Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, overtaking favorite Irish War Cry to win the final of 2017's Triple Crown races.

Patch, a one-eyed horse, finished third, with Gormley fourth.

Tapwrit had finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby on May 6 and did not run in the Preakness.

Tapwrit becomes the third Belmont winner in the past four races who is a son of Tapit. Tapit's sons Tonalist won the Belmont in 2014 and Creator won last year's race. The only break in Tapit's recent success as a Belmont sire is American Pharoah, who won the Belmont in 2015 to become the first Triple Crown champion since 1978.

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Tapwrit is overtaking Irish War Cry. Looks like another favorite is going down in the Belmont Stakes.

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It's a two-horse race with Irish War Cry and Tapwrit, with Gormley and Patch the only horses in the picture, but too far back to challenge.

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Heading into the stretch, Irish War Cry has the lead, with Tapwrit in pursuit.

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At the mile mark - in 1:38.95 - Irish War Cry has started to pull away.

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Halfway through the race, it's still Irish War Cry and Meantime. They've gone three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.01.

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The first half-mile went by in 48.66 seconds with Irish War Cry and Meantime still out front.

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The first quarter was 23.88, a pretty fast pace, with Irish War Cry and Meantime setting the pace.

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A clean start for all the horses.

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The 11 horses are in the starting gate and ready to break in the 149th Belmont Stakes. The winner will be draped with white carnations, following the roses of the Kentucky Derby and the black-eyed susans of the Preakness Stakes.

Irish War Cry is going off as the favorite with bettors at his lowest odds of the date. He's dropped to 3-1 from 7-2 over the past half-hour.

Hollywood Handsome will be the long shot at 21-1, a jump from 18-1.

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Singer and songwriter Andy Grammer gave the "Riders, up!" command, and the horses are headed for the post parade.

The horses are facing a 1.5-mile trip over the big curves of Belmont Park, nicknamed "The Big Sandy" because of the consistency of its racing surface. The track is covered by dirt that's a mixture of 88 percent sand, 7 percent silt and 5 percent clay.

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The winner's share of the $1.5 million purse is $800,000. The NBC Sports race simulation had Irish War Cry taking home the money, sweeping past expected early leader Meantime to win.

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The 11 horses in the field for the Belmont Stakes are on their way to be saddled.

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Belmont Park's big day of racing has reached the point where the Belmont Stakes is next on the card.

In the race preceding the Belmont Stakes, 27-1 long shot Ascend won the Woodford Reserve Manhattan. Ascend was trained by Graham Motion, who is the trainer for Belmont Stakes favorite Irish War Cry. Of course, it could portend something for Jose Ortiz, too. The Manhattan's winning jockey is on Tapwrit for the Belmont.

AL.com readers like Tapwrit

Tapwrit was the favorite of voters in an AL.com readers poll to pick the winner of the 149th Belmont Stakes. Tapwrit received 20.75 percent of votes to outdistance Irish War Cry.

Irish War Cry has been the favorite with bettors to win Saturday's race, but the colt garnered 18.11 percent of the vote to come in as runner-up to Tapwrit.

Only one other horse received more than 8 percent of the votes - Gormley at 13.21 percent.

At the Belmont today

Trainer Todd Pletcher had this year's Triple Crown hopeful when Always Dreaming won the Kentucky Derby on May 6. But Always Dreaming isn't Pletcher's entry in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

The 149th Belmont Stakes has a scheduled post time of 5:37 p.m. CDT Saturday. NBC will televise the race.

The 11-horse field doesn't include Always Dreaming after the Kentucky Derby winner threw out the anchor during the Preakness Stakes and dropped to an eight-place finisher.

Cloud Computing, one of the horses that ran past Always Dreaming at Pimlico, won the Preakness Stakes. But he's not at the Belmont either.

Classic Empire, the nation's top 2-year-old in 2016, and Epicharis, who came from Japan to run in the Belmont, aren't in Saturday's race either after injuries changed the plans for them.

That has made for a wide-open race, one in which Irish War Cry, which finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby, has been tabbed as the favorite to put a victory in an American classic on his racing resume.

Pletcher already has two Belmont winners - Rags to Riches in 2007 and Palace Malice in 2013 - and is still in this year's race. He has Tapwrit and Patch ready to run at Belmont Park. Tapwrit finished sixth and Patch 14th in the Kentucky Derby. Neither ran in the Preakness.

