Maiden Ocelli withdrew from consideration for the Belmont Stakes this weekend. The longshot Kentucky Derby third-place finisher, who was in line to be the only horse to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown, will instead head to North Randall, Ohio, to race in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown in late June.

The decision was made with trainer Whit Beckman telling DRF, "I'm going to pick a spot that's not quite as tough and angle into the summer with hopefully a win under his belt." Had Ocelli made it to the gate Saturday and won, he would have become the first maiden to win the Belmont Stakes since the 1800's.

Ocelli is winless in eight career starts, but despite that has earned more than $700,000. His current record stands at 0-1-4 from eight starts. Most notably, he shocked the racing world with a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, where he briefly led after overtaking front-running Danon Bourbon before being caught in the final sixteenth of a mile by eventual winner Renegade and runner-up Golden Tempo.

The son of Connect and out of Zalia was purchased for just $12,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale. He has already raced at seven different tracks in his brief career, beginning with a third-place finish in a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. He followed that effort with two more maiden special weight starts at Fair Grounds before competing in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. Ocelli then earned his way into the Kentucky Derby with a third-place finish in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct before producing his longshot third-place finish in Louisville. Most recently, he finished fourth in the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park.

With Ocelli's decision to bypass the Belmont Stakes, the projected field is down to nine likely entrants. The group is headlined by Kentucky Derby winner Golden Temp and runner-up Renegade, while also featuring notable contenders such as Commandment and Chief Wallabee.