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With I’ll Have Another out of the picture, Dullahan and Union Rags become the new favorites at Sportsbook, but this also opens up opportunities for the likes of Atigun, Paynter and Street Life that are middle of the road when it comes to odds of winning the 2012 Belmont Stakes.
Atigun had odds of 23/1 to win the Belmont Stakes while Paynter was a near favorite at 7/2 and Street Life was coming in at 8/1.
Ray Kerrison of the New York Post went as far as to suggest Atigun could provide a shocker at Saturday’s Belmont Stakes race.
The force behind Atigun:
Two men who engineered two of the biggest blockbuster long-shot winners in the 144 years of the Belmont Stakes are hoping to do it again in Saturday’s run for the white carnations.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
One of the giant-killers is Ed Anthony, the Arkansas lumberman who owned the unforgettable Temperence Hill when he splashed through the mud in the 1980 Belmont to beat the Kentucky Derby heroine, Genuine Risk, at 53-1. Some of us who were there that day still have not recovered.
The other party pooper is trainer Ken McPeek, who wreaked even more havoc 10 years ago when he saddled Sarava to win the Belmont and wreck War Emblem’s Triple Crown hopes. Sarava hit the board at better than 70-1, and the $142 win dividend remains the biggest payoff ever in the race.
As for Paynter, trainer Bob Baffert sees great potential for what is becoming one of the top contenders overnight Friday. He claims that Paynter, who is more versatile with his early speed, is best suited of the two to handle Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
Baffert compared Paynter to the horse he ran in both the Derby and Preakness, Bodemeister.
"Bodemeister was like I’ll Have Another’s pace car," Baffert joked. "These are two different type of horses but (Paynter) is getting better and better. I think the mile-and-a-half would suit him better than it would Bodemeister."
Here are all your 2012 Belmont Stakes betting odds courtesy of Sportsbook here.
Atigun
Dullahan
Five Sixteen
Guyana Star Dweej
My Adonis
Optimizer
Paynter
Ravelos Boy
Street Life
Union Rags
Unstoppable U
20/1
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
