Curlin Is 139th Belmont Stakes Favorite

Preakness Stakes winner, Curlin, who beat Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense in the Triple Crown’s second leg, is favorite to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in New York.

Street Sense decided to skip the 1 1/2 -mile Belmont, but Kentucky Oaks winner Rags to Riches will attempt to become the first filly to win a Triple Crown race since Winning Colors took the 1988 Derby.

“She’s just another quality horse in the race,” Steve Asmussen said of the filly, “and Curlin is going to have to run extremely well to win.”

Curlin was made the 6-5 morning-line odds favorite Wednesday, and will leave from the No. 3 post position under jockey Robby Albarado.

Hard Spun, the second choice at 5-2, and Curlin are the only 3-year-olds to run in all three Triple Crown races. The bay colt finished second in the Derby and third in the Preakness, four lengths behind Curlin.

“I’ve said this already, that we may hail Curlin by the fall as a superstar,” said Larry Jones, Hard Spun’s trainer, before adding: “Hopefully the pace scenario will be a little different going a mile-and-a-half.”

2007 Belmont Stakes Race Entries, Jockeys, Post Position, and Odds:

1 1/2 Miles |
Open |
3 Year Olds Stakes |

Purse: $1,000,000

Post #	Horse	Jockey	Weight	Med.
1	Imawildandcrazyguy	Guidry M	126	L
2	Tiago	Smith M E	126	L
3	Curlin	Albarado R J	126	L
4	C P West	Prado E S	126	L
5	Slew’s Tizzy	Bejarano R	126	L
6	Hard Spun	Gomez G K	126	L
7	Rags to Riches	Velazquez J R	121	L