Correll’s Belmont Stakes Picks

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview

The outcome of the Preakness Stakes on May 15 at Pimlico in Baltimore left me scratching my head more than ever. I think the Rombauer win was more of a case of no one else showing up, not him overwhelming the field.

Rombauer was a fresh horse and the two colts he ran down were both coming out of the Kentucky Derby two weeks before. This time, the fresh horses will be going after him. Essential Quality (2), Hot Rod Charlie (4), Known Agenda (6) and Rock Your World (7) will offer the biggest challenge to Rombauer (3) in the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

Rock Your World should be the speed in the mile-and-one-half <em>“Test of the Champions.” Rock Your World got wiped out at the start of the Kentucky Derby ending all chances in that race. Hopefully, with a smaller field, the start of the Belmont should be cleaner. The other four colts, including Rombauer, should be trying to stalk. In and eight-horse field I don’t think any of them will get shuffled too far back.

I’m going to be playing Pick 4s and Pick5s and I would use all five colts on both tickets, but I going to be rooting for Hot Rod Charlie, Known Agenda and Rock Your World to win the Belmont because that will afford me the best payoff if I’m still alive to that race.

As far as the Belmont goes, I will betting that Rock Your World holds off Hot Rod Charlie to win the race.

My trifecta play will be:

4,7

over: 2,3,6

Cover Photo: Rock Your World; Benoit