Why Isn’t This Local Horse That Ran The Kentucky Derby Running The Belmont?

A Dutchess County horse ran in the Kentucky Derby, but didn't run the Preakness and isn't running the Belmont Stakes.

The local horse than showed in the Kentucky Derby skipped the second race in the Triple Crown and will be skipping the third as well. Audible, the horse born in Pine Plains, was expected to be Justify's main competition for the Belmont. Justify is the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. But why isn't Audible running?

The Amazon-sponsored Audible won't be running because the owners felt that he wasn't going in prepared enough, according to Horse Racing Nation. Instead, the owners and trainers will be preparing Audible for a summer season at smaller races than the three in the Triple Crown.

But some believe that isn't the real reason. Justify and Audible have the same owners, WinStar Farms,  the China Horse Club, Starlight Racing and Head of Plains Partners. The Baltimore Sun says that skeptics argue that the owners don't want to race the two horses against each other since one trying to close out the Triple Crown.

After all, the WinStar Farms CEO said that Audible would be major competition for Justify after the Preakness, according to the Baltimore Sun. The following week, Audible was officially out of the Belmont Stakes. It's looking like the owners didn't want Audible to ruin the Triple Crown for Justify, and lose the money that comes with winning a Triple Crown.

Audible placed third in the Kentucky Derby after pulling lucky gate #5.