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The Belmont, horse by horse By Ed McNamara Special to ESPN.com DYNEVER Prado sticks with this colt and jumps off Best Minister, a move that didn't take much soul-searching. Lightly raced son of standout turf sire Dynaformer has shown a tremendous turn of foot and should only get better. Foot problem is a cause for concern, as are his so-so speed figures, and he's never faced a field this good. His best days are down the road, perhaps on the grass, and as a wise-guy horse he will probably be overbet. Anything less than 6-1 makes him an underlay, and his odds will be lower than that.
EMPIRE MAKER Should handle 1 1/2 miles better than anybody else and should be fully cranked for the first time in his life. Frankel is a master at winning off the layoff, and this colt's five-week break shouldn't be viewed as a negative. Working brilliantly and will be on a mission to deny Funny Cide the Triple Crown that many had predicted would be Empire Maker's. Should stalk Funny Cide and make his move entering the stretch, and from there the battle will be joined. He'll be good value at 8-5 or better.
FUNNY CIDE No matter how this wild ride ends, the New York-bred gelding has made this spring special. His rise to the top has been an unlikely saga that has generated a shocking amount of great publicity for a sport usually ignored by the mainstream media. At even-money or so, he'll be a terrible underlay, but emotion will override the bad price and millions will ride on his nose. Has run three straight career tops, and will he be able to run a fourth at a distance he may not handle? Working great, though, and maybe he'll keep the magic for a victory lap around Belmont. Either way, salute him for the passions he's aroused and the new fans he's brought to racing.
SCRIMSHAW Showed a lot of heart to just miss running second in the Preakness. Still finished more than 10 lengths behind Funny Cide, though, and he'll be an also-ran again. Lukas, who's created many miracles in the Triple Crown series, knows he's up against it. I doubt if this guy is the second coming of Commendable, who stole the 2000 Belmont on the lead at big odds. Has speed and may go for the early lead, which means Funny Cide and Empire Maker would sit behind him and play cat-and-mouse while letting Scrimshaw lope along. Even if he gets very easy fractions, I doubt if Scrimshaw will be around at the business end of the race.
SUPERVISOR I guess owner Rodney G. Lundock wanted to get free seats badly, so he decided to enter this no-hoper. He's horribly overmatched and is the one horse that clearly doesn't belong in this race. He's 2-for-15 lifetime and 0-for-2 in no-chance tries in minor graded stakes. Fortunately, he's a deep closer, so he'll just lope along near the back of the pack and plod through the stretch while the heavyweights battle it out for the glory. If he doesn't stay in the barn, where he belongs, just hope he stays out of the way.
TEN MOST WANTED Was training great at Churchill Downs and was the wise-guy horse in the Derby before letting a lot of people down. Had an awful trip all the way (off slowly, bumped, checked) and never got into the race, in which he suffered a back injury. His career highlight is a big win in a very weak Illinois Derby, so you have to wonder if he classes up. Training impressively in California, and Dollase is a shrewd operator, so he may offer value underneath in the exotics. Has one of the better stamina pedigrees and could surprise with an in-the-money finish at juicy odds. McNamara's picks: 1. Empire Maker 2. Ten Most Wanted 3. Funny Cide |
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