Two of the previous three Belmont winners have been sons of Tapit, who also sired Tapwrit.

"I think he ran a sneaky good race in the Derby," Pletcher said of Tapwrit. "I don't think it would be a surprise if either of them ran well."

Irish War Cry also skipped the Preakness after the Kentucky Derby, as did Gormley and J Boys Echo. Gormley finished ninth and J Boys Echo finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby.

Lookin At Lee will be the only horse to campaign in all the Triple Crown races this season. The colt finished second in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness.

Two of the Belmont horses ran in the Preakness, but not the Kentucky Derby. Senior Investment came in third and Multiplier finished sixth in the Preakness.

The other three horses in the race are making their Triple Crown debuts on Saturday. Twisted Tom enters Belmont with three straight victories, Hollywood Handsome probably will go off as the long shot and Meantime has been tabbed as the "speed" horse in a race that seems to be any horse's to win.

At a rare and demanding 1.5 miles, the Belmont always is that way deep down, but usually there's a horse or two that should inspire confidence at the surface - false as it has proven to be. The post-time favorite has won twice in the past 20 years - Point Given in 2001 and American Pharoah in 2015 - and has finished out of the money in six of the previous nine Belmonts.

"This thing is wide open, completely wide open," said Ken McPeek, who has trained Senior Investment for Saturday's race. "It will be interesting to see it unfold."

Only 1 of the last 9 Belmont Stakes winners was the betting favorite ahead of the race - American Pharaoh in 2015.#BelmontStakes pic.twitter.com/qPNBVuXTXl — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 10, 2017

McPeek ought to know something about wide-open Belmonts since he trained Sarava, which won the race as a 70-1 long shot in 2002.

The horses will break from these post positions:

1. Twisted Tom

2. Tapwrit

3. Gormley

4. J Boys Echo

5. Hollywood Handsome

6. Lookin At Lee

7. Irish War Cry

8. Senior Investment

9. Meantime

10. Multiplier

11. Patch

The Bobby Flay effect

Celebrity chef Bobby Flay purchased 25 percent of Belmont contender J Boys Echo this week.

This can be seen as only a good omen by the colt's handlers. Last year, Flay brought a minority stake in Creator in the days before the Belmont Stakes, and the colt won the race after finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby.

"He called on Sunday, and (trainer) Dale (Romans) called me," said Jason Loutsch of Albaugh Family Stable, "and we thought about it for a day and said, 'Hey, let's hope that lightning strikes twice.

"The horse is doing good, and we feel there is no real downside to doing this. Bobby is a guy who has had some luck, and, hopefully, everything works out well."

'He's moving like a tremendous machine"

The 149th Belmont Stakes comes one day past the 44th anniversary of the most remarkable performance in the race's history. Secretariat ran away with the Belmont Stakes on June 9, 1973, setting a still-standing dirt-track record by covering a mile and a half in 2 minutes, 24 seconds to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation in 1948.

Secretariat's 31-length margin of victory also remains a Belmont record.

Like father, like son?

A few extra dollars might be bet on Patch on Saturday than the colt's record might warrant. That's because Patch usually draws some extra support as he gamely races without a left eye.

Before Patch had ever raced last year, handlers arrived one morning to find his left eye swollen and teary. Two weeks of treatment failed to clear up the inflammation, leading to the decision to remove the eye.

Patch has raced only four times, with one victory. He's coming off a 14th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Patch earned his Derby spot with a second-place showing in the Louisiana Derby on April 1.

"Tough assignment for him -- a lightly raced horse and draws the far outside post," trainer Todd Pletcher said of Patch's Kentucky Derby experience. "He got a decent trip out of it. I don't think he relished the sloppy track."

Patch broke from Gate 20 in the Kentucky Derby, and he also drew the outside gate for the Belmont, but that will be Post 11.

Patch's father, Union Rags, won the 2012 Belmont, and his mother's father, A.P. Indy, won the 1992 Belmont.

"There's a lot of pedigree there to suggest that he's bred to get the mile and a half," Pletcher said, "and I think his style should fit the race well."</s>Place your bets! The final leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing, the Belmont Stakes, is set to run in New York at 6:37pm EST on Saturday, June 10th and Irish War Cry is the current favorite. Keep reading to learn how to watch the big race online here!

