Irish war cry returns as Belmont favorite after skipping preakness

Saturday’s 149th running of the Belmont Stakes will certainly lack intrigue considering both horses who won the first two legs of the Triple Crown will not be competing. However, that has put Irish War Cry in a favorable position as +300 chalk in a 12-horse field, with only one entering all three Triple Crown races.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Lookin At Lee is the lone horse in the Belmont who has previously ran in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and he is listed as the +550 third choice behind Irish War Cry and Epicharis (+350). After finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness, Lookin At Lee is still searching for his first victory of the year.

Epicharis is coming over from Japan to run his first Triple Crown race following an impressive run that has seen him win three of his last four races by a combined 25 lengths and finish second in the other one. He was eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby after winning the Hyacinth Stakes but decided to rest up for the Belmont instead.