Belmont Stakes Horse Race on NBC Later Today

Later today will be the third race in the Triple Crown of three-year old thoroughbred horse racing: the Belmont Stakes, taking place on Long Island in New York around 6:44 pm, broadcast on NBC.  The Kentucky Derby's improbable longshot winner Rich Strike is part of the eight-horse field after skipping the Preakness in order to protect his health...but he's not the favorite: We the People is.  This horse didn't run in either the Derby or Preakness, and the favorites from those two races...including the Preakness winner Early Voting...won't be running this year's Belmont.  There will be a couple of familiar names, Mo Denegal and Skippylongstocking.  Creative Minister, Nest, Barber Road and Golden Glider round out the lineup.  If I only went by names, I'd be pulling for Nest...but Rick Strike is my sentimental favorite for this race.  There won't be much pre-race television hype for the Belmont like there was for the Kentucky Derby, and that suits me fine.  The trainer of Rich Strike, after the announcement that his horse wouldn't be competing in the Preakness, explained that these races are held too closely together, exhausting the horses and placing their health and future in jeopardy.  If they'd only space these major events a couple of weeks further apart, then I believe we'd see more horses going for the Triple Crown instead of selectively entering just one or two races.  After all, in tennis the four major Grand Slam tournaments are spread throughout the year...can you imagine what Nadal and the others would say if they were all crammed together during the spring?