NEW YORK — The rubber match is on: Preakness winner Shackleford is ready to take on Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom in next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
Shackleford passed his final test Saturday morning with a sharp 5-furlong workout at Belmont Park.
“As long as he comes out of the work good, he will run,” trainer Dale Romans said after talking it over with the colt’s owner, Michael Lauffer. “I am excited he’s doing so well and coming into the race the right way. I think he’s going to be very competitive.”
It will be the first time the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners hook up in the Belmont since 2005, when Preakness winner Afleet Alex beat Derby winner Giacomo, and the 22nd time in the history of the Triple Crown races.
Shackleford, with exercise rider Tammy Fox aboard, covered 5 furlongs in 1:00.30 on a warm, overcast day.
“I wanted to see him work his normal work, and he did,” Romans said. “I thought he went around there really well and it looked like he did everything the way he was supposed to.”
Shackleford had the lead in the stretch at the Derby before finishing fourth. Animal Kingdom came close in the Preakness, finishing half a length behind in second place.
NYRA oddsmaker Eric Donovan is still toying with the morning line, although Animal Kingdom seems the likely favorite when the post positions and odds are announced Wednesday.
“My guess now is Animal Kingdom, with Shackleford a close second choice, followed by Nehro a few ticks higher, maybe 2-1, 5-2 and 4- or 5-1 on those three, respectively,” Donovan said. “I’d imagine a lot of people think that since Animal Kingdom won the 1 1/4-mile Derby and came up a bit short in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness that the 1 1/2-mile Belmont would suit him better than Shackleford.”
The final leg of the Triple Crown is shaping up to be much more than a two-horse race. The field could be as large as 14 — which would equal the second-largest in race history.
