New York ? Fans of the 1960s rock group Steppenwolf, the owners of a 2-year-old gray colt wanted to give him the same exact name as the band.

It was rejected by The Jockey Club, as was their second choice, Step N Wolf. Too commercial, the official breed registry for thoroughbreds in North America ruled last year.

Undeterred, owners Robert and Lawana Low of Springfield, Mo., looked to the colt’s dam, Wolfer, and came up with Steppenwolfer. Permission granted.

“I never saw them live, but I can tell you I wore out that 8-track tape listening to them,” Robert Low said Thursday. “I think the name has created a little interest.”

A year after buying the colt for $375,000, the Lows, and trainer Dan Peitz, are hoping Steppenwolfer was born to win the $1 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

“I believe he was,” Peitz said. “There’s nothing he’s showing me that makes me think he’s not going to run all day.”

Which is exactly what needs to happen for a 3-year-old to take the 1 1â2-mile Belmont, the longest and most grueling of the Triple Crown races.

Steppenwolfer is 9-2 on the morning line, the third betting choice in the 12-horse field behind 3-1 favorite Bluegrass Cat and 4-1 Sunriver, both trained by Todd Pletcher.

In the 11â4-mile Kentucky Derby, Steppenwolfer made a six-wide closing move and finished third.

Before the Derby, Low said he received a letter signed by Steppenwolf lead singer John Kay and a phone call from road manager Charlie Wolf wishing him good luck.

Steppenwolfer was held out of the 13â16-mile Preakness at speed-favoring Pimlico, and last Friday put in a sizzling final tuneup for the Belmont.

“It was a pretty brilliant work,” Peitz said of Steppenwolfer’s six-furlong workout in 1:10.36. “It indicates how well he is doing right now. Hopefully he runs back to that Saturday.”

Steppenwolfer, a son of Aptitude, has shown that distance doesn’t matter, either. The last seven of his nine career starts have been at a mile or more, and he has finished in the top three eight times – three wins, two seconds and three thirds – for earnings of $561,520.

Peitz said he’d like jockey Robby Albarado to keep Steppenwolfer about five lengths off the lead. In the Derby, Steppenwolfer was about 10 lengths behind.

Then again, there’s no telling what might develop in the Belmont, when horses are running so far for the first time.

“Until you go a a mile-and-a-half, you really don’t know,” Peitz said. “Sometimes, it’s just the last horse standing in a race like this.”

The Belmont may be missing the Derby and Preakness winners for the first time since 2000, but it won’t matter much to whoever wins the race.

“It would be great to win one of the classic races,” Peitz said. “If we can, it would improve one spot off what his father did.”