will be aired in high definition on ABC HD and ESPN HD, respectively. Joe Tessitore will host the programming with analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss, reporters Jeannine Edwards, Rece Davis, Jay Privman, Steve Cyphers, Tom Rinaldi, and Caton Bredar, and handicappers Kenny Mayne and Hank Goldberg. Rick Reilly will provide commentaries. ABC Sports will use 38 cameras to cover the race, including a super slow-motion camera and a helicopter camera.
OK, Handicappers, Here's the contest:
Should Casino Drive win the Belmont, his mother, Better Than Honor, will become the first mare to produce three American Classic winners. (back to back to back winners I might add!)
Better Than Honor is the dam of Casino Drive, Jazil and Rags To Riches. Story here.
Our Contest Winner Is:
Damon! The final results are:
Damon - 176
Nora - 158
HT - 122
Emma - 105
Kara - 104
Conard - 100
Ben - 84
Sophie - 71
Amy - 67
Chris - 60
Mel - 55
I would like to give Damon special recognition for not only winning, but having all three horses, and Conard for being the most improved. Chris lost a little of his edge by not playing in the Derby Contest. All in all, everyone who played made this a lot of fun. Until next time...
Updated Belmont Stakes news
Rags To Riches is trying to make history as the first filly to run in the Belmont this century. The last female starter was Silverbulletday in 1999 who finished seventh. The last female to win the Belmont was Tanya in 1905. Rags To Riches will be ridden by John Velazquez. Her regular rider, Garrettt Gomez is already commited to ride Hard Spun and can't get out of the obligation. Interestingly enough, Rags To Riches is sired by AP Indy, the 1992 Belmont winner, and is a half sister to Jazil, last years Belmont winner. I would say that gives her the right pedigree to win the Belmont Stakes herself! C P West is a late addition to the lineup with Edgar Prado as his rider. The latest list of Belmont possible starters is:
CP West
Curlin
Hard Spun
Digger
Imawildandcrazyguy
Rags To Riches
Slew's Tizzy
Tiago
Ruffian
Frank Whitely Jr. and Jacinto Vasquez have filed a lawsuit against the makers of a Ruffian movie that is set to air on Saturday night, on ABC after the Belmont Stakes. The lawsuit is trying to stop the movie from airing unless they add a disclaimer that the movie is a fictional work. Despite all of this ado, I want to watch the movie. How about you?
