Seize the Grey won the Preakness (left), Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby. Who will win the Belmont Stakes? (Left photo by Anika Miskar, right photo by Jenny Doyle for Past The Wire)
By Ashley Tamulonis and Laura Pugh
For the first time since 2013 when Kentucky Derby winner Orb faced off with Preakness winner Oxbow in the Belmont Stakes, racing fans will once again get treated to such a matchup as both Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness winner Seize the Grey are confirmed for what has been dubbed the Beltoga. The nickname stems from the fact that the storied Belmont Stakes will be contested at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. The distance for the race has also been reduced from the traditional 1 ½-mile to a 1 ¼-mile due to the configuration of Saratoga’s main track. The Belmont was last contested at 1 ¼-mile in 1904 and 1905 when Delhi and the filly Tanya respectively won it. Likewise, the last time the Belmont was carded at its non-traditional 1 ½-mile was in 2020 when it was reduced to a one turn 1 1/8-mile race due to Covid-19.
Leading up to this year’s edition, Mystik Dan bravely rode the rail at Churchill Downs to earn the blanket of roses by a nose while Seize the Grey seized the lead and never looked back, beating the Kentucky Derby winner, who was 2nd, by 2 ¼-lengths. Mystik Dan will try to become the 12th runner to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont but lose the Preakness, and the first since Thunder Gulch completed the double in 1995. Seize the Grey, on the other hand, will attempt to become the 19th colt to win just the Preakness and the Belmont, and the first since Afleet Alex accomplished it in 2005.
The weather for Saratoga Springs, New York calls for a 93% chance of rain with a 37% chance of thunderstorms; however, less than a quarter inch of rain is expected, so a dry track is anticipated.
Which colt, if either, will prevail in the 2024 Grade 1 Beltoga? Ashley Tamulonis argues for Preakness winner Seize the Grey while Laura Pugh makes a case for Derby winner Mystik Dan.
Eleven years ago, was the last time the Kentucky Derby winner and the Preakness winner faced each other in the Belmont. Neither Orb, the Derby winner, nor Oxbow, the Preakness winner, prevailed in the final leg of the Triple Crown, however. Rather, Palace Malice upset them both at 13-1 odds while Oxbow finished 2nd and favored Orb finished 3rd. Seize the Grey or Mystik Dan could etch their names alongside other Triple Crown near misses, but it’s always possible that new shooter outruns them both, especially a fresher runner.
