Epicharis, who had been dubbed the "Japanese Invader", arrived in NY on June 1 after race organizers offered his owners a win bonus of $1 million in addition to the usual prize of $800,000, but Epicharis' withdrawal earlier this morning due to lameness in his front right hoof ends their chances at a cool $1.8 million payday.
As the field rounded out of the last turn for the home stretch, Meantime faded quickly, which allowed Irish War Cry to break free, but Tapwrit found another gear, gave chase, and ran him down to take the Belmont by two lengths.
Tapwrit finished sixth in the Derby after encountering early trouble, but Pletcher felt it was "a sneaky good" race.
Neither Always Dreaming nor the 2017 Preakness victor Cloud Computing were in the field for Saturday's Belmont Stakes, the mile-and-a-half race proven to be the toughest Triple Crown event, and one of the most grueling in the sport.
He said his top value pick is Senior Investment, who has 7 -1 odds. Pletcher also uses Javier Castellano, who won the Preakness aboard Cloud Computing for trainer Chad Brown.
Tapwrit, left, and Irish War Cry race to the finish during the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 10, 2017, in Elmont, N.Y. Tapwrit won the race. He's at +550 on the 2017 Belmont Stakes odds after finishing second in the Derby as a long shot and fourth in the Preakness. They had the right running styles, the right dispositions, the right pedigrees. His winning time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2 minutes, 30.02 seconds.
"It's our home base and I think that's always an advantage", said Pletcher.
J Boys Echo is one of five Belmont runners who skipped the Preakness after running in the Derby, a route taken a year ago by Belmont victor Creator. The winner's dam, victress of the 2007 GI Spinaway S., sold for $1.1 million at the same year's Fasig-Tipton Fall sale.
Friends, family to farewell Otto Warmbier
A crowd of some 2,000 people filled a high school auditorium in Otto Warmbier's hometown of OH to celebrate his life. But doctors in Cincinnati said there were no signs of infection when he returned to America.
The win became his trainer's third victor of the race after Rags To Riches (2007) and Palace Malice (2012).
Pletcher thus took two of the three 2017 Triple Crown races, having saddled Always Dreaming to victory in the Derby. "I knew I had him when I passed the eighth pole". "I don't think it would be a surprise if either of them ran well". So, that leaves Irish War Cry as the favorite for the Belmont Stakes.
Tapwrit (+750), ridden by Jose Ortiz, will be coming in relatively fresh and is capable of being up with the lead pack down the stretch drive. "I hit my horse left-handed, and he really laid down, and he started running".
"I'm hoping for a good result because he's getting good support from Japan, the horsemen, and the other connections, so I'm sure that Japan is hoping for a good result", he said.
Trainer Kenny McPeek was on hand Monday morning at Belmont Park as Fern Circle Stable's Grade 3 Lexington victor Senior Investment got back to the track following a routine walk day on Sunday.
"The mile and a half should help him and hopefully we're going to see the best of him", Romans said.
The one-eyed Patch (12/1) finished a distant third in the 11-horse field at Belmont Park.
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