Michelle Yu, offers her horse-by-horse analysis for the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
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Here is Yu's horse-by-horse analysis, listed in post position order.
Belmont Park
Race 11 (6:44 p.m. ET)
Belmont Stakes
1 We the People (2-1)
He gets a free try in the Belmont thanks to his Peter Pan Stakes win, which paid his berth. He started off his career in fine fashion, scoring in back-to-back route races, which earned him a spot in the Arkansas Derby where he was the second choice. That race was a flop when he looked like a mess before the gun and was not fast enough to clear, got parked wide, was uncomfortable and ran into traffic for a seventh place finish. He rebounded in a great way in the Peter Pan, albeit with a gate-to-wire score by 10 lengths over this strip. The asterisk with him is that the surface in that race was a sealed track, which can favor speed horses. The Belmont hasn't been run in such circumstances in more than a decade. Pedigree-wise, he is a yes. He also gets the rail which is the shortest way around. Best of all, it appears that he is the only natural speed horse in the race. If his Peter Pan wasn't a fluke there is lots to like.
2 Skippylongstocking (20-1)
He didn't really jump out to me as a horse who wants more ground and more stakes tries. His best races have come against allowance foes, and I can't see him making a massive jump up in this spot. Pass.
3 Nest (8-1)
The Kentucky Oaks runner-up has been training forwardly and well enough to try the boys. Trainer Todd Pletcher must think very highly of her. He saddled Rags To Riches to beat the boys in the 2007 Belmont, the last female to do so. Pedigree-wise, this is an easy choice. Her sire (Curlin) and damsire (A.P. Indy) scream stamina, and her full brother (Idol) loves the classic distance. In her races, she appears to be begging for more ground. So what's the drawback? Oaks winner Secret Oath wound up fourth when facing the boys in the Preakness. Nest really hasn't run a bad race, but We the People might go a tick quicker up front than she's used to, and that could give her a lot of work to do late. I won't be shocked if she wins, but I have to stick her underneath.
4 Rich Strike (7-2)
The shocking Kentucky Derby winner opted to bypass the Preakness Stakes and come into the Test of the Champion fresh. If his work tab is any indication, trainer Eric Reed was on the right track. The aggressive chestnut has been training with vigor, rattling off times that are even faster than his pre-Derby works. I have been watching his Belmont gallops, and his most recent ones have been flat-out impressive. This come-from-behind runner appears to want the added distance, but the Belmont traditionally has been won by horses closer to the lead. Unlike in the Derby he is not a complete toss, and if the odds are fair, he is worth a wager.
5 Creative Minister (6-1)
He ground out a third in the Preakness Stakes, and I think he could grind out another placing in the demanding 12-furlong Belmont. He still has room for improvement, and it's not a bad thing that the two horses that beat him in Maryland are skipping the Belmont. I love the fact that trainer Ken McPeek has him at Belmont Park with an opportunity to work over the sandy surface, a similar tactic he used when scoring with Sarava at 70-1 in 2002.
6 Mo Donegal (5-2)
He really did not put in a bad effort when running fifth in the Derby, especially after a tardy break from the rail. His best races have come in New York, so this could be his big day. He was highly regarded at the Kentucky Derby, and, now on his home turf, should take a lot of play. It's also worth noting his last win was a victory over eventual Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting. He may leave the starting gate as the favorite and can certainly win. I need to pay attention to his price; I wouldn't back him below 2-1, but I think you're going to get that.
7 Golden Glider (20-1)
Like We the People, this Mark Casse trainee gets a free roll in the Belmont because of his runner-up effort in the Peter Pan. Casse has followed this route in the past successfully. In 2019 Casse's Sir Winston was the Peter Pan runner-up before winning the Belmont. Bottom line: I don't think Golden Glider is quite good enough, and I think the 1½-mile distance is too far. I know the connections want to take the free swing, but I'll be keeping my dollars away.
