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Steve Asmussen Doesn't Want to Get to Bold with Predictions for 2011 Belmont Stakes In his last three races, Nehro has come down with a slight case of what is known as "seconditis." Starting with the Louisiana Derby in March, Nehro has finished second in each of his last three races, the most recent of which was the Kentucky Derby. Naturally, despite the fact he's one of the favorites in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, Nehro is nothing if not a risky bet. After all, you basically have to take it on faith that this will be the race where Nehro finally gets off the schneid. So what does Steve Asmussen, Nehro's trainer, think about his three-year-old colt's chances in the third leg of the Triple Crown? Well, he wouldn't say. MUST READ: One Fact About Each Belmont Stakes Horse
Unlike the Louisiana Derby, the Arkansas Derby, and the Kentucky Derby, Asmussen is not prepared to say that he thinks Nehro is going to win. “Well, of course, we thought he was going to win," said Asmussen of Nehro in the Arkansas Derby, according to MyDesert.com. "You thought you were going to win,” Asmussen said of Nehro in the Kentucky Derby. “You do. That’s what you’re there for: thinking you’re going to win.” And the Belmont? “Didn’t say that,” Asmussen said, laughing. Maybe so, but does not saying he thinks Nehro can win mean he's not thinking it? After all, that's how people might perceive his silence. “It isn’t people I’m worried about," said Asmussen. "It’s the racing gods I don’t want to offend.” After Nehro's three previous times out, that makes sense. If Nehro is to finish first and claim an elusive victory, he's going to need as much help as he can get. Eventually, Asmussen did let up, admitting that he is optimistic. “We like our chances in the Belmont. But we also hope there is plenty left for the rest of the year," he said. The odds-makers like Nehro's chances too. Starting from the No. 6 gate, Nehro has 4-1 odds of winning the race. We shall see if the racing gods have other plans for him.
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