Wed Jun 6 17:10:58 2007

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Curlin and Hard Spun top Belmont Stakes field

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Elmont, NY (Sports Network) - Preakness Stakes winner Curlin has been made the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday's 139th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. The $1 million race is the final event in racing's Triple Crown.

A total of seven three-year-olds have been entered for the 1 1/2-mile marathon, including filly Rags to Riches. Missing from the field is Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. He is being rested with the Travers Stakes the goal in August.

Curlin comes into the Belmont Stakes with four wins in five career starts, all this year. The colt, trained by Steve Asmussen, will start from post three with Robby Albarado again in the saddle.

"It's a great opportunity at a classic. It's a very grand stage," said Asmussen. "It's very exciting, especially coming off the Preakness and that victory so fresh in our minds."

Curlin is owned by Stonestreet Stables, Padua Stables, George Bolton and Midnight Cry Stables. He has earnings of better than $1.6 million, which includes a win in the Arkansas Derby and a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

"He's a special horse to be around," said assistant trainer Scott Blasi. "Anytime you grow up in racing, this is the level you want to get to. With each race he's gotten stronger and better."

Hard Spun, second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness, is the 5-2 second choice in the morning line with a new rider set for Saturday. This year's leading jockey, Garrett Gomez, has picked up the mount from Mario Pino. Gomez and Hard Spun will break from post six.

"We've got a guy on him who should know what it takes to get it done," said trainer Larry Jones. "I hated to change from Mario, but we felt that we needed to do something, so we did -- good, bad or indifferent."

Owned by Rick Porter, Hard Spun has earned almost $1 million in his career. Undefeated as a two-year-old, Hard Spun has won two of five starts this year, capturing the Lane's End and Lecomte Stakes, for $882,500.

Hard Spun set the pace in the Kentucky Derby and had the lead in the Preakness coming off the final turn. Jones is looking for something different in the Belmont.

"It's a different distance and there's going to be a different pace scenario," Jones said. "We can't keep going out there the way we've been going. We've got to catch a little softer pace, but you expect that here. Nobody's going to want to be rolling out there in a 1 1/2 mile race."

Leading filly Rags to Riches becomes the first female to start in the Belmont Stakes since Silverbulletday in 1999. She will attempt to become the third filly to win the Belmont, following Ruthless in 1867 and Tanya in 1905.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rags to Riches is 3-1 in the program and will start from the outside post with John Velazquez riding.

"What we have to gain is, it hasn't really been done in modern times," Pletcher said. "She's sort of accomplished everything a three-year-old filly could accomplish. From a historical perspective, it would place her at the highest level. Arguably, she's got the best pedigree for this race and for any horse you could ever have. She's by a Belmont winner out of a Belmont producer and this isn't a 20-horse field like the Derby."

Rags to Riches, who was sired by 1992 Belmont winner A.P. Indy, is owned by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, and is undefeated this year in four starts. She won the Kentucky Oaks in her last start at Churchill Downs. Earlier this year Rags to Riches won the Santa Anita Oaks and the Las Virgenes Stakes. In five career starts she has earned $692,528.

Imawildandcrazyguy, fourth in the Kentucky Derby, will start from the inside post. Mark Guidry is back to ride the gelding at odds of 20-1 in the morning line.

Santa Anita Derby winner Tiago will break from the two-hole with Mike Smith in the saddle. Tiago, a half-brother to 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, is 10-1 in the program.

C P West, fourth in the Preakness, is 12-1 in the program and will ridden by Edgar Prado from post four.

Lone Star Derby winner Slew's Tizzy will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano from post five. Slew's Tizzy is 20-1 in the morning line.

The Belmont Stakes will be televised on ABC with post-time scheduled for 6:25 p.m. (et).

The post-time temperature will be around 80 degrees with sunny skies.