8 Barber Road (10-1)
My favorite blue collar horse is back for another swing after finishing sixth in the Derby. I think he wants more ground. On paper, everyone will say he isn't fast enough, but I'm a sucker for a hard-trying animal, and Barber Road has done nothing but compete every time. Once again he will be an exotics use for me.
Wagers
$50 Win 6 (if 2-1 or higher) ($50)
$2 Exacta box 1,3,4,6 ($24)
$.10 Superfecta 1,4,6 with 1,3,4,5,6 with 1,3,4,5,6,8 with ALL ($24)
Total: $98
~~~
The 2022 Triple Crown season concludes on Saturday when the starting gate opens in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the 2022 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Surprise Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will run in the Belmont Stakes 2022 after his connections shockingly decided to skip the Preakness Stakes. The 2022 Belmont Stakes odds list Rich Strike at 7-2, while We the People is the 2-1 favorite. Mo Donegal is second in the odds, at 5-2. Post time for the Belmont is 6:44 p.m. ET.
Given the shocking results of the Triple Crown season so far, you NEED to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2022 Belmont Stakes picks of your own.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In the 2011 Kentucky Derby, she correctly tabbed Animal Kingdom to win at a hefty 21-1. In the 2017 Breeders' Cup, she nailed 11-1 long shot Wuheida to win the Filly and Mare Turf. Last year, in a wide-open Kentucky Derby, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager this year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby!
Since joining SportsLine in November, her picks have cashed in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Sham Stakes, El Camino Real Derby, San Felipe Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, Kentucky Oaks and Preakness Stakes. Anyone who has followed her is WAY UP.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2022 Belmont Stakes field, given her horse-by-horse analysis, made her picks and constructed her wagers.
One surprise: Yu is high on Nest, even though she is an 8-1 long shot! "In her races, she appears to be begging for more ground," Yu told SportsLine.
In addition, Yu is high on a double-digit long shot who "has done nothing but compete every time"! She is including this horse in her 2022 Belmont Stakes bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see her picks before locking in any of your own.
~~~
Here is Yu's horse-by-horse analysis, listed in post position order.
Belmont Park
Race 11 (6:44 p.m. ET)
Belmont Stakes
1 We the People (2-1)
He gets a free try in the Belmont thanks to his Peter Pan Stakes win, which paid his berth. He started off his career in fine fashion, scoring in back-to-back route races, which earned him a spot in the Arkansas Derby where he was the second choice. That race was a flop when he looked like a mess before the gun and was not fast enough to clear, got parked wide, was uncomfortable and ran into traffic for a seventh place finish. He rebounded in a great way in the Peter Pan, albeit with a gate-to-wire score by 10 lengths over this strip. The asterisk with him is that the surface in that race was a sealed track, which can favor speed horses. The Belmont hasn't been run in such circumstances in more than a decade. Pedigree-wise, he is a yes. He also gets the rail which is the shortest way around. Best of all, it appears that he is the only natural speed horse in the race. If his Peter Pan wasn't a fluke there is lots to like.
2 Skippylongstocking (20-1)
He didn't really jump out to me as a horse who wants more ground and more stakes tries. His best races have come against allowance foes, and I can't see him making a massive jump up in this spot. Pass.
3 Nest (8-1)
The Kentucky Oaks runner-up has been training forwardly and well enough to try the boys. Trainer Todd Pletcher must think very highly of her. He saddled Rags To Riches to beat the boys in the 2007 Belmont, the last female to do so. Pedigree-wise, this is an easy choice. Her sire (Curlin) and damsire (A.P. Indy) scream stamina, and her full brother (Idol) loves the classic distance. In her races, she appears to be begging for more ground. So what's the drawback? Oaks winner Secret Oath wound up fourth when facing the boys in the Preakness. Nest really hasn't run a bad race, but We the People might go a tick quicker up front than she's used to, and that could give her a lot of work to do late. I won't be shocked if she wins, but I have to stick her underneath.