The 12 horse field for the 149th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, will not include the winner of the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness as both horses, Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing have been scratched. The opening favorite for the race, Classic Empire, is also a late scratch leaving room for Irish War Cry to emerge as the post time favorite. The would-be-favorite, Classic Empire, will not make the post due to an abscess in his right front hoof leaving room for Lookin At Lee, the only horse to run all 3 legs of the 2017 Triple Crown, to have a good shot at winning the Belmont.

The horse with one eye, aptly named Patch, is also catching buzz as being capable of getting across the finish line first during a year when the Belmont is deep with talent. Epicharis, Tapwrit, Gormley and Twisted Tom all look to be competitive out of the gates on race day which is expected to be partly cloudy and warm. Let’s take a look at some of the jockey’s looking to get the big win.

The 2016 Belmont Stakes winner, Irad Ortiz Jr., will be riding on Lookin At Lee and with at 5-1 opening odds, Irad looks to be in good position to repeat as winner. Looking for his first major win is french jockey Florent Geroux who will be racing with 30-1 longshot Hollywood Handsome. Oh, and Mike Smith, on Meantime, is looking for his 3rd big win at Belmont. Good luck to everyone in the big race!

Horse racing fans, who subscribe to cable, can WATCH THE BELMONT STAKES LIVE STREAM HERE via NBC Sports, are inputting your cable information. Enjoy the race fans!

HollywoodLifers, who will you be rooting for in the 2017 Belmont Stakes? Do you think a long shot can beat out the tough field or will Irish War Cry get the job done? Let us know who you think will win the big race!</s>Tapwrit is the winner of the 2017 Belmont Stakes, finishing first out of a field of 12 to take home the victory.

After pulling away from Irish War Cry, who led the race nearly rail to rail, Tapwrit won the final stretch and gained separation for the win. Jose Ortiz rode the horse to victory. Patch and Gormley finished third and fourth, respectively. Tapwrit had 5–1 odds to win.

Irish War Cry entered the race as the favorite, after Classic Empire was an early scratch with a foot injury.

The 149th running of the Stakes did not feature Triple Crown intrigue, with Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming losing at the Preakness Stakes. Always Dreaming and Preakness champion Cloud Computing did not compete at the Belmont.</s>Belmont Stakes hopeful Epicharis walks in his barn at Belmont Park, Friday, June 9, 2017, in Elmont, N.Y. Epicharis, is expected to run in 149th Belmont Stakes horse race on Saturday. (AP Photo Peter Morgan)

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Belmont Stakes is down to 11 horses after Epicharis was scratched by a veterinarian.

The Japanese horse was scratched Saturday morning, about 9+ hours before the $1.5 million race is run at Belmont Park.

Martin Panza of the New York Racing Association says Epicharis wasn't ready to run three days after the colt was treated for lameness in his right front hoof. The horse's Japanese connections had hoped he would still make the race, but Epicharis had not been sent out to train since Tuesday.

A pre-race exam on Saturday morning revealed heat in Epicharis' hoof. The exam is required for all starters in the Belmont.

Irish War Cry is the early 7-2 favorite for the final leg of the Triple Crown series.</s>Belmont Stakes 2017 Live Results, Analysis and Highlights From New York

4:30 p.m. ET: Well, horse racing fans, the final leg of the Triple Crown almost is here.

For the second year in a row, no horse will have a chance at the prestigious Triple Crown at the 2017 Belmont Stakes. But there’s still plenty to watch for Saturday in New York.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winners — Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing, respectively — both won’t race, and early favorite Classic Empire also is out due to a foot injury. So, that leaves Irish War Cry as the favorite for the Belmont Stakes.

Follow the action at the Belmont Stakes with our live blog. We’ll provide highlights and results. The post time is set for 6:37 p.m.</s>Tapwrit and jockey Jose Ortiz closed the book on the 2017 Triple Crown with a victory Saturday in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Race favorite Irish War Cry looked poised to win coming around the last turn. He owned a somewhat healthy lead and appeared in a strong position to remain in first down the final stretch.

Tapwrit was the only horse who remained within striking distance. Ortiz made sure not to push the colt too hard until absolutely necessary, and as he neared the finish line, Tapwrit surged ahead of Irish War Cry. Irish War Cry briefly ran neck and neck with Tapwrit before falling slightly behind.

