Mo Donegal was the winner of Belmont Stakes 154, the third race in the Triple Crown series at Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y.
Mo Donegal was won by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., marking the fourth victory at Belmont for Todd Pletcher. It was also the first win for Mike Repole (one of the owners of Nest and Mo Donegal), who finished second.
After Mo Donegal’s win, Repole stated that “This is a dream” he had been living for 40 years.
Mo Donegal and We The People were the top three contenders entering the race.
The Triple Crown series for 3-year old thoroughbreds began on May 7. There was a lot of excitement when Rich Strike, a last-minute addition, pulled off the second largest upset in Kentucky Derby history. He won despite being backed by 80-1 odds.
After that huge win, Rich Strike’s owner Rick Dawson stated that the horse would not race at the Preakness Stakes. This means the horse will miss the chance to win the Triple Crown title. The goal is to win in Elmont.
But it was not to be: Rich Strike finished sixth on Saturday.
The training of Early Voting who won the Preakness Stakes at Baltimore, Md. on May 21 was also dependent upon rest. The horse didn’t run at the Kentucky Derby nor at Belmont. According to The Associated Press, the team chose to rest more before the summer races in preparation for the Travers Stakes.
The Belmont Stakes, which has a distance of one mile and a half, is also known as “The Test of the Champion.” It is the longest Triple Crown race and only eight horses are involved.
Mo Donegal was fifth in the Kentucky Derby, but he did not race in the Preakness Stakes.
