The last race of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, will be run today, and although there is no possibility of a Triple Crown this year, there will be plenty of excitement and drama. The Belmont Stakes kicks off at 5:00 p.m. and all coverage can be live streamed by clicking this link; it will also be televised on NBC.
The top storyline is the battle between Orb and Oxbow, who took the Kentucky Derby and Preakness respectively, beating one another each time by nearly equal distances. Orb is a 3-to-1 favorite to emerge the victor while Oxbow has 5-to-1 odds.
Orb's trainer Sean McGaughey spoke on the missed opportunity for a Triple Crown after his horse came in fourth place at the Preakness.
"I don't know what it would have been like had he won. I am sure I would have been on pins and needles a lot more than I am or have been. I really, really want to win this; everyone does. I don't think we got to see the real horse three weeks ago.... If he gets the chance to run his race, it will take a pretty nice horse to beat him."
The Belmont Stakes is often unkind to Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners, owing to the 1.5 mile length of the race. Today, that will be further complicated by muddy conditions after a full day of rainfall.
Oxbow trainer Kenny McPeek, however, isn't counting out his horse due to the distance, conditions, or opposition. "Oxbow has two bad races on his page, and then he comes back and wins the Preakness because he's tenacious and he keeps coming back and he doesn't have any fear," McPeek said. "It's about taking a chance and rolling the dice."
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