The opening odds for the 2011 Belmont Stakes are out and Preakness winner Shackleford comes in at 9-2 with Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom the favorite at 2-1. With three of the biggest races in horse racing within five weeks does Animal Kingdom have what it takes to withstand the grueling 1-1/2 miles at the Belmont Stakes to capture two of the three Triple Crown races? Historically at the Belmont a horse must be able to focus on maintaining themselves in the pack and making a perfect move late to take it home. Style and training will be more of a focus than speed and post position in this race and even though Animal Kingdom trumps the field, both Shackleford at 9-2 and Mucho Macho Man at 10-1 could upset the favorite this Saturday. For the first time in Belmont history, eight of the twelve horses in the field also raced in the Kentucky Derby including the top seven finishers.

The official Belmont Stakes post time is set for approximately 6:36 p.m. this Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The prize pool is $1,000,000 and will consist of  3-year-olds on a 1-1/2 mile dirt track. This will be the first time since 2005 when Afleet Alex and Giacomo squared off that the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stake's winners will square off at the Belmont. The last horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont was Thunder Gulch in 1995. You can catch the race on television live via NBC between 5:00 - 7:00 PM ET. At last check, the weather conditions going into the race will be mid to the high 90's with potential thunderstorms Friday night and 60% chance of rain on Saturday.

143rd Belmont Stakes Opening Betting Odds and Post Postions:

1. Master of Hounds, Garrett Gomez (opening odds 10-1)
2. Stay Thirsty, Javier Castellano, (opening odds 20-1)
3. Ruler On Ice, Jose Valdivia Jr., (opening odds 20-1)
4. Santiva, Shaun Bridgmohan, (opening odds 15-1)
5. Brilliant Speed, Joel Rosario, (opening odds 15-1)
6. Nehro, Corey Nakatani, (opening odds 4-1)
7. Monzon, Jose Lezcano, (opening odds 30-1)
8. Prime Cut, Edgar Prado, (opening odds 15-1)
9. Animal Kingdom, John Velazquez, (opening odds 2-1)
10. Mucho Macho Man, Ramon Dominguez, (opening odds 10-1)
11. Isn't He Perfect, Rajiv Maragh, (opening odds 30-1)
12. Shackleford, Jesus Castanon, (opening odds 9-2)

Handicapping Discussion: Is Animal Kingdom your pick to win the Belmont Stakes? If not, who are you planning to bet this Saturday?

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