Get our 2024 Breeders' Cup Picks and Odds

It may seem like the Belmont Stakes is just a one horse race, but Big Brown will actually have to beat a few horses before he can claim his historic Triple Crown. Those horses come from different places and backgrounds, but three of them share one striking similarity - Anak Nakal, Denis of Cork and Tale of Ekati, like Big Brown, all ran in the Kentucky Derby. This is by no means rare for Belmont entrants, but it's significant. It means that these horses were all at their physical peaks just five weeks ago, and they have all been seasoned in the biggest, loudest and craziest race in the world. By looking at how recent Derby entrants have fared in the Belmont we may be able to get an insight into what to expect from our four dual-runners this year.

2007

Only seven horses started in the 2007 Belmont, but three of them had also run in the Derby. They didn't take the big prize, but the results were still interesting:

Curlin - The eventual Horse of the Year missed winning this race by just a head in one of the most dramatic and impressive stretch duels in recent memory.

Tiago - This California contender finished a distant third in the Belmont despite having a rough race. He bumped the gate at the start, and was checked twice through the race. Despite that, he rallied for third and gave us a hint of the quality he would put on display back in California.

Hard Spun - This hard luck contender reminded me very much of Free House in 1997 when Silver Charm came close to the Triple Crown - he was consistently good in all of the Triple Crown races, but never quite good enough.

2006

The Belmont lacked the winners of the previous two legs of the Triple Crown (Barbaro was injured in the Preakness, and Bernardini was rested for later in the summer), so there was no one to scare off contenders, and 12 horses entered the gate including five from the Derby. As in 2006, the Derby entrants claimed three of the top four spots. The $2 exacta paid $92.

Jazil - Following a solid fourth in the Derby, Jazil overcame a rough start in the Belmont to take the lead in the stretch and pull away approaching the wire for an impressive win.

Bluegrass Cat - This horse seems to have been born to be second best. He was runner-up in three of the biggest races there are for three year olds - the Derby, Belmont and Travers.

Steppenwolfer - He was third in the Derby, but dropped a spot to finish fourth in the Belmont.

Bob and John - This was a talented, well-bred horse with good connections who never really found his stride in the Triple Crown. He was a terrible 17th in the Derby, and his eighth in the Belmont was only slightly less disappointing.

Deputy Glitters - The closest this horse came to greatness is that he shared a trainer with Bernardini. He was eighth in the Derby, and ended up 11th of 12 in the Belmont.

2005

Only three of the 11 entrants in the Belmont had run in the Derby, but two of them combined for a nice $44 exacta.

Afleet Alex - This horse really should have won the Triple Crown. He had an inexplicable performance in the Derby that only netted him third, but went on to win the final two legs with dominating command. He cruised in the Belmont by a full seven lengths.

Andromeda's Hero - This horse only got attention in the Derby because he was a stablemate of the impressive Derby favorite Bellamy Road. Bellamy Road was a disappointing seventh, and this horse was just behind him in eighth. Nick Zito got a much better race out of his charge in the Belmont, ending up second at 12/1.

Giacomo - Giacomo was 50/1 in the Derby, but he ran like a champion to win it. In the Belmont he ran like a horse that should have been 50/1 and he ended up seventh after briefly taking the lead in the final turn.

2004

Only two of the nine Belmont entrants had run in the Derby, but they again made up the exacta, this time paying a cool $139.

Birdstone - It looked like Smarty Jones was a lock for the Triple Crown. He was in the lead before the horses had run a mile, and he looked fresh and solid. Then Birdstone came along and spoiled the party. Birdstone had been an unremarkable eighth in the Derby, but he found his stride in New York.

Smarty Jones - An undefeated winner of the Derby and Preakness who had been knocked by critics before the Derby for being too inexperienced, but now looked unbeatable in the Belmont and went off at odds well below even money. Sound familiar?

So there you have it. At least two of the top three finishers in the last four runnings of the Belmont have been Derby runners, and they have made up three of the last four exactas. That should give you something to think about as you get ready for the 2008 edition of New York's biggest race.