2014 Belmont Stakes California Chrome
California Chrome resting up ahead of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday June 7. Reuters

With his workouts going well and spirits high, California Chrome will continue his quest for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes Saturday June 7.

The race is a week and a half away, but the three-year-old colt has been in New York since last week, galloping along the 1 1 /2-mile track, by far the longest of the Triple Crown’s three jewels.

Exercise rider Willie Delgado also said California Chrome showed some eagerness to work out and an affinity for Belmont’s track, perhaps a sign he might be aware of the excitement surrounding his run to the be 12 th horse in history to win the Triple Crown.

“I can tell you he loves this track, and I don’t see him any problem getting a mile and a half,” Delgado said CBS New York. “This is the strongest I’ve felt about him winning a race. I said it before, if he wins the Derby, we’ll probably go all the way. He’s starting to show he can go over this track very easy.”

The odds still heavily favor California Chrome at 1/1, according to Bovada.lv, and his next closest competitors are Ride On Curlin at 5/1, Commanding Curve and Tonalist each at 15/2 and Wicked Strong at 9/1.

Right now the odds are even that California Chrome will complete the Triple Crown, and at 5/7 that he won’t. The odds are the same on whether the margin of victory will be two or more lengths, and if the winning time will be over or under 2:30.00.

Last year’s winner Palace Malice won by 3 1 /4 lengths, the largest margin of victory since Da’Tara blew away the field by 5 1 /4 lengths in 2008.

The Belmont record of 2:24 was set by Secretariat in 1973 during his Triple Crown run, but no horse has cracked the 2:30 barrier in the last four years. Summer Bird was the last in 2009 at 2:27.54, and Easy Goer came the closest to the track record with a 2:26 flat in 1989.

Full Odds

California Chrome 111

Ride On Curlin 5/1

Commanding Curve 15/2

Tonalist 15/2

Wicked Strong 9/1

Medal Count 14/1

Samraat 20/1

Commissioner 33/1

Matterhorn 33/1

Social Inclusion 33/1

Kid Cruz 40/1

Matuszak 40/1

California