2012 Belmont Stakes Contenders: Five Sixteen

Horse: Five Sixteen
Trainer: Dominick Schettino
Pedigree: By Invasor (ARG) out of a Salt Lake mare (Third Street)
Career Record: 6-1-1-1
Career Earnings: $63,054
Notable Races: None

Can He Win The Belmont Stakes?

It’s tough to find nuggets in the career of Five Sixteen that suggests he has a chance to pull an upset in the Belmont Stakes. A son of former Horse of the Year Invasor (ARG), it took Five Sixteen five tries to break his maiden, which he finally did in mid-March at Aqueduct. In his next and more recent start, Five Sixteen finished fourth beaten over 11 lengths against Allowance company. Making the jump from allowance ranks to graded stakes company is hard enough on its own. Trying to do it after losing badly and then facing the Derby and Preakness winner at a mile and a half in the Belmont is something more challenging.

In his fourth try to break his maiden, Five Sixteen finished third behind fellow Belmont Stakes rival Street Life in a mile and 70 yard race on the Aqueduct inner track.

If you’re looking for something to hang your hat on with Five Sixteen you could take some solace in the fact that his owners saw enough talent in this colt to shell out $225,000 for him at the 2012 Keeneland September sale. Unfortunately for Five Sixteen and his connections, the winner of the Belmont won’t be determined by how much money the horse sold for at auction.