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Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Belmont Stakes four times, and he will need to summon all of his trainer magic in order to get Uncaged into the winner's circle after his lifeless sixth-place finish in the Peter Pan Stakes.

4 Uncaged (30-1)

  • Trainer Todd Pletcher
  • Jockey Luis Saez
  • Last race Sixth in the Peter Pan Stakes by 10¼ lengths
  • Career record 4 starts: 2 wins
  • Career earnings $105,450
  • Best career Beyer Speed Figure 84 (2024 maiden special weight)
  • Sire Curlin

Below, we'll dig further into Uncaged as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 157th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered on Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

Belmont Stakes profiles 1 Hill Road | 2 Sovereignty | 3 Rodriguez | 4 Uncaged | 5 Crudo | 6 Baeza | 7 Journalism | 8 Heart of Honor

Belmont Stakes picks Michelle Yu | Gene Menez | Jody Demling | Jeff Hochman

What to know about Uncaged

A $450,000 purchase two years ago, Uncaged made his debut at Saratoga in August carrying the weight of expectations. He responded with an impressive victory, earning an 84 Beyer Speed Figure, which is very good for 2-year-olds at that time of the year.

He didn't return to the races until March, when he was no factor. But then in his next start, at one mile at Aqueduct, he won a non-winners of one other than race by almost two lengths. Like the debut win, this victory came on a muddy track.

Pletcher then entered Uncaged in the Peter Pan Stakes, also at Aqueduct, on May 10, and the horse bombed. He ran a listless sixth, finishing 10¼ lengths behind winner Hill Road.

His best Beyer Speed Figure remains the 84 that he ran in August, which is tied with Crudo for the lowest career-high Beyer in the field. The figure also is far shy of what it will take to win this race; four horses already have run triple-digit Beyers.

So why is Uncaged entered in the Belmont with those credentials? Co-owner Mike Repole is a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker who hasn't missed running in the Belmont Stakes since 2020. He won the race in 2022 with Mo Donegal. 

Also, Uncaged is a son of Curlin out of a Pioneer of the Nile mare so the Belmont distance of 1¼ miles should suit him more than others. Finally he is a perfect 1-for-1 at Saratoga and a perfect 2-for-2 on muddy tracks, and there's always a chance of rain in upstate New York in June. 

Still, he's the co-longest shot in the field at FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET, at 30-1.

Post draw analysis

Uncaged drew well on Monday, getting post No. 4. With two deep closers and one speed horse to his inside, Uncaged should easily be able to get to the rail and save ground if that's what the connections want. New jockey Luis Saez is known for being an aggressive rider, so Uncaged could very well be forwardly placed, right behind the leaders after a half mile.