Belmont Horses

So ten colts and one ridgling will be running in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.  Every horse is a bay, except California Chrome; Commanding Curve is the ridgling.  Samraat was bred in New York state, California Chrome in California, and the other nine are Kentucky-bred.  All of the entrants are related to *Forli (my favorite thoroughbred, along with Man o'War) - eight have *Forli in both the sire and dam's pedigrees, Matterhorn has *Forli blood in his sire's pedigree, and Commanding Curve and Commissioner have *Forli blood in the dam's pedigree.
  Both Ride On Curlin and General a Rod have run in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, along with California Chrome.  Ride On Curlin finished 7th in the Derby and in second place in the Preakness.  General a Rod was in 11th place in the Derby and 4th in the Preakness.  Four of the colts ran in the Derby: Commanding Curve ran in second place; Wicked Strong ran 4th in the Derby; Samraat was fifth;and Medal Count ran 8th.
  Four new colts are joining in the last race of the Triple Crown - Commissioner, Matterhorn, Matuszak, and Tonalist.   Matterhorn and Tonalist were sired by Tapit, a grandson of A. P. Indy; Matterhorn's dam was Winter Garden, by Roy (by Fappiano); Tonalist is out of Settling Mist by Pleasant Colony, and she is out of the Topsider mare Toll Fee.  Matuszak is by Bernardini, a son of A. P. Indy; and out of the Mr. Prospector mare Golden Sonata.  None of A. P. Indy's sons have ever won a Belmont Stakes - the stallion was pensioned in 2011, so Commissioner is his last chance to win this leg of the Triple Crown.  Commissioner is out of Flaming Heart, by Touch Gold, by Deputy Minister.
  Five of the eleven horses racing are not related to A. P. Indy - they are Medal Count, Ride On Curlin, Samraat, Wicked Strong and General a Rod.  Commissioner is the son of A. P. Indy; Matuszak and Commanding Curve are grandsons of A. P. Indy; and California Chrome, Matterhorn and Tonalist are great-grandsons of A. P. Indy.
   I would love to see another Triple Crown champion in my lifetime.  I've seen Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed all win the Triple Crown... a 35 year "dry spell" has since occurred - will we see a new champion crowned on Saturday?  It's up to the horses, the jockeys, the track, ad, most especially, racing luck.  I'll hope and I'll cheer for California Chrome - but there are ten other contenders in this one and a-half-mile race worth $1.5 million.
   My biggest hope is for a clean race, with no injuries.