Belmont Stakes not even the best race on a remarkable card

The Belmont Stakes is a wonderful, historic race, but it’s just not the same without a Triple Crown on the line. That said, Saturday’s Belmont Park card, with a serious 2018 Pennsylvania Derby Day flavor, is easily America’s best of 2019, and the only card the rest of the year that might top it would be Breeders’ Cup Saturday.

There are seven Grade I stakes before the Belmont, which is scheduled to go off at 6:37 p.m. as Race 11. The Race of the Day and the Race of the Year thus far is the Metropolitan Handicap, Race 9 at 4:46.

Last year’s Pennsylvania Derby winner, McKinzie, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Met Mile field of 11 that has combined earnings of $25 million. Trainer Bob Baffert has completely dominated the last two Belmont Day cards, with seven stakes wins, culminating with Triple Crown winner Justify’s cruise home in the 2018 Belmont. Throw out McKinzie’s Breeders’ Cup Classic when Baffert said he made a mistake running him, and the colt is just over a length from being unbeaten in his other nine starts.

As good as McKinzie is, and he has a real chance for Horse of the Year with a great second half of 2019, the colt is nowhere near a cinch. Firenze Fire, who won the Gallant Bob Stakes on the Pa. Derby card last year, is good everywhere, great at Belmont Park with three wins in three tries. Mitole is the best sprinter in the country, trying to stretch his speed from 7 furlongs to a mile. Coal Front won the Gallant Bob at Parx in 2017 and just won the Godolphin Mile. Mitole and Coal Front are a combined 14-for-19. Thunder Snow has twice won the Dubai World Cup.

The Met Mile used to be run on Memorial Day, but the New York Racing Association moved it to Belmont Stakes Day so even in those years without a Triple Crown possibility, this would be such a great betting card with so many fast horses that it would be impossible to resist getting involved at the windows.

The second of the Grade I stakes goes as Race 5 and features another winner from 2018 Pa. Derby Day, Midnight Bisou who finished second in the Cotillion, but was placed first when Monomoy Girl was disqualified. Like McKinzie, Midnight Bisou gets the services of ``Big Money’’ Mike Smith, but she will have to get past the very speedy and talented Come Dancing in the stretch.

The Jaipur (Race 6) looks very much like a one-horse race with the brilliant World of Trouble, who just missed winning the BC Turf Sprint last November. Like Firenze Fire, World of Trouble is trained by Jason Servis, the same man who ``won’’ the Kentucky Derby for 20 minutes until Maximum Security was disqualified. By the way, the best 3-year-old in the country, who has not run since the Derby and has still never finished behind a horse, might make his return in the June 16 Pegasus Stakes at his home base of Monmouth Park as a prep for the July 20 Haskell Invitational, also at Monmouth.

The Acorn (Race 7) for 3-year-old fillies has so much early speed that wire-to-wire Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress looks like a complete toss. Trainer Chad Brown has Guarana, who has raced just once but was brilliant, winning by 14 3/4 lengths. Ce Ce, coming from the West Coast, gets a great outside post and is dangerous after two fast races at Santa Anita.

Tacitus looks almost too good to be true in the Belmont Stakes. No reason to overthink this. Sometimes, the horse that looks obviously best is just best.

And, if you find yourself still wanting to fire after the Belmont, there are two more races, including the Brooklyn Handicap, also at a mile-and-a-half, just like the Belmont Stakes. Post time for Race 13 is a cool 8 p.m.