Brilliant Speed to be Belmont’s brightest light

A Triple Crown isn’t on the line, but Saturday’s Belmont Stakes still holds great interest and intrigue for many reasons.

For starters, Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford will meet for the third time. And an unprecedented top seven finishers from the Derby are running in the Belmont. That tells me horsemen are not afraid of the two favorites.

I thought going into the Kentucky Derby that this was an evenly matched group of 3-year-olds. I still feel that way. Thus, I am looking for a third different winner of the Triple Crown races.

My choice to win the Belmont is Brilliant Speed, a 15-1 shot, who ran seventh in the Derby. He skipped the Preakness, so he is among a bevy of fresh challengers to Animal Kingdom and Shackleford.

Brilliant Speed trainer Tom Albertrani won the Preakness with Bernardini in 2006, so he has classic race experience. I expect jockey Joel Rosario to make a quarter-mile run with Brilliant Speed that can upset the field.

Animal Kingdom (2-1) is clearly the horse to beat. He is well equipped to handle the extra distance of 1½ miles. The scary part is he might be a better runner on grass.

Trainer Graham Motion has not squeezed the lemon dry on Animal Kingdom, so I do not think he’ll bounce. If anything, I expect Animal Kingdom to run another good race and would be no shock to win again.

Nehro (4-1) has run an unlucky runner-up in three straight Derbies — Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky. This is a talented horse who has the same obstacle all deep closers do — he runs at the mercy of the early pace.

Steve Asmussen bypassed the Preakness to point for a Belmont try. The way he has been training, Nehro will not be a short horse off a brief rest.

My final choice is Santiva (15-1). His race in the Kentucky Derby looks a lot like Brilliant Speed’s; they finished on near even terms. His three dirt routes are all good and improving. Also, like Brilliant Speed, he offers outstanding value at high odds.

The two horses who would crush my tickets if they run big are Shackleford (9-2) and Mucho Macho Man (10-1). I think both are ready to finally show the wear and tear of a long and difficult spring campaign.

ENG’S PICKS — Brilliant Speed, Animal Kingdom, Nehro, Santiva

■ MOHEGAN SUN — Tom Quigley, publisher of The Horseplayer Magazine, and I will be guest handicappers at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., for its Belmont Stakes ballroom party. We’ll offer our selections for the Belmont as well as the undercard races.

■ LUCKY’S — Lucky’s Twin Quinella jackpot has grown to $4,620 for today. The bet is available at Terrible’s Las Vegas and Pahrump, the Plaza, Primadonna and Buffalo Bill’s.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column in published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.