2017 Westchester Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G3 Westchester Stakes will be contested this Saturday, May 6 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Horses four years old and upward will saddle up and go one mile on Belmont Park's dirt track for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A field of seven will give it a go in the Westchester Stakes - race 10 on Belmont Park's packed Saturday card. Post time is 5:48 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all seven entries for this intriguing G3 stakes.

2017 Westchester Stakes Entries at Belmont Park

Connect - lightly raced colt has five wins and a third place finish in seven career starts for trainer Chad Brown. He made his graded stakes debut August 27 and finished sixth in the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga but followed that with a quality upset win in the $1.25 million G2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx September 24 - a race he earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure and another good win last time out in the G1 Cigar Mile way back on November 26. He also had a good win in the minor Curlin Stakes at Saratoga last July 29, an Allowance score at Belmont Park June 11, 2016 and a maiden score on that same track in May. Connect has won five of his last six starts overall and will try to build on two straight graded stakes wins. Irad Ortiz will be in the saddle in Connect's first start in nearly six months - from gate 4.

Mohaymen - Kiaran McLaughlin trained colt finished second (albeit by a wide margin) in last year's Eclipse Awards voting behind Nyquist for two year old males. He was undefeated in his first five career starts but has posted four straight disappointing results ahead of this weekend. He was last seen back on August 27 when he finished eleventh in the G1 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga which followed three straight fourth place finishes - in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes July 30, in last year's Kentucky Derby May 7 and in the G1 Florida Derby April 2, 2016. Before those uncharacteristic efforts were five starts and five wins including an impressive 2 1/4 length win in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes February 27, by 3 1/2 lengths in the G2 Holy Bull Stakes January 30, in the G2 Remsen Stakes November 28, the G2 Nashua Stakes November 4 and a dominant maiden score at first asking. Mohaymen had been a favorite on the Triple Crown trail and hopes to prove why once again this week. He tries to snap a four race losing streak from post 3 Saturday with Manuel Franco guiding him.

Bet Belmont Park Horse Racing with OffTrackBetting.com

Realm - Barclay Tagg trained gelding has two wins, three seconds and four third place finishes in his 11 career starts. He made his stakes debut November 26 and finished a respectable third in the G1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and followed that with another third in the G3 Hal's Hope Stakes January 14 and a second last time out in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes March 4 - both at Gulfstream Park. Before those results was an impressive Allowance score by 5 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct November 5, a second, a sixth and a fourth respectively in Allowance races this past summer. Realm has been knocking on the door of his first stakes win and hopes to get it Saturday from post 5. Paco Lopez gets the call.

Vorticity - Cathal Lynch trained colt has placed in all seven career starts - three wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park March 31 after a third in a similar race at Aqueduct March 4, and consecutive runner-up finishes in graded stakes action - the G3 Withers Stakes January 30 and the G3 Jerome Stakes January 2 - both at Aqueduct. He won the minor Marylander Stakes at Laurel Park before that - December 5. Vorticity has been a factor every time out and will be after a first graded stakes score from gate 6. Trevor McCarthy has the mount.

Greenpointcrusader - has eight career starts for Todd Pletcher with three wins and two second place finishes. He was last seen running a disappointing seventh in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream March 4 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track January 27, 10 months away, a seventh in the G2 Louisiana Derby March, 2016, an OK second in the G2 Holy Bull Stakes in March, 2016 and a seventh as favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He also had an impressive 4 1/2 length win in the G1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park October 3, 2015, a maiden score in his second career start and a second in his debut. Greenpointcrusader has been up and down so far in his career and will be after his first graded stakes score in 18 months Saturday. Kendrick Carmouche has been tabbed to ride from the rail.

Virtual Machine - has placed in seven of nine career starts for trainer David Cannizzo - two wins, three seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off both of his wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming at Aqueduct March 24 and a maiden score February 16 (both at Aqueduct) which followed a fourth in his only graded stakes action to date - the G3 Matt Winn Stakes on this track in June. He also had a respectable second in the minor Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park in April, 2016. Virtual Machine has been OK and hopes to build on a two race win streak in his major step up in competition Saturday. Christopher DeCarlo gets the call from gate 2.

Frammento - Nick Zito trained gelding finished third in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream in 2015 and went on to an eleventh in the Kentucky Derby that year but has placed in just one of nine starts since. Last time out was an eighth in the G3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland April 15 after a fourth in the G3 Fred W. Hooper Stakes at Gulfstream March 4 and an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that track February 5. He has also placed in just one of nine graded stakes tries. Frammento hasn't been all that impressive but will try to change things around from the outside post 7. Angel Arroyo will be in the irons.

2017 Westchester Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:48 PM.