Mindframe is a wildcard in the 2024 BelmontMichael Reaves/Getty Images
This is a fun field with a good mix of proven winners, Derby contenders looking to bounce back and some relative unknowns.
Despite Mystik Dan and Seize the Grey winning the first two American Classics, it’s Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone who is the morning-line favorite. The Chad Brown charge was the runner-up in the photo finish Derby, losing to Mystik Dan by a nostril.
He was one of the favorites heading into the Derby. Coming off a dominant performance in which he posted a 107 Equibase speed figure at the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes in Keeneland, he’s one of the most talented three-year-olds in this year’s class.
Brown and his connections sat him out of the Preakness with an eye on capturing their moment in the winner’s circle at the Belmont.
Mindframe is a relative unknown compared to some of the other entries, but he’s been installed as the second choice. It’s a bold choice. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt has only made two starts, most recently he won an undercard race on Derby Day.
The speed figures are there for him to make a run at things, but he’ll need to find the pace early. He’s also facing a big step up in class and distance.
Mystik Dan is the third betting choice at 5-1 odds. The Derby winner has obviously proven that he can hang with the best horses in the race and has the win over Sierra Leone. It’s not a stretch to believe he can do it again.
Trainer Ken McPeek is taking a rare risk, though. Not many horses start in all three legs of the Triple Crown without a chance to win it. Orb was the last horse to do it in 2013. There’s a reason for that. The turnaround for each subsequent leg is progressively difficult. It would be understandable if we don’t see the best version of the colt at Saratoga.
Seize the Grey rounds out the horses with single-digit odds. Coming off an impressive win at the Preakness, his connections will hope to ride that momentum into a share of the $2 million purse.
He has a few things working against him, though. For one there’s a little more speed in this field than the one he saw at the Preakness. That enabled him to set a relatively slow pace early and hold off all competitors down the stretch.
As far as long shots go, Anitquarian is worth a look. He’s one of three entries from Todd Pletcher in the race. Mindframe will get most of the attention out of the trio, but Antiquarian was impressive in a win at the Peter Pan Stakes and he outran fellow Belmont entrant The Wine Steward down the stretch.
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