Order This Photo
With a little more than $39,000 wagered in advance in the win pool on the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Union Rags was a slight favorite over Dullahan early June 9.
A total $10,670 had been wagered on Union Rags to win, with $10,468 in the win pool for Dullahan, who was made the revised 5-2 morning line favorite following the stunning withdrawal of Triple Crown contender I'll Have Another June 8 due to an injury.
The early odds, (with revised morning lines):
1--Street Life, 8-1 (8-1)
2--Unstoppable U, 13-1 (20-1)
3--Union Rags , 2-1 (3-1)
4--Atigun, 30-1 (15-1)
5--Dullahan, 2-1 (5-2)
6--Ravelo's Boy, 29-1 (30-1)
7--Five Sixteen, 16-1 (30-1)
8--Guyana Star Dweej, 29-1 (30-1)
9--Paynter , 6-1 (7-2)
10--Optimizer, 21-1 ( 15-1)
11--I'll Have Another --scratched
12--My Adonis, 21-1 (15-1)
Meanwhile, the pleasant weather in Elmont, N. Y. during Belmont week is about to take a sudden turn for the worse.
Morning sun had already given way to a cloud cover by 8:30 a.m. EDT, with showers forecast for the area by 11 a.m. Scattered showers, with a 40% chance of precipitation, is forecast throughout the remainder of the Belmont day, with a greater chance of thunderstorms after 3 p.m.
On the backside, Belmont day was very quiet with only a few Belmont horses going to the track for light exercise before training ended at 8 a.m. Among those who did go out were Union Rags and Optimizer.
