MINE THAT BIRD BIG FAVOURITE FOR 2009 BELMONT STAKES

Calvin Borel looks set to pilot Mine That Bird in pursuit of his personal triple crown. The odds have been skipping around all week and since the announcement that Rachel Alexandra would not be running in this race, Mine That Bird has taken quite a drop in the absence of the freakish filly. Currently listed at evens with top UK bookmaker William Hill, Mine That Bird looks set to produce a 1-2-1 2009 Triple Crown record- a hell of a lot closer than anyone else has come in quite sometime. Especially when you consider that the Preakness loss came by less than a length. If that race was 1/16 of a furlong longer we'd be looking for at a Triple Crown winner. Charitable Man looks set to provide the early speed and we're wondering about his closing ability over here. This horse will likely be a solid two lengths ahead coming into the first turn and he'll need an extra gear going into the final stretch to stave off the inevitable epic dash from Mine That Bird. You can back him at 7/2.Dunkirk has looked excellent in training over the past few weeks and while I wrote this horse off initially, I think this is the type of field he can deal with. Positioning is key for Dunkirk and he needs to be in the exact right place to be able to pull off a victory. I don't think it's out of the question. Dunkirk is listed at 9/2. Chocolate Candy is another potential challenger and is more or less the only other horse I think has a shot at this one, aside from maybe Summer Bird, his 12/1 price makes him an appealing place bet and he will likely factor into your exotics. Flying Private is 16/1 and I actually think that price should be a tad higher. He'll need a mistake to be a real contender and I'm not sure that's going to happen against this field. Miners Escape, Mr Hot Stuff and Summer Bird are all listed at 20/1 and out of the three I like Summer Bird the most. He is a decent shot for 3rd place. Brave Victory comes in at 33/1 while Luv Gov sits at 50/1. VERDICT1. Mine That Bird2. Dunkirk3. Summer Bird