The final leg of the Triple Crown in 2024 will take place on Saturday, June 8, as the talented three-year-old runners in the United States compete at Saratoga in the Belmont Stakes.
It will be the first time since 1967 that the final leg of the Triple Crown has been staged away from Belmont Park, with the Spa picking up the next two editions of the race due to ongoing renovation work at the original home of the final race in the series.
Therefore, the race in 2024 will have a different feel, with a distance of 1 ¼ miles, which is shorter than the usual trip of 1 ½ miles. But who is currently among the leading contenders to win the final leg of the Triple Crown this year?
Mystik Dan
Kenneth McPeek has been very open about the path for his star performer Mystik Dan throughout the season and has yet to rule out a run in the Belmont Stakes. The three-year-old produced a stunning run to win the G3 Southwest Stakes in February before only finishing third behind Muth in the G1 Arkansas Derby.
However, a mighty step up in performance followed at Churchill Downs when he beat Sierra Leone by a nose to claim success in the Kentucky Derby. But, he wasn’t able to follow up on that success after being beaten by over two lengths by Seize The Grey in the Preakness Stakes in mid-May.
Find more information on how to bet on Mystik Dan here: twinspires.com/belmont-stakes/betting/
Seize The Grey
D. Wayne Lukas revealed earlier this week that Seize The Grey will take his chance in the Belmont Stakes this year. The Hall of Famer has won the final leg of the Triple Crown on four previous occasions, with his most recent success coming in 2000 with Commendable.
Seize The Grey could have an excellent chance of improving that record after producing a stunning effort to beat Mystik Dan in the Preakness on his latest outing. That was a second straight win in stakes company for the three-year-old after winning the G2 Pat Day Mile by over a length on the Derby undercard in May. But, the distance of the Belmont Stakes could be a slight concern.
Fierceness
Todd Pletcher had huge hopes for Fierceness this year as the runner looked to build on a dominant two-year-old season, which included a stunning victory in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. However, he was underwhelming on his return in February when he was only third in the G3 Holy Bull.
Still, he retains plenty of natural ability, and that was evident in the G1 Florida Derby when producing a stunning speed rating to finish 13 lengths clear of Catalytic. Things didn’t exactly go to plan at Churchill Downs for the pre-Derby favorite, as he could only finish 15th and 25 lengths behind Mystik Dan. But a return to his very best form certainly puts this three-year-old back in the conversation to win a Triple Crown race.
Sierra Leone
Chad Brown has come close to adding to his tally of Triple Crown winners in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes already this season, and he will have another leading fancy in the Belmont Stakes in June. Sierra Leone is rightly regarded as one of the best three-year-old runners in the U.S. this season, and he is yet to finish outside of the first two in five career starts.
He was unfortunate when finishing second in the Derby at the start of May, and would have likely passed Mystik Dan with a few more strides. His form in the book remains exceptionally strong, having previously landed the G1 Blue Grass and G2 Risen Star this year. Another bold bid is incredibly likely from this consistent runner at Saratoga.
Antiquarian
A progressive rival that could be set to throw down a fascinating challenge to the market principles in the Belmont Stakes this year could come in the form of Todd Pletcher-trained Antiquarian. The Peter Pan Stakes has been a tried route to the Belmont Stakes in recent years, with Arcangelo winning the traditional prep race before landing Triple Crown success in 2023. That makes the Pletcher runner a standout chance on trends alone, and it is worth mentioning that this year’s winner of the Grade 3 ranked very closely with Arcangelo based on speed ratings.
The three-year-old finished just under a length clear of The Wine Steward, and battled well in the final stages to get to the line. That was his second career victory in four starts, and he progressed well from his finish in the G2 Louisiana Derby when finishing outside of the places. This stamina test of the Belmont Stakes is likely to bring out further improvement, and he is one that could be overlooked in the betting at Saratoga this year.
