2011 Belmont Stakes


The 2011 Belmont Stakes was the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes and was won by Ruler on Ice. The race was run on June 11, 2011, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The post time was EDT. As in the previous year, the Belmont was run without the elusive championship at stake as 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom lost in the Preakness.
Favorite Animal Kingdom lost his footing at the start and could only muster sixth; Ruler On Ice, with jockey Jose Valdivia Jr., sprinted to the finish ahead of Stay Thirsty.

Race

Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford both competed in the race, which was the first clash at the Belmont between winners of the first two classics since Afleet Alex scored over Giacomo in 2005.
Animal Kingdom attempted to become the 12th horse to complete a Derby-Belmont double, last accomplished by Thunder Gulch in 1995. Animal Kingdom suffered from a bad start and clipped heels with another horse and was the last horse for the first quarter of the race, but was able to recover and finished in 6th place. Shackleford finished in 5th place after leading for most of the race before the final stretch.
Other starters were Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Nehro and Mucho Macho Man, 3rd in the Derby and 6th in the Preakness. Other Derby contenders Master of Hounds and Santiva also ran.

Field

Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom was installed as the 2–1 early line favorite.
For the first time, the first seven finishers from the Derby ran in the Belmont.
FinishPostHorse nameTrainerJockeyOpening odds Final oddsStakes
13Ruler on IceKelly J. BreenJose Valdivia, Jr.20–124$600,000
22Stay ThirstyTodd PletcherJavier Castellano20–115$200,000
35Brilliant SpeedThomas AlbertraniJoel Rosario15–110$110,000
46NehroSteve AsmussenCorey Nakatani4–19–2$60,000
512ShacklefordDale RomansJesus Castanon9–210$30,000
69Animal KingdomH. Graham MotionJohn R. Velazquez2–15–2
710Mucho Macho ManKatherine RitvoRamon Dominguez10–17
84SantivaEddie KenneallyShaun Bridgmohan15–113
97MonzonIgnacio Correas IVJose Lezcano30–126
101Master of HoundsAidan O'BrienGarrett K. Gomez10–15
118Prime CutNeil J. HowardEdgar Prado15–120
1211Isn't He PerfectDoodnauth ShivmangalRajiv Maragh30–128

The Belmont Stakes Payout Schedule
Program
Number		Horse Name
Win
Place
Show
3Ruler on Ice$51.50$26.00$13.60
2Stay Thirsty-$19.40$10.80
5Brilliant Speed--$7.90