Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park

Las Vegas, NV - The 124th running of the Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap is on tap for this Friday, June 8th from Belmont Park, the scene of what could potentially be a historic ride on Saturday. Horses three years old and upward will go 1 ½ miles on Belmont's main dirt track as they chase their share of the $200,000 purse.

The Brooklyn, the highlight of Belmont's Friday card, has attracted a strong field of 12 horses for race 10. Post time is 5:44 right after the co-main event on Friday, the Jaipur Stakes. Let's take a look at the 12 entries and what brought them to this storied Grade 2 event.

2012 Brooklyn Handicap Race Favorites

Redeemed - has placed in 10 of 11 career starts and had a win last time out on this track over Birdrun in the Milesius Stakes. Prior to that was a disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds on April 1st. Redeemed started his year with a third in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap to follow up a pair of wins in a 2011 campaign that saw him win five of seven starts including the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap and the Oklahoma Derby.

Birdrun - is the defending champion in this race but since the 2011 Brooklyn Birdrun has been very inconsistent with a win to follow that victory followed by a pair of sixth - in the Grade 1 Jockey Gold Cup Stakes on this track in October and in the Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct and two second place finishes in the Breeders' Cup Marathon in November and last time out in the Milesius Stakes on this track on May 3rd.

Brooklyn Handicap 2012 | Remaining Field Entries

Eldaafer - won this race in 2009 and has been wildly inconsistent since that score. When good, Eldaafer has been very good with wins in the 2010 Grade 3 Turfaway Park Fall Championship Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Marathon. When bad, Eldaafer has looked less-than-competitive finishing fourth in this race last year followed by a sixth in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes. Eldaafer followed up a fifth in the Grade 3 Native Diver at the end of 2011 with a pair of fourths in the Turf Paradise Handicap and the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup Stakes last time out.

Eye on Jacob - will be making a graded stakes debut for trainer Todd Pletcher after some success in Allowance races in including a 7 ½ length victory most recently in an Allowance at Aqueduct. He also has a second place finish in 2012 and has placed in six of eight career starts.

Hailstone - had some good results at Woodbine before moving South. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track but before that Hailstone posted a very impressive second in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream on March 24th. Hailstone has raced exclusively on synthetic surfaces before this race.

Not Abroad - hasn't participated in graded stakes action since a second in the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap in 2010 but has won three of his last five starts- all minor stakes races within the last nine months.

Brooklyn Handicap betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Boxeur des Rues - started 2012 with a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming but has struggled since - a sixth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, and 10th place finishes in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes and the Grade 2 Dixie Stakes most recently at Pimlico on May 19th. Some intrigue follows this horse into the Brooklyn - Mario Gutierrez who will ride I'll Have Another will get the mount for his maiden ride at Belmont.

Arthur's Tale - has looked very impressive at times in his 12 race career - a second at the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes in April of 2011 and consecutive fourth place finishes in the Pennsylvania Derby and Discovery Handicap to follow. Most recently was a third in the Vanlandingham Stakes on this track on May 17th.

Balladry - has raced in graded stakes action twice and had a second in the Grade 2 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita on January 14th prior to a respectable fifth in the Grade 2 Strub Stakes. Last time out was a win in an Allowance at Hollywood Park on April 29th.

Golden Gulch - has raced four Allowance Optional Claiming races in 2012 and has placed in all with a win last time out on May 9th on this track.

Praetereo - finished a distant sixth last time out in the Grade 3 Skip Away Stakes at Gulfstream on March 31st to break up a string of five straight Allowance races in which he finished first, second or third.

Kentucky Reign - will be making his graded stakes debut after two wins, a second and a third place finish in minor stakes and allowance races.

2012 Brooklyn Handicap Entries

Race 10 on Belmont Park's Friday card with a Post Time of 5:44 PM.