One horse that was an afterthought into the Kentucky Derby will be pitted against one of the last horses that was yanked from the first leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday in Elmont. Find out whether Interactif or Stately Victory will provide you with a Belmont Stakes betting win.

Belmont Stakes Betting Lines – Interactif vs. Stately Victor
•Interactif -125 •Stately Victor -105
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One has to wonder whether or not Interactif was a wise entry into the Belmont Stakes or not. The distance certainly won’t be a problem if his pedigree is any background, as Interactif is a turf horse by nature.

Many figured that the sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby would have played right into Interactif’s hands. However, trainer Todd Pletcher cited the fact that he would rather keep his colt on the turf instead of the dirt for why he pulled him from the Kentucky Derby field in the closing minutes before the entry field was set.

Interactif hasn’t run a race since that point. Does that mean that Pletcher was saving him for this race the entire time? We tend to believe not. We think that this is merely a situation where Pletcher wanted to put a horse in this field and picked Interactif after decided that his prized three year old, Super Saver, wasn’t going to run in the Belmont Stakes unless there was a Triple Crown on the line.

Stately Victor is a bit of a question mark as well. This horse was considered a borderline entry into the Kentucky Derby, and we still probably don’t know whether or not this horse can really run with the best three year olds in the world or not after he finished eighth at Churchill Downs.

The question remains: Was the Blue Grass Stakes a product of Stately Victor being a flash in the pan, or a legitimate contender?

Trainer Michael Maker was more or less questioned about running Stately Victor in the Kentucky Derby at 1 1/4 miles. Breeding in this colt suggests more of a sprint horse than a distance horse. However, whether it be a product of “Here goes nothing!” or a matter of confidence that Maker has in his three year old, Stately Victor is going to give it a shot at the longest race in this country.

This is really a case of the lesser of two evils. Interactif is at least a legitimate Triple Crown contender that proved his value in several prep races, while Stately Victor is still too much of a question mark for us. We also prefer Interactif’s style, as his stalking nature will almost certainly keep him, at worst, in the middle of the pack. Stately Victor is too likely to fall flat and end up really getting pushed to the back of the pack.

It’s only worthy of a small play, but Interactif is the way to go in this matchup.

My Belmont Stakes Predictions: Interactif -125
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

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1. 2010 Belmont Stakes Odds: Betting on Odd or Even: June 5th 2010
2. 2010 Belmont Stakes Predictions: Betting Against The Field: June 5th 2010
3. Belmont Stakes Picks: Handicapping the 2010 Belmont Stakes: June 5th 2010
4. 2010 Belmont Stakes Picks: Five Important Questions: June 5th 2010
5. 2010 Belmont Stakes Betting Matchups: Game on Dude vs. Drossselmeyer: June 5th 2010