It is a stellar Saturday at Belmont Park. There will be eight Grade 1 races with “The Test of the Champion,” the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes, serving as the headliner. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of the 3-year-olds. He’s getting no respect from the majority of the East Coast media and was installed at odds of 7-2 morning line and may go higher at post time. We are bringing on an integral part of the story and the observations of a national handicapper to weigh in on the $1.5 million Classic. Eric Reed, trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, was on “The Regular Guy Radio Show” on winningponies.com before and after the Kentucky Derby. A man of his word, Eric has returned to tell us about the rapid development of his muscular chestnut colt. After Eric’s post-Derby decision to rest his classic winner and point to the Belmont, Rich Strike has returned to training with vigor. We’ll get an up-to-the-minute report - straight from the horse trainer's mouth. We’ve engaged the handicapping talents of Byron King, Associate Editor of the Blood-Horse, who has been tracking the 3-year-olds through his “Derby Dozen” column. He’ll need only come up with a “Belmont Eight” on Saturday, but an interesting eight it is, with theories of the race pace scenario dominating press box conversation. We’ve engaged the handicapping talents of Byron King,Associate Editor of the Blood-Horse, who has been tracking the 3-year-oldsthrough his “Derby Dozen” column. He’ll need only come up with a “Belmont Eight” on Saturday, but an interesting eight it is, with theories of the race pace scenario dominating press box conversation.
While the Belmont is “The Race of the Champion,” Byron will weigh in on several the championship match-ups that will take place leading up to the Belmont. We’ll see the multi-million-dollar earning mare Letruska take on the newly-turned 4-year-old Malathaatin the Ogden Phipps. Champion Echo Zulu faded to fourth in the Kentucky Oaks and will be shortening up to a mile in the Acorn, while 3-year-old sensation Matareya stretches out to the distance. Flightline will fly in for a rare appearance. The $1 million dollar baby has shown brilliance in every start, though he has only made three in his career. His speed figures have been through the roof, but the well-seasoned Speaker’s Corner comes into the race off three straight graded stakes wins while recoding 102+ Beyer Speed Figures.