Creative Minister Is an Intriguing Option in This Year's Belmont Stakes

The 2022 Belmont Stakes is Saturday, June 11 with post time at 6:49 p.m. EST. Using TVG projections and Horse Racing Nation as a guide, here are the horse profiles for the 1.5-mile “Test of the Champion” at Belmont Park.

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As always, check the program for racing information, odds and monitor the weather and track conditions.

(I may reference BRIS and Equibase's Speed Figures, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)

#5 Creative Minister

Morning Line Odds: 6/1
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Trained by Kenny McPeak and ridden by jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., Creative Minister was installed at 6/1 on the morning line odds.

This lightly raced colt did not compete as a two-year-old and made his stakes debut in the Preakness. In that race, he finished third while holding up well in the stretch following faster fractions, but his late BRIS rating was not strong. The Preakness came after his best race -- when he ran lights-out with a 108 Equibase Speed Figure in winning an Allowance race on the Kentucky Derby undercard. That’s the highest career ESF of any of the runners in the Belmont Stakes.

Creative Minister makes his third start in five weeks, and despite looking as durable as his sire, Creative Cause, there are concerns about too much too soon for him and whether or not he can hold up as well at this distance. Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener rates him with a slight chance to win and a good chance to finish top-four in the superfecta.

Over the last 16 years, there have been 10 horses win the Belmont Stakes at odds of 6/1 or greater, and eight of the winners held double-digit odds at post time.