ESPN.com's Lane Gold noted Ortiz's brother, Irad, prevailed in last year's Belmont Stakes, while Tapwrit is part of an increasingly successful bloodline at Belmont Park, per At the Races

ESPN's Jeannine Edwards tweeted that it has been a good Triple Crown for trainer Todd Pletcher:

The Triple Crown can be a physically taxing pursuit for the horses who take part in each of the three races. Daily Racing Form's Jay Privman tweeted that skipping the Preakness Stakes has been a fruitful strategy in preparation for Belmont:

One question coming into the weekend was whether the race could overcome a number of notable absences, in addition to the general disappointment created by Always Dreaming's eighth-place finish at the Preakness Stakes. The Belmont loses luster when the Triple Crown isn't at stake.

Shortly after the Preakness Stakes, the trainers for Always Dreaming and Preakness winner Cloud Computing eliminated the possibility they'd run at Belmont Park. A hoof abscess kept Classic Empire out of the Belmont field as well.

Now, with the Triple Crown concluded, the focus of the horse racing world will shift to the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 4 in Del Mar, California. In last year's Classic, Arrogate surged ahead of California Chrome in the final stretch to prevail.

Always Dreaming and Cloud Computing should be among the contenders this year, and Classic Empire's hoof presumably won't be a problem five months from now.

The Breeders' Cup Classic will also provide a chance for Tapwrit to compete against the best in the world—something he wasn't afforded Saturday through circumstances beyond his control.

In 2016, the Classic awarded Arrogate's owners $3.3 million of a $6 million purse.</s>The 149th running of the Belmont Stakes – the third jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown -- is set for Saturday.

The race, known as the “test of champions,” is the oldest of the three races that make up the Triple Crown.

There is no run for the Triple Crown this year. In fact, neither the winner of the Kentucky Derby nor the winner of the Preakness is running in the race.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2017 Belmont Stakes.

When is the 2017 Belmont Stakes?

The race is on Saturday, June 10.

Where is it run?

The Belmont Stakes is held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

How long is the track?

The track at Belmont is 1 ½ miles long.

Who runs in it?

The race is open to 3-year-old thoroughbreds.

What time is the Belmont Stakes?

The race is scheduled to start at 6:50 p.m., ET. Pre-race coverage starts at 5 p.m. ET.

What channel is it on?

NBC is broadcasting the race. You can find your NBC channel by clicking here.

Here are the post positions for the 2017 Belmont Stakes

What are the odds?

As of Thursday, here are the odds on the race.</s>Tapwrit, ridden by Jose Ortiz, on Saturday won the Belmont Stakes, the third contest in horse racing’s Triple Crown.

For Todd Pletcher, thoroughbred racing’s seven-time trainer of the year, it was the second Triple Crown victory of the season. Another of his horses, Always Dreaming, took the Kentucky Derby in May but didn’t race Saturday in the 1-1/2 mile event.

Neither was Cloud Computing, which won the Preakness three weeks ago.

Ortiz made it two consecutive Belmont triumphs for his family. Brother Irad Ortiz Jr rode Creator to an upset win last year.

Jose Ortiz said the difference between the Belmont and the Kentucky Derby, in which Tapwrit was sixth, was the longer distance Saturday.

“I was sure that he could handle it. Great training job by Todd,” Ortiz told race broadcaster NBC.

Irish War Cry, which led most of the race, finished second by two lengths after being passed in the home stretch. The winning time was 2:30.02, six seconds off the record set by Secretariat in 1973.

“That last sixteenth (of a mile) Tapwrit really dug down deep,” Pletcher said.

The race was held in Elmont, New York, at Belmont Park, Tapwrit’s home base.

“That’s always an advantage,” Pletcher said. “And we felt like with the five weeks in between (the Derby and the Belmont), and the way this horse had trained he had a legitimate chance.”</s>REUTERS: Japanese horse Epicharis has been scratched from Saturday's Belmont Stakes after an examination revealed continued inflammation in his right front hoof, race officials said.

Epicharis, the second choice in the race, would have been eligible for a US$1 million bonus from the New York Racing Association (NYRA) if he had won.

The bonus was offered to any Japan-based horse in an attempt to attract them to the race.

"He had an increased pulse in his foot... Just wasn't sound," NYRA equine medical director Scott Palmer told reporters.

"In a week maybe he could be ready, but we ran out of time."

Epicharis had been treated for lameness on Wednesday and had not worked out for three days.