4 Rich Strike (7-2)
The shocking Kentucky Derby winner opted to bypass the Preakness Stakes and come into the Test of the Champion fresh. If his work tab is any indication, trainer Eric Reed was on the right track. The aggressive chestnut has been training with vigor, rattling off times that are even faster than his pre-Derby works. I have been watching his Belmont gallops, and his most recent ones have been flat-out impressive. This come-from-behind runner appears to want the added distance, but the Belmont traditionally has been won by horses closer to the lead. Unlike in the Derby he is not a complete toss, and if the odds are fair, he is worth a wager.
5 Creative Minister (6-1)
He ground out a third in the Preakness Stakes, and I think he could grind out another placing in the demanding 12-furlong Belmont. He still has room for improvement, and it's not a bad thing that the two horses that beat him in Maryland are skipping the Belmont. I love the fact that trainer Ken McPeek has him at Belmont Park with an opportunity to work over the sandy surface, a similar tactic he used when scoring with Sarava at 70-1 in 2002.
6 Mo Donegal (5-2)
He really did not put in a bad effort when running fifth in the Derby, especially after a tardy break from the rail. His best races have come in New York, so this could be his big day. He was highly regarded at the Kentucky Derby, and, now on his home turf, should take a lot of play. It's also worth noting his last win was a victory over eventual Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting. He may leave the starting gate as the favorite and can certainly win. I need to pay attention to his price; I wouldn't back him below 2-1, but I think you're going to get that.
7 Golden Glider (20-1)
Like We the People, this Mark Casse trainee gets a free roll in the Belmont because of his runner-up effort in the Peter Pan. Casse has followed this route in the past successfully. In 2019 Casse's Sir Winston was the Peter Pan runner-up before winning the Belmont. Bottom line: I don't think Golden Glider is quite good enough, and I think the 1½-mile distance is too far. I know the connections want to take the free swing, but I'll be keeping my dollars away.
8 Barber Road (10-1)
My favorite blue collar horse is back for another swing after finishing sixth in the Derby. I think he wants more ground. On paper, everyone will say he isn't fast enough, but I'm a sucker for a hard-trying animal, and Barber Road has done nothing but compete every time. Once again he will be an exotics use for me.
Wagers
$50 Win 6 (if 2-1 or higher) ($50)
$2 Exacta box 1,3,4,6 ($24)
$.10 Superfecta 1,4,6 with 1,3,4,5,6 with 1,3,4,5,6,8 with ALL ($24)
Total: $98
~~~
The 2022 Triple Crown season concludes on Saturday when the starting gate opens in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the 2022 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Surprise Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will run in the Belmont Stakes 2022 after his connections shockingly decided to skip the Preakness Stakes. The 2022 Belmont Stakes odds list Rich Strike at 7-2, while We the People is the 2-1 favorite. Mo Donegal is second in the odds, at 5-2. Post time for the Belmont is 6:44 p.m. ET.
Given the shocking results of the Triple Crown season so far, you NEED to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2022 Belmont Stakes picks of your own.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In the 2011 Kentucky Derby, she correctly tabbed Animal Kingdom to win at a hefty 21-1. In the 2017 Breeders' Cup, she nailed 11-1 long shot Wuheida to win the Filly and Mare Turf. Last year, in a wide-open Kentucky Derby, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager this year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby!
Since joining SportsLine in November, her picks have cashed in the Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, Sham Stakes, El Camino Real Derby, San Felipe Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, Kentucky Oaks and Preakness Stakes. Anyone who has followed her is WAY UP.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2022 Belmont Stakes field, given her horse-by-horse analysis, made her picks and constructed her wagers.
One surprise: Yu is high on Nest, even though she is an 8-1 long shot! "In her races, she appears to be begging for more ground," Yu told SportsLine.
In addition, Yu is high on a double-digit long shot who "has done nothing but compete every time"! She is including this horse in her 2022 Belmont Stakes bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see her picks before locking in any of your own.
