Belmont Stakes 2015: Post-Preakness Odds and Preview
After American Pharoah's Kentucky Derby victory left people questioning whether or not the hype that surrounded the brilliant colt was legitimate, he came back two weeks later to silence any doubters in the 140th Preakness Stakes.
As the skies darkened ominously, there was literally the calm before the storm at Pimlico. As the horses made their way onto the track for the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the skies opened up, and the rain began to pour, soaking the track and quickly taking the surface from fast to sloppy.
Under a strategic ride from Victor Espinoza, American Pharoah splashed home to win the Preakness by seven lengths, the largest margin of victory since Smarty Jones romped by 11 lengths in 2004.
Now, the final question left to answer is whether or not he can continue on to Belmont Park and win the grueling mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes and complete horse racing's elusive Triple Crown.
Read on to get all of the details you need for the 147th Belmont Stakes, including when and where to watch, the early odds and the potential contenders.
Schedule and TV Information
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Friday, June 5
5-6 p.m. ET: Belmont Stakes Access (Jaipur and Brooklyn), NBC Sports
Saturday, June 6
3-5 p.m. ET: Belmont Stakes Prep (Just a Game, True North, Woody Stephens), NBC Sports
5-7 p.m. ET: The Belmont Stakes (Woodford Reserve Manhattan and Metropolitan Mile), NBC
7-7:30 p.m. ET: Belmont Stakes Post, NBC Sports
Likely Contenders
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The Belmont Stakes is the ultimate test of a Thoroughbred's stamina, speed and resilience. Referred to as "The Test of Champions," the mile-and-a-half contest is a grueling culmination of a five-week Triple Crown campaign. No horse since Affirmed in 1978 has been able to successfully sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
The Belmont Stakes will feature some horses who will have competed in all three jewels of the Triple Crown but will also have some fresh faces poised for an upset.
Some, like California Chrome's outspoken owner Steve Coburn, spoke out after his colt was defeated by a new shooter, Tonalist, in last year's Belmont Stakes and referred to skipping the first two races as "the coward's way out" during the NBC telecast.
Over the next three weeks, the list of contenders will change as each trainer decides whether they have the colt that could potentially play the role of the spoiler in this year's Triple Crown.
Here is a look at the potential contenders with odds provided by the author.
1. American Pharoah, Even
2. Frosted, 4-1
3. Tale of Verve, 8-1
4. Carpe Diem, 8-1
5. Materiality, 10-1
6. Mubtaahij, 12-1
7. Madefromlucky, 15-1
8. Keen Ice, 20-1
9. Frammento, 30-1
Belmont Park Facts
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Dimensions: The mile-and-a-half main track is the largest dirt Thoroughbred track in North America. Inside of the dirt main track, there are two turf courses: the Widener Turf Course, which is a 1 5/16-mile course, and the Inner Turf Course, which measures 1 3/16 miles.
Nickname: Big Sandy
Preakness Stakes Record: 1973, Secretariat in a time of 2:24.00
Since Affirmed won the Belmont Stakes and captured the Triple Crown in 1978, there have been 14 horses to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Belmont Park has been the home of some of the most crushing defeats in horse racing, including Real Quiet's narrow loss in the 1998 Belmont Stakes and California Chrome's fourth-place finish just last year.
Of the Triple Crown misses at Belmont Park, American Pharoah's trainer Bob Baffert has been a part of three of them—Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002). Victor Espinoza, American Pharoah's jockey, was aboard War Emblem for his loss and California Chrome last year.
For the first year in Belmont Stakes history, Belmont Park is putting a cap on the attendance at 90,000. Teresa Genaro of Brooklyn Backstretch tweeted that both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness had record attendance. With the cap, the Belmont Stakes will not.
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Top Storylines
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Will American Pharoah win the Triple Crown?
Horse racing fans have waited 37 years to see a Triple Crown winner. Though American Pharoah was not his routinely brilliant self in the Kentucky Derby, he returned in a big way in Baltimore with a visually stunning romp on the sloppy track. Can he end the Triple Crown drought?
How will the fresh horses perform?
Though American Pharoah will be an overwhelming favorite in the Belmont Stakes, the race will by no means be handed to him. He will face several talented colts who will have one major advantage—an additional two weeks of rest after skipping the Preakness Stakes.
Frosted, after a dynamite effort in the Kentucky Derby, will headline a strong group of fresh contenders.
Can Todd Pletcher play the spoiler?
After Todd Pletcher saddled a loaded group of four contenders in the Kentucky Derby, he still came home empty-handed. Rather than move on to the Preakness Stakes, he elected to sit out a trip to Baltimore and