The withdrawal left the Belmont Stakes, the third leg in the U.S. Triple Crown, with only 11 horses in the field.

The race was already missing Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and Preakness champion Cloud Computing.</s>NEW YORK — This year’s topsy-turvy Triple Crown trail comes to an end in a Belmont Stakes without the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners or the expected favorite who dropped out. It does come with questions about a Japanese horse with a sore foot.

No horse has dominated the 3-year-old ranks so far, leaving the 1+-mile Belmont up for grabs among 12 horses that on Saturday will run the longest race of their lives.

The 7-2 early favorite Irish War Cry is only in the Belmont after trainer Graham Motion licked his wounds from the colt’s 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago.

“When you get beaten as one of the favorites in the Derby, it’s pretty discouraging and you just want to put it behind you,” he said. “My horse is doing well. As long as he’s doing well, he deserved a chance.”

Irish War Cry inherited the role of favorite after Classic Empire was forced out earlier in the week with an abscess in his hoof.

Speculation on the status of early 4-1 second choice Epicharis continued to swirl Friday after the colt didn’t train for a third straight day because of his sore right front hoof.

He was examined by veterinarians from the New York Racing Association and the Japan Racing Association, but no details on his condition were given. His trainer, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, didn’t speak to the media.

Epicharis received a treatment of the legal anti-inflammatory Phenylbutazone, or bute, on Wednesday for what was described as lameness in his right front leg.

The colt stood in ice to help his hoof and was fitted with a glue-on shoe, an alternative for horses with a damaged hoof. Instead of being nailed on, which could cause more soreness, the plastic-coated shoe is wrapped around the hoof wall.

Martin Panza, vice president of racing for NYRA, said Epicharis was walking soundly Friday.

“They feel confident they can make the race tomorrow, but they’re still going to monitor the horse,” he said of the Japanese team. “Obviously the horse comes first, and if there are any problems, they’ll re-evaluate. Right now they’re very comfortable that the horse is comfortable and much better than he was two days ago.”

Epicharis last trained on the track Tuesday. He hasn’t raced since finishing second in the UAE Derby on March 25.

“He’s a nice horse to ride because you can use any tactics,” said Christophe Lemaire, his French jockey. “If there’s no pace at all, he can lead or he can sit in second position. A mile and a half is a long way to go, but in his previous races he has shown us some stamina.”

A victory would earn Epicharis a $1 million bonus from NYRA, which worked to lure a horse from Japan.

Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming finished eighth in the Preakness, so he is skipping the Belmont. His trainer Todd Pletcher has two shots at winning the $1.5 million race on his home track: He will saddle 6-1 fourth choice Tapwrit and one-eyed Patch.

Tapwrit was sixth in the Derby and Patch was 14th.

“I think he ran a sneaky good race in the Derby,” Pletcher said of Tapwrit. “I don’t think it would be a surprise if either of them ran well.”

Cloud Computing skipped the Derby, won the Preakness and is sitting out the Belmont. His trainer Chad Brown has 20-1 shot Twisted Tom, who brings a three-race winning streak into the race on his home track.

Lookin At Lee will be the only horse to run in all three Triple Crown races. He was second in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness. He’s the early 5-1 third choice on Saturday.

Gormley, ninth in the Derby, flew from his Southern California base to take a shot after staying home from the Preakness.

Multiplier sat out the Derby and was sixth in the Preakness.

The longest shot in the field is 30-1 Hollywood Handsome, who along with 15-1 Meantime, didn’t run in either of the first two legs.

J Boys Echo is one of five Belmont runners who skipped the Preakness after running in the Derby, a route taken last year by Belmont winner Creator. Trainer Dale Romans is ready to get his hands on the trophy after finishing third four times.

“The mile and a half should help him and hopefully we’re going to see the best of him,” Romans said. “He’s got a good rhythm to the way he runs and I think that’s important going that far.”

Belmont Park’s deep, sandy track and sweeping turns can wipe out a tiring horse and benefit a closer able to negotiate the long stretch.

Senior Investment surged late to take third in the Preakness and his trainer, Ken McPeek, won the 2002 Belmont with 70-1 shot Sarava. In 2012, he trained 20-1 shot Atigun to a third-place finish.

“This thing is wide open, completely wide open,” McPeek said. “It will be interesting to see it unfold.”
In American horse racing, Tapwrit wins the 2017 Belmont Stakes.