2017 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes comes our way this Saturday, July 8 from Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A nice purse of $1.2 million will be on the line for horses three years old willing to line up and race 1 1/4 mils on Belmont Park's turf track.

A competitive field of 11 have been confirmed for the Belmont Derby Invitational - race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday Stars & Stripes Festival card. Post time is 6:50 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all 11 entries for this lucrative and intriguing G1 stakes.

2017 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes Entries at Belmont Park

Oscar Performance 3-1

Impressive Brian Lynch trained Ringling finished sixth in his debut and went on to reel off three impressive wins - a maiden score by an eye opening 10 1/4 lengths at Saratoga August 20, a terrific six length victory in the G3 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont Park October 1 and a career-defining win by 1 1/4 lengths in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf back in November. He has been up and down in three starts since - nice 1 1/2 length wire-to-wire win last time out in the G3 Pennine Ridge Stakes on this track June 3 followed a tenth in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6 and a fifth in the G3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland April 7. Oscar Performance looks to be over his mini-slump and will try for a second straight graded stakes score on this track from gate 4. Jose Ortiz has the mount on the morning line favorite.

Yoshida 7-2

Japanese bred Bill Mott trained colt has just three career starts but has two wins and a second-place finish. He makes his graded stakes debut Saturday off a good four length win in the minor James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico May 20, a gate-to-wire maiden score by four lengths at Keeneland April 19 and a second-place finish at first asking - at Aqueduct in November. Yoshida has been competitive so far and hopes to carry his momentum into his graded stakes bow. John Velazquez is scheduled to ride the second betting choice from post 7.

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Homesman 4-1

Intriguing but lightly raced Aidan O'Brien trained colt has two wins and two second place finishes in his six career starts and makes his North American debut Saturday. Last time out was a fifth at Ascot June 22 which followed nice win in the Group 1 Arlie Stud Gallinule Stakes at Curragh May 28 and a second in a stakes on that track May 14. Homesman was good in his first five starts but will be in need of a strong bounce back from post 3 Saturday. Colm O'Donoghue has been tabbed to ride the morning line third choice.

Called To The Bar 5-1

Irish bred Pia Brandt trained gelding has placed in all four career starts - two wins and two second place finishes. He makes his North American debut Saturday off a god win in the Group 3 Prix du Lys May 23 and a maiden score at Chantilly May 3. He finished second in his first two career starts. Called To The Bar has been a factor in ever career start so far and will be out to carry the momentum from post 5. Maxime Guyon gets the call.

Arklow 8-1

Brad Cox trained colt has two wins, a second and a third-place finish in seven career starts. He arrives off a career-best effort - a one length win over a good field in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6 and a maiden score at Keeneland April 9. Before that was an eighth in the G2 Risen Star Stakes February 25 and a fourth in the G2 LeComte Stakes January 21 - both at Fair Grounds. Arklow enters in his best form and will try to make it three straight wins from gate 6 Saturday. Mike Smith will be in the saddle.

Whitecliffsofdover 10-1

Has placed in five of seven career starts for trainer Aidan O'Brien - two wins, a second and two third place finishes and makes his North American debut Saturday. Last time out was a career-worst effort - a fifteenth place finish in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Ascot June 21 which followed a third in the Owenstown Stakes at Naas May 21 and a good stakes win at Newmarket April 19. Before that was a third and a second respectively in a pair of Group 3 races overseas to end his 2015 campaign. Whitecliffsofdover was competitive before last time out and hopes to prove that result was the exception, not the rule when he leaves from gate 10 with Wayne Lordan aboard.

Good Samaritan 12-1

Legendary trainer Bill Mott sends out Good Samaritan for his sixth career start. His first resulted in a maiden score at Saratoga August 13 and his second was a very successful graded stakes debut - a win in the G2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine September 10. He has been equally competitive in three starts since - a second last time out behind Oscar Performance in the G3 Pennine Ridge Stakes on this track June 3 followed another second in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6 and a respectable third as favorite behind Oscar Performance again in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November. Good Samaritan has been a factor in every career start so far and hopes to be again Saturday with Joel Rosario guiding him from the rail.

Ticonderoga 15-1

Has two wins, two seconds and a third-place finish in seven career starts for trainer Chad Brown. Last time out was an OK third in the G3 Pennine Ridge Stakes on this track June 3 after a slightly disappointing fourth in the G3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland April 7, a very nice win in the G3 Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 4, a respectable fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, a decent second in his stakes debut - the G3 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland October 9 and a maiden score at Belmont Park September 10. Ticonderoga hasn't been worse than fourth in his career - competitive every time out and will be after a second graded stakes score from gate 2. Javier Castellano rides.

Senior Investment 20-1

Kenneth McPeek trained colt has 10 career starts with three wins and two third place finishes. He arrives off an OK fifth in the G1 Belmont Stakes here June 10, a very respectable third in the Preakness Stakes May 20 and a career-best effort - a win in the G3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland April 15. Those results followed a sixth in the G2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds April 1, an Allowance Optional Claiming score February 18 and a seventh in a similar race to start his year. Senior Investment has been a tad inconsistent but has looked decent in his last three starts overall. He tries for a second graded stakes score I four starts when he leaves from the outside post 11 with Dylan David guiding him.

Big Score 20-1

Has three wins, two seconds and a third-place finish in his seven career starts for Tim Yakteen. He made his graded stakes debut back on November 4 and finished an OK fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and has been decent since - a second last time out in the G2 Penn Mile June 3 followed a third in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 6 and a good win in in the G3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland April 7. He also had a good win in the minor Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita October 10, a second in the minor Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes September 3 and a win at first asking - at Del Mar in July. Big Score has looked good in his career thus far and will chase a second graded stakes score in four starts. Flavien Prat has been tabbed to ride from post 9.

Makarios 30-1

Has two wins, a second and a third-place finish in his seven career starts for trainer Nick Zito. He finally broke maiden four starts back at Gulfstream Park February 26 after a sixth, a second and a seventh respectively in a trio of races to start his career. Last time out was a disappointing sixth in the G3 Pennine Ridge Stakes on this track June 3 which followed an Allowance score at Keeneland April 26 and a respectable graded stakes debut - a third in the G3 Transylvania Stakes on that track April 7. Makarios has placed in three of his last four races ahead of this weekend including two wins but will need a strong bounce back in order to contend. Tyler Gaffalione will try to accomplish that from gate 8.

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2017 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:50 PM.