Can the closing speed of Dinis of Cork make the difference at the Belmont?

Question

... or is this field out of his class?

Answer 1

When Denis of Cork enters the starting gate on June 7th for the 2008 Belmont Stakes, he and the horse race betting community will enter with a few questions. One, of course, will be whether or not his fantastic closing kick will help him in that long Belmont stretch drive.

But questions regarding the horse’s ability to finish in his races, or how big his heart is, for that matter, were decided by his terrific race in the Kentucky Derby. For those who forget, Denis of Cork was pretty much the only horse closing on Big Brown and Eight Belles in the Derby.

Denis of Cork ended up losing the Kentucky Derby by eight lengths, but the move he made in the lane in the Kentucky Derby cannot be ignored by horse betting enthusiasts. It was actually very impressive for a horse in only his fifth lifetime race and one coming off of a less then stellar performance in the race before. In the Illinois Derby, where Denis of Cork was going off as the even money favorite, the horse appeared to spin his wheels. He never made up ground on the front-running Recapturetheglory. That, more then anything, caused Denis of Cork to go off at 26 to 1 off track betting odds in the Kentucky Derby.

The Belmont Stakes could be a different story for Denis of Cork. Why? First, the move that he performed in the Kentucky Derby could be much more effective for the simple fact that Big Brown will have to go an extra ¼ mile in the Belmont Stakes. If Denis of Cork could sustain an incredibly fruitful move like the one he did in the Kentucky Derby in the Belmont Stakes, then I’d have to give him a shot in the Belmont.

The move reminded a lot of the one that Birdstone unleased in the 2004 Belmont Stakes to upset Smarty Jones. It was that long, that drawn out, that rigorous.

It is the type of move that horses that win the Belmont Stakes have the ability to unleash.

No doubt, Denis of Cork will need some help from Casino Drive, the only other horse in the 2008 Belmont Stakes that could challenge Big Brown for the lead, but if Casino Drive pressures Big Brown just enough, then whose to say that Denis of Cork doesn’t come up huge in the 2008 Belmont? This information is important when placing a Belmont Stakes wagering bet.

Who’s to say that the five weeks span between the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes isn’t enough time for Denis of Cork to get even better than he was on Derby day?

Who’s to say that the son of Harlan’s Holiday and an Unbridled mare won’t pull a phenomenal upset in beating the likeliest horse to win the Triple Crown since Spectacular Bid in 1979?

The BetUS online racebook odds on Denis of Cork to win the 2008 Belmont Stakes are currently 10 to 1.

In my eyes, because Denis of Cork has the right style to win a race like the Belmont Stakes, those 10 to 1 odds are perfectly fair.

Do yourself a favor as an online horseplayer and member of the Belmont betting community, don’t take Denis of Cork lightly in the 2008 Belmont Stakes.

Answer 2

He may have good closing speed, but he is not going to have enough to close on Big Brown.

Answer 3

The longer the race, the more a deep closer is at a disadvantage.  Sorry, Denis of Cork.  Here is a quick and dirty kinetic physics lesson:

Let's say that Big Brown leads Denis of Cork by 5 lengths at the quarter pole in the Belmont.  The mile and a quarter covered in 2:02.  Big Brown is about 50 feet in front of Denis of Cork which means he's covered 6,600 feet in 122 seconds or about 54.10 feet per second.  Denis of Cork has covered 6,550 feet in the same 122 seconds or 53.69 feet per second.  Big Brown has only had cover about 5 inches more ground than Denis of Cork per second to establish this lead.

Now let's say the winning time is 2:28.  That's 26 seconds for the last quarter mile (1,320 feet).  Big Brown would cover that at a rate of 50.77 feet per second.  Denis of Cork has an extra 50 feet to make up in that same 26 seconds requiring him to cover that last quarter mile at a rate of 52.69 feet per second to catch Big Brown.

Asking one horse to make up two feet per second on another horse in a quarter mile after having already run a mile and a quarter is a tall order in any league.  Not very likely.

Answer 4

He's has to run faster than his best, which could be possible.I think he has an outside chance.

Answer 5

Dennis of Cork is a good horse, not great. The Belmont will prove to be too long of a race for him imo.