NEW YORK (AP) — Preakness winner Exaggerator has been made the 9-5 favorite in a field of 13 for Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The 3-year-old colt trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux, drew the No. 11 post position on Wednesday.
Stradivari, who ran fourth in the Preakness in his stakes debut, is the surprising second choice at 5-1. Destin, sixth in Kentucky Derby, is third choice at 6-1. Both are trained by Todd Pletcher. Preakness runner-up Cherry Wine is 8-1.
Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, who finished third in the Preakness, wasn’t entered in the Belmont .
From the rail out, the field for the 1½-mile Belmont with jockeys and morning line odds:
1. Governor Malibu, Joel Rosario, 12-1
2. Destin, Javier Castellano, 6-1
3. Cherry Wine, Corey Lanerie, 8-1
4. Suddenbreakingnews, Mike Smith, 10-1
5. Stradivari, John Velazquez, 5-1
6. Gettysburg, Paco Lopez, 30-1
7. Seeking the Soul, Florent Geroux, 30-1
8. Forever d’Oro, Jose Ortiz, 30-1
9. Trojan Nation, Aaron Gryder, 30-1
10. Lani, Yutake Take, 20-1
11. Exaggerator, Kent Desormeaux, 9-5
12. Brody’s Cause, Luis Saez, 20-1
13. Creator, Irad Ortiz Jr., 10-1