Uncle Vinny Tops Field For $250,000 Tremont Stakes

Category :: News

On Saturday at Belmont Park, the track will host the 118^th running of the $250,000 Tremont Stakes. Carded at five and a half furlongs, the race has drawn a field of ten juveniles.

Uncle Vinny has been tabbed as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 for trainer Todd Pletcher. Purchased for $175,000 as a yearling by Starlight Racing, the bay is from the first crop by champion Uncle Mo and broke his maiden at first asking in his debut in May as the heavy favorite. John Velazquez, aboard for his maiden score, will be in the irons for his stakes debut and they will break from post position seven.

Banree stepping up and taking on the boys

Second choice at 7-2 on the morning line is Banree for trainer Wesley Ward. One of two fillies in the race taking on male rivals, the gray daughter of Macho Uno broke her maiden in her career debut at Keeneland over ten rivals by four-lengths as the favorite. Rafael Hernandez has retained the mount and they will break from post position five as she goes for her second consecutive victory.

Paynes Prairie trying stakes company as a maiden

Also in the field at morning line odds of 8-1 is Paynes Prairie for trainer Steve Asmussen. A dark bay son of Tale of Ekati, he is coming into this stakes race as a maiden after finishing second in his debut. Sent off as the heavy favorite, he was second in a field of six against maiden company at Churchill Downs. He has had a workout since then and will get a jockey change to Javier Castellano from post ten.