2016 Belmont Stakes Results
The 2016 Belmont Stakes was focused almost entirely on Exaggerator. The favorite opened at 9-5 but was eventually bet down to a 7-5 preference by players and oddsmakers alike. With Nyquist sidelined by injury, this was a stage all unto Exaggerator.
Unfortunately, he never found the spotlight.
Gettysburg took the field out as a 55-1 longshot, trailed closely by Destin who settled at 8-1 as one of the outside choices. Another 55-1 longshot was tracking in third in the form of Seeking The Soul.
Not to be outdone, 7-5 favorite Exaggerator battled at the head of the pack along with 17-1 longshot Governor Malibu and Stradivari, who was a 6-1 top choice. Though many tried to pass him, Gettysburg held on to maintain a solid lead throughout the Belmont Stakes until the final turn.
That’s when Destin made his move and looked to be well on his way to a surprise win as Exaggerator fell off the pace dramatically and Gettysburg ran out of steam. Destin hurled himself down the homestretch and seemed to open a strong lead. But then, literally out of nowhere, Creator came thundering through the middle to barely catch Destin as the two produced a pulse pounding finish. Ultimately it was Creator who edged out Destin by a nose.
Creator paid a whopping $34.80, $14.60 and $9.40 across the board as a 10-1 outside shot. Destin delivered $9.40 and $6.20 in second while Lani was a shocking third place finisher worth $6.60.
Governor Malibu was fourth, followed by Stradivari, Brody’s Cause, Cherry Wine and Gettysburg.
Exaggerator fell off the pace all the way to 11th, leading many to wonder what happened to the fighting spirit we had seen at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
It was truly a day of surprises, with an unexpected end to a truly bizarre 2016 Triple Crown season that saw as many ups and downs as we’ve ever seen in the history of this series.
2016 Belmont Stakes Contenders
The 2016 Belmont Stakes is the 148th renewal of the race. It will ring the bell on Saturday, June 11th out of Belmont Park in New York. The distance will once again be 1 ½ mile, making it one of the longest races these colts will ever run.
Exaggerator (9/5) – The Desormeaux trained superstar finally burst through to beat Nyquist in the 2016 Preakness Stakes and could very well be on the verge of another incredible triumph in the final leg of the Triple Crown. Exaggerator will enter as the odds on favorite. He is 5-3-1 in 11 starts and hasn’t finished off the podium since the 2015 Delta Downs Jackpot.
Stradivari (5/1) – Stradivari showed very well at the Preakness Stakes with a fourth place finish behind Exaggerator, Cherry Wine and Nyquist. The hype surrounding this Todd Pletcher trainee continues to excite fans. He slots in as a strong second choice and certainly seems to have the speed to make an impact early on in the 2016 Belmont Stakes.
Destin (6/1) – This son of Giant’s Causeway has always been on the Triple Crown radar and ran to a respectable 6th in the Kentucky Derby. After skipping the Preakness, Destin could stand as a threat considering that many consider him better suited for longer distances. The record setter from the 2016 Tampa Bay Derby could very well be a great play considering the weakness of the field.
Cherry Wine (8/1) – As the unexpected runner-up in the Preakness Stakes behind Exaggerator, it’s obvious that Cherry Wine is going to draw some suitors. But be forewarned that this son of Paddy O’Prado hasn’t won a stakes race in his short career. He has finished 4th in the Rebel, 3rd in the Blue Grass and 2nd in the Preakness during his last three outings, so the trend is there…but this is a tough gamble to make overall.
Suddenbreakingnews (10/1) – The only gelding in the field placed fifth in the Kentucky Derby and hasn’t really been able to do much with the momentum generated off of a win in the Southwest Stakes to kickoff the 2016 campaign.
Creator (10/1) – After winning the Arkansas Derby over Suddenbreakingnews and Whitmore, Creator ran to a very unexpected 13th place at the Kentucky Derby. He has the gas to go the 1 ½ mile distance, and was valiant in his win at Fair Grounds. There’s very little excitement surrounding him overall but the oddsmakers aren’t ignoring him for whatever that’s worth.
Governor Malibu (12/1) – The big unknown at the 2016 Belmont Stakes is Governor Malibu who most recently finished 2nd in both the Federico Tesio and Peter Pan stakes. This son of Malibu Moon is trained by Christopher Clement and could be an upset specialist. Governor Malibu is as much of a shot in the dark as there is in the Belmont.
Lani (20/1) – Everyone’s favorite character in the 2016 Triple Crown makes a third appearance after finishing 9th in the Kentucky Derby and 5th in the Preakness. The 20/1 odds are fair given that Lani shades more towards being a sprinter than a grinder over a longer haul.
Brody’s Cause (20/1) – After a pretty strong juvenile season, which culminated in a 3rd place finish in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Brody’s Cause put himself on the proverbial map for the prep race season. A win in the Blue Grass Stakes was well deserved, and this son of Giant’s Causeway was able to run to a 7th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. There’s talent and competitiveness here, but 20/1 odds seem fair considering what he’s done against stronger competition. He was punished by Destin in the Tampa Bay Derby, where he also finished 7th.
Gettysburg (30/1) – Gettysburg is new to the Triple Crown, but made an appearance at the Arkansas Derby where he finished 5th behind Creator and Suddenbreakingnews. Most expect him to set the pace and then fall off in the latter lengths of the 2016 Belmont.
Trojan Nation (30/1) – Trojan Nation came on strong in the Wood Memorial but that seemed like an aberration after he finished 16h in the Kentucky Derby. Two turns seems like one too many.
Seeking The Soul (30/1) – Nothing more than a new shooter who has yet to win his first competitive race.
Forever d’Oro (30/1) – The only thing that this Dallas Stewart longshot has going for him is that he’s a son of Medaglia d’Oro out of Lemons Forever. Throwing him in the mix at 1 ½ miles when he hasn’t competed at a 1 ¼ miles seems like a fool’s errand.