Top pick: #6 (Mo Donegal) (5-2) - Getting position No. 1 at the Kentucky Derby worked against this horse, setting him back for the rest of the race before finishing fifth. However, this three-year-old is rested after skipping the Preakness, and this year has had a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, plus a BRIS Speed Rating at 111. He finished first in three of five races along with a third-place run at the Holy Bull and a victory in New York's top Kentucky Derby prep race, the Wood Memorial. In last year's Belmont Stakes, Essential Quality won after skipping the Preakness Stakes. Mo Donegal has experience on this track, too, including finishing first last year in a Maiden Weight at 1 1/6-mile.
2nd pick: #4 (Rich Strike) (7-2) - All eyes will be on Rich Strike after winning the Kentucky Derby then skipping the Preakness to rest for this one. Despite shocking the racing world at 80-1, this colt has finished in the top three in five of seven races, and he won the Derby with a Beyer Speed figure of 102, a whopping 18-point improvement, showcasing that a late burst was not a problem for the Derby's 1 1/4-mile, and this one's a quarter-mile more.
3rd pick: #5 (Creative Minister) (6-1) - Creative Minister had an impressive stakes debut at the Preakness, rallying for a third-place finish at 10-to-1 with a career-best 100 Beyer Speed. He finished just behind 6-to-5 favorite Epicenter, holding position well by 2 3/4 lengths over returning Belmont Stakes rival Skippylongstocking. This speedy three-year old has finished third, first, and first in three straight races.
4th pick: #8 (Barber Road) (10-1) - The long distance of the Belmont Stakes fits well with this horse's style. Barber Road started off slow through the first quarter-mile at the Kentucky Derby, then raced wide in the stretch, and finished sixth. In nine races, this horse has two victories and four second-place finishes, including two races ago at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. For this race, Barber Road will be ridden by jockey Joel Rosario, a two-time Belmont-winner.