The status of Preakness champ Cloud Computing coming back in the Belmont Stakes is undecided according to his trainer Chad Brown. (Photo credit: Bigstock.com)
There will be no Triple Crown winner in 2017 as Cloud Computing pulled off the upset in the Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Pimlico, and the colt’s status for the Belmont Stakes (G1) is “undecided” according to his trainer Chad Brown.
The colt came out of the race in good order and has just four starts under his belt. Brown decided to skip the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the strategy paid off as he ran down Classic Empire in deep stretch to win by a head and return $28.80.
Brown is going to take a wait and see approach before committing on bringing the colt back in three weeks for the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
Derby winner Always Dreaming faded to finish eighth in the Preakness and it seems doubtful trainer Todd Pletcher would bring the colt back again in the Belmont. However, his ownership group are from Brooklyn and were very much looking forward to running the colt in New York, so I would not completely rule out the colt reappearing in three weeks.
“He didn’t seem to relish the track, but I don’t really think that was it. It was just that he put so much into the Derby that it wasn’t meant to be, “Pletcher said. “Initially, it looks like he came back well. We’ll savor the Derby victory.”
2017 Preakness Replay:
Trainer Mark Casse was happy with the effort of Classic Empire in his runner up finish, and the colt could end up the betting favorite in the Big Apple in three weeks.
“I thought he ran outstanding,” Casse said. “I always worry about him starting because he stumbles a little bit. He won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile going out after it and I said to Julien, ‘Second doesn’t mean anything.”’ I said, ‘Let’s go and try to win this thing.’ It ended up getting us in the end. We were going to be in it, and he said, ‘OK.” We were going to be aggressive and that’s what we did.”
Two others that are heading to New York are the Preakness third and fourth place finishers Senior Investment and Lookin At Lee.
Gunnevera, who was fifth in the Preakness is headed to Florida for a freshening and will not participate in the Belmont.
Multiplier, who won the Illinois Derby (G3) in his stakes debut and was sixth in the Preakness is “possible” for the Belmont according to his trainer Brendan Walsh.
Conquest Mo Money, second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and seventh in the Preakness is also being considered for the Belmont.
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While there is no Triple Crown bid, there is plenty for horseplayers to be excited about. Over the three-day Belmont Stakes Festival there will be 18 stakes races between June 8 and June 10, 15 of the stakes graded.
On Belmont Stakes Day, there are nine supporting stakes races on the card including five Grade 1 races.
Michael’s Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations for the entire Belmont Stakes Day card.
The third jewel of the Triple Crown features an outstanding day of horse betting that also includes the Grade 1, $1 million Manhattan, the Grade 1, $700,000 Longines Just a Game, the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens, the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap, the Grade 1, $750,000 Ogden Phipps, the Grade 1, $700,000 Acorn, the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational, the Grade 3, $300,000 Jaipur Invitational, and the $150,000 Easy Goer. Report available on Friday, June 9.
