Belmont Stakes 2021: News and Notes from New York

The 2021 Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday, June 5 at 6:45 pm ET. The race could crown the third different winner in the 2021 Triple Crown Series. Four out of the last 5 Triple Crown seasons have had a different winner in each leg.

Major Belmont Headlines

Essential Quality

Kentucky Derby Favorite Essential Quality has been training up to the race. He recently put in the top workout at Churchill Downs out of 43 horses.

Now he ships to Belmont where trainer Brad Cox has a chance to win his first, or maybe second ever Triple Crown race. Pending the Medina Spirit Kentucky Derby decision, Brad Cox could be put up as the winning trainer in that race. He trained 2nd place Mandaloun in the run for the roses.

Brad Cox is on the record as saying this was his Belmont horse after the horse’s first ever breeze. A breeze is a formal workout.

Preakness Winner

Rombauer is set to return in the Belmont. The colt looks to be the first horse since California Chrome in 2014 to win 2 out of 3 races. Justify and American Pharoah also won 2 of the legs, but also won the third completing the Triple Crown.

No Baffert

The New York Racing Association took a hard line approach to the potential Kentucky Derby disqualification. Trainer Bob Baffert is banned from entering any horses at Belmont Park or any other NYRA venue.

In the past, trainers have circumnavigated this by entering horses under their assistant trainers. NYRA has removed this loophole and banned all affiliated with his barn. This means the super trainer will have no entries in the 2021 Belmont Stakes.

Rombauer’s Preakness jockey hopped off to ride Hot Rod Charlie in the Belmont. After the announcement the horse was able to land Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez for the Belmont.

Defections

The Belmont Field looks to be contentious, but in the last couple of days there have been some significant defections.

Keepmeinmind was scheduled to be the only horse to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown. The Diodoro trainee has since been withdrawn and will point toward a different race. Don’t be surprised to see this horse run somewhere else on the weekend program at Belmont.

The highly touted Rebel’s Romance who won the UAE Derby will miss the race due to infection.

More Belmont Stakes Coverage

Betting News will continue to provide all the latest on the 2021 Belmont Stakes including an exclusive 2021 Belmont Stakes Betting Guide.