Beyer Speed Figures Favor Four in Belmont Stakes

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, Preakness winner Seize the Grey, Derby runner-up Sierra Leone, and Mindframe.

These colts share a key trait with the last six winners of the Belmont Stakes: a Beyer Speed Figure of 96 or higher in their last race before attempting the final leg of the Triple Crown.

Of course, all of this comes with an asterisk. For the first time since 1967, the Belmont Stakes won’t be run at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., over a grueling, likely once-in-a-career 1 1/2 miles. Because of extensive renovations underway at the 119-year-old facility, the Belmont will be contested over 1 1/4 miles at bucolic Saratoga Race Course.

Does this slap an asterisk on handicapping data? No, DraftKings director of race and sportsbook Johnny Avello said.

“It doesn’t impact much, to me,” Avello told Gaming Today. “There are a few horses in the field who will need to stay closer, but the first half mile at Belmont is essentially just getting into position without moving too fast anyway. The one thing it does change is the number of turns, but that’s about it. There will be purists out there who put an asterisk next to this race even though we don’t have a Triple Crown contender. I am looking forward to this race just as much as any other Belmont Stakes, and believe bettors are as well.”

Belmont Stakes Draw, Odds:

The BSFs are published exclusively by the Daily Racing Form and were provided to Gaming Today.

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