He’s got a valid point. It’s not like Belmont doesn’t hold other races to test their metal, but the quest for the crown should only be open to those who’ve gone the distance.
JMHO
Of course given that some $9m was bet on him to win; Belmont won’t be so quick to lose such largess to a fair playing field.
The last crown winner was in 78’; Have they been gaming the system since then to keep it down? Don’t know, but money compels a lot of behavior.
Here are the terms of qualifying for the Belmont Stakes:
The Belmont field will be limited to sixteen (16) starters. In the event more than 16 entries pass through the entry box at the closing, the starters will be determined at the closing with the first eight (8) starters given preference by accumulating the highest earnings in Graded Sweepstakes at a mile or over. For purposes of this preference, the graded status of each race shall be the Grade assigned by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee in Part 1 of The International Cataloguing Standards as published annually by The Jockey Club Information Systems, Incorporated. The next five (5) starters will be determined by accumulating the highest earnings in all non-restricted sweepstakes. “Non-restricted sweepstakes” shall mean those sweepstakes whose conditions contain non-restrictions other than age or sex. The remaining three (3) starters shall be determined by accumulating the highest earnings in all races.