2016 Man o' War Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 1 Man o' War Stakes is on tap for Belmont Park in Elmont, New York this Saturday, May 14. Horses four years old and upward will be featured when they take to Belmont Park's turf track and race 1 3/8 miles searching for the winner's share of the $400,000 purse.

Nine older entries will line up in the Man o' War Stakes - race 10 on Belmont Park's impressive Saturday card. Post time is 6:17 PM. Let's take a glance at the past performances of all nine combatants for this Grade 1 stakes.

2016 Man o' War Stakes Race Preview at Belmont Park

Kaigun - won the the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes at Woodbine and the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in 2014 for trainer Mark Casse and has shown good, consistent recent form as well. He has enters off an OK second in the Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland April 23 after a nice win in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream Park April 2 and four more runner-up finishes - the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida Stakes March 5, the Grade 3 John B. Connally Turf Cup January 30 at Sam Houston, the Grade 3 WL McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream December 26 and the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct in November. Kaigun now six wins, nine seconds and three third place finishes in 29 career starts and hasn't been worse than second in his last six overall. He tries for his second graded stakes score in three races and is certainly in good form to do so. Joe Bravo has been tabbed to ride from post 7.

Wake Forest - German bred Chad Brown Group 3 winner at home has six wins, a second and a third place finish in 12 career starts. He made his North American debut back in August and finished sixth in the Grade 1 Arlington Millions and was forced to the sidelines for eight months. He returned April 2 and posted a respectable second, a head behind Kaigun in the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream. Before shipping he posted a career best effort - a win in a Group 1 race in Hamburg. Wake Forest was impressive at home and will look to build on a solid effort last time out. He has placed in three of his last four starts overall and leaves from post 9 with John Velazquez in the irons.

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Morandi - French bred Chad Brown trainee has four wins and five runner-up finishes in 14 career starts. He posted a Group 1 and Group 3 stakes score at home in 2012 but hasn't tasted victory since. He enters having placed in just one of his last five starts overall - a fifth last time out in an Allowance at Keeneland April 10 followed a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track in July (his North American debut), a seventh in the Group 1 Champion Stakes in England in October, 2013 and an OK third in a Group 3 race. Morandi has had issues staying on the track and has been unflattering in his last handful of starts. He hopes to change all of that around Saturday. Javier Castellano gets the call from the rail.

Money Multiplier - has two wins, three seconds and a third place finish in nine career starts for trainer Chad Brown. He broke maiden at Belmont Park last May in his fourth career starts and went on to a couple of good runner-up finishes - the Grade 3 Kent Stakes in July and the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes in September. He struggled after that however - a seventh in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes here in October and an eighth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in November before an OK Allowance score last time out at Aqueduct April 15. Money Multiplier looked decent last summer but will still be chasing his first stakes score Saturday. Irad Ortiz has been tabbed to ride from gate 2.

Closing Bell - legendary trainer Bill Mott sends out Closing Bell for his tenth career start - he has two wins, two seconds and a third place finishes so far. He finished an OK fourth in his stakes debut in July - the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and followed that with a good second in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes in August, a nice win in the minor Dueling Ground Derby at Kentucky Downs in September and a second in the minor Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland October 30. He had consecutive seventh place finishes after that - the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar November 28 and the Grade 1 Donn Handicap in February but most recently finished an OK third in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Handicap in March at Fair Grounds. Closing Bell has been up and down so far in his career and looks for his first graded stakes score Saturday from gate 4. Jose Lezcano gets the call.

Go Around - has four wins and three third place finishes in eight career starts for trainer Bill Mott. He recorded his first stakes score last time out in the minor Tampa Turf Classic April 9 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score in February, a fifth in the Grade 2 Commonwealth Derby September 19 and an OK third in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes at Saratoga September 4. Go Around has looked good in his last two starts and will be after his first graded stakes score from post 5. Junior Alvarado has the mount.

Up With the Birds - Canada's 2013 Horse of the Year and Champion 3 Year Old Colt, Graham Motion trained multiple graded stakes winner looks for his first win since the Grade 2 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine in July, 2014. He was OK last year - six starts with a second and two third place finishes. He hasn't been great lately however - a fifth last time out in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland April 23 followed a ninth in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup back in November, a good second in the Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International October 18 and consecutive fourths in graded stakes action last summer. He also posted two straight thirds in graded stakes company last year. Up With the Birds hasn't shied away from top company but has been inconsistent as of late. He hopes to snap a 10 race losing streak from gate 6 with Jose Ortiz aboard.

Can'thelpbelieving - Irish bred Graham Motion trained gelding has three wins, five seconds and two third place finishes in 14 career starts. He enters off consecutive runner-up finishes - both Allowance races earlier this year. He did win an Allowance Optional Claiming at Parx a year ago and has recorded third place finishes in a pair of minor stakes races but he's also had an eighth in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap in November, 2014 and a fifth in the 2015 Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes - his only graded stake results to date. He tries for his first stakes score with Joel Rosario aboard from post 3.

Biz the Nurse - Thomas Albertrani trainee has placed in 11 of 15 career starts - six wins, three seconds and a third place finish. He looked good in Italy before shipping in winning a Group 1 and two Group 2 races and placing in five other stakes and he did win an Allowance Optional Claiming in his first North American start at Gulfstream March. 2015. He has failed to place in his other three starts on North American soil - a fourth last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming here way back on July 2 followed a tenth in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes on this track in June of last year and a fourth place finish in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland April 18, 2015. Biz The Nurse looks for his first graded stakes score in North America Saturday in less-than-spectacular form. He races for the first time in 10 months and will have Luis Saez in the saddle from gate 8.

2016 Man o' War Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:17 PM.