2011 Belmont Stakes
The 2011 Belmont Stakes was the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes and was won by Ruler on Ice. The race was run on June 11, 2011, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The post time was 6:30 p.m. EDT (10:30 p.m. UTC). As in the previous year, the Belmont (the final jewel in the Triple Crown) was run without the elusive championship at stake as 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom lost in the Preakness.[1]
| Belmont Stakes | |
 "The Test of the Champion" | |
| Location | Belmont Park Elmont, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Date | June 11, 2011 |
| Distance | 1 1⁄2 mi (12 furlongs; 2,414 m) |
| Winning horse | Ruler on Ice |
| Winning time | 2:30.88 |
| Jockey | Jose Valdivia, Jr. |
| Trainer | Kelly J. Breen |
| Owner | George and Lori Hall |
| Conditions | Sloppy |
| Surface | Dirt |
Favorite Animal Kingdom lost his footing at the start and could only muster sixth; Ruler On Ice, with jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., sprinted to the finish ahead of Stay Thirsty.[2]
Race
Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford both competed in the race, which was the first clash at the Belmont between winners of the first two classics since Afleet Alex scored over Giacomo in 2005.[1]
Animal Kingdom attempted to become the 12th horse to complete a Derby-Belmont double,[3] last accomplished by Thunder Gulch in 1995. Animal Kingdom suffered from a bad start and clipped heels with another horse (not identified by his jockey) and was the last horse for the first quarter of the race, but was able to recover and finished in 6th place. Shackleford finished in 5th place after leading for most of the race before the final stretch.
Other starters were Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Nehro and Mucho Macho Man, 3rd in the Derby and 6th in the Preakness. Other Derby contenders Master of Hounds (5th) and Santiva (6th) also ran.[3]
Field
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom was installed as the 2–1 early line favorite.[4] For the first time, the first seven finishers from the Derby ran in the Belmont.[4]
| Finish | Post | Horse name | Trainer | Jockey | Opening odds (to 1) | Final odds | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Ruler on Ice | Kelly J. Breen | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | 20–1 | 24 | $600,000 |
| 2 | 2 | Stay Thirsty | Todd Pletcher | Javier Castellano | 20–1 | 15 | $200,000 |
| 3 | 5 | Brilliant Speed | Thomas Albertrani | Joel Rosario | 15–1 | 10 | $110,000 |
| 4 | 6 | Nehro | Steve Asmussen | Corey Nakatani | 4–1 | 9–2 | $60,000 |
| 5 | 12 | Shackleford | Dale Romans | Jesus Castanon | 9–2 | 10 | $30,000 |
| 6 | 9 | Animal Kingdom | H. Graham Motion | John R. Velazquez | 2–1 | 5–2 | |
| 7 | 10 | Mucho Macho Man | Katherine Ritvo | Ramon Dominguez | 10–1 | 7 | |
| 8 | 4 | Santiva | Eddie Kenneally | Shaun Bridgmohan | 15–1 | 13 | |
| 9 | 7 | Monzon | Ignacio Correas IV | Jose Lezcano | 30–1 | 26 | |
| 10 | 1 | Master of Hounds | Aidan O'Brien | Garrett K. Gomez | 10–1 | 5 | |
| 11 | 8 | Prime Cut | Neil J. Howard | Edgar Prado | 15–1 | 20 | |
| 12 | 11 | Isn't He Perfect | Doodnauth Shivmangal | Rajiv Maragh | 30–1 | 28 |
- Margins – 3⁄4 length, 1 1⁄2 lengths
- Time – 2:30:88
- Track – Sloppy (sealed)
Payout
The Belmont Stakes Payout Schedule
| Program Number |
Horse Name |
Win |
Place |
Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ruler on Ice | $51.50 | $26.00 | $13.60 |
| 2 | Stay Thirsty | - | $19.40 | $10.80 |
| 5 | Brilliant Speed | - | - | $7.90 |
- $2 Exacta: 3-2 paid $928.00[5]
- $2 Trifecta: 3-2-5 paid $8,268.00[5]
- $2 Superfecta: 3-2-5-6 paid $74,052.00[5]
See also
References
- Lowe, Jeff (May 26, 2011). "Road to the Triple Crown: Another big bunch for Belmont". Thoroughbred Times. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- "Belmont Stakes longshot Ruler on Ice pulls the upset as favorites falter in final stretch". NY Daily News. June 11, 2011.
- "Animal Kingdom will race Belmont, hoping to add to Kentucky Derby victory". The Associated Press. NJ Times. May 27, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
- Rosenblatt, Richard (June 8, 2011). "Derby winner Animal Kingdom favorite for Belmont". The Associated Press. yahoo. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- "11th Race, Belmont, June 1, 2011" (PDF). Daily Racing Form. June 1, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 13, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2011.