| Belmont Stakes | |
 "The Test of the Champion" | |
| Location | Belmont Park Elmont, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Date | June 11, 2011 |
| Distance | 1+1⁄2 mi (12 furlongs; 2,414 m) |
| Winning horse | Ruler on Ice |
| Winning time | 2:30.88 |
| Final odds | 24.75 (to 1) |
| Jockey | Jose Valdivia, Jr. |
| Trainer | Kelly J. Breen |
| Owner | George and Lori Hall |
| Conditions | Sloppy |
| Surface | Dirt |
The2011 Belmont Stakes was the 143rd running of theBelmont Stakes and was won byRuler on Ice. The race was run on June 11, 2011, and was televised in the United States on theNBCtelevision network. The post time was6:30 p.m. EDT (10:30 p.m.UTC). As in the previous year, the Belmont (the final jewel in theTriple Crown) was run without the elusive championship at stake as2011 Kentucky Derby winnerAnimal Kingdom lost in thePreakness.[1]
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.[2]
Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winnerShackleford both competed in the race, which was the first clash at the Belmont between winners of the first two classics sinceAfleet Alex scored overGiacomo in 2005.[1]
Animal Kingdom attempted to become the 12th horse to complete a Derby-Belmont double,[3] last accomplished byThunder Gulch in 1995. Animal Kingdom suffered from a bad start and clipped heels with another horse (not identified by his jockey) 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 (5th) and Santiva (6th) also ran.[3]
Kentucky Derby winnerAnimal Kingdom was installed as the 2–1 early line favorite.[4]For the first time, the first seven finishers from the Derby ran in the Belmont.[4]
| Finish | Post | Horse name | Trainer | Jockey | Opening odds (to 1) | Final odds | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Ruler on Ice | Kelly J. Breen | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | 20–1 | 24 | $600,000 |
| 2 | 2 | Stay Thirsty | Todd Pletcher | Javier Castellano | 20–1 | 15 | $200,000 |
| 3 | 5 | Brilliant Speed | Thomas Albertrani | Joel Rosario | 15–1 | 10 | $110,000 |
| 4 | 6 | Nehro | Steve Asmussen | Corey Nakatani | 4–1 | 9–2 | $60,000 |
| 5 | 12 | Shackleford | Dale Romans | Jesus Castanon | 9–2 | 10 | $30,000 |
| 6 | 9 | Animal Kingdom | H. Graham Motion | John R. Velazquez | 2–1 | 5–2 | |
| 7 | 10 | Mucho Macho Man | Katherine Ritvo | Ramon Dominguez | 10–1 | 7 | |
| 8 | 4 | Santiva | Eddie Kenneally | Shaun Bridgmohan | 15–1 | 13 | |
| 9 | 7 | Monzon | Ignacio Correas IV | Jose Lezcano | 30–1 | 26 | |
| 10 | 1 | Master of Hounds | Aidan O'Brien | Garrett K. Gomez | 10–1 | 5 | |
| 11 | 8 | Prime Cut | Neil J. Howard | Edgar Prado | 15–1 | 20 | |
| 12 | 11 | Isn't He Perfect | Doodnauth Shivmangal | Rajiv Maragh | 30–1 | 28 |
The Belmont Stakes Payout Schedule
| Program Number | Horse Name | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ruler on Ice | $51.50 | $26.00 | $13.60 |
| 2 | Stay Thirsty | - | $19.40 | $10.80 |
| 5 | Brilliant Speed | - | - | $7.90 |