Belmont Contenders Update: Golden Glider Confirmed For Belmont Stakes

• Trainer Mark Casse has confirmed that Golden Glider will be entered in the Belmont Stakes.
• Golden Glider earned a free entry by virtue of his second place finish in the Peter Pan Stakes on May 14.
• The 2022 Belmont Stakes will be held on June 11, 2022 at New York’s Belmont Park.

You can move another Belmont Stakes ‘probable’ into the ‘confirmed’ column. On Sunday, trainer Mark Casse confirmed that he’d be entering Golden Gilder in the June 11, 2022 Belmont Stakes. In fact, given his circumstances he’d be silly not to ‘roll the dice’ with the runner up in the May 14 G3 Peter Pan Stakes.

I’m sure most of our readership is familiar with the concept of the satellite tournament in poker. The way they work is that by winning a lower profile tournament you can win entry into a potentially more lucrative and prestigious event. For example, WSOP.com is offering a satellite every day in May where the winner gets a $10,000 entry into the ‘main event’ of the World Series of Poker. It’s a good opportunity to parlay a small entry fee and a bit of poker skill into a shot at a huge prize.

Turns out, the same concept exists in horse racing. One of the conditions of the Peter Pan Stakes was this:

That’s a perk worth $30,000 and the connections of Peter Pan winner We the People and runner up Golden Glider are taking advantage. Casse calls it a ‘free ride’ into the Belmont:

“I don’t know what you take out of it but we got a free ride into the Belmont.”

We the People flat out dominated the Peter Pan, beating Golden Glider by 10 1/4 lengths on a sealed wet track. Casse is hoping that the track played a part in the overwhelming victory:

“The question is was it influenced by the track? Because if it wasn’t we’re all in trouble. You know that expression I wouldn’t trade places with anybody? I’d take him.”

Casse said that he’d seen a video of Golden Glider’s Sunday workout and thought that ‘he worked well’.

OTHER BELMONT STAKES CONTENDER NEWS

–Jockey change for Preakness fifth place finisher Skippylongstocking. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. indicated that Manny Franco would replace Junior Alvarado.

–Trainer Dallas Stewart is considering Brigadier General for the Belmont Stakes. Brigadier General is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and is a son of Street Sense. All Stewart will admit at this point is that the connections are ‘mulling it around’. Brigadier General got a maiden win in a Maiden Special Weight at Keeneland on April 14, 2022 and followed that up with a 4th place in an allowance race at Churchill Downs on May 12. No indication as to a jockey assignment should Brigadier General enter the race. Tyler Gaffalione was aboard for his first win though Brian Hernandez, Jr. was the jockey in his most recent outing. Hernandez already has the mount on Creative Minister for the Belmont.

BELMONT STAKES FIELD PROJECTION AS OF MAY 28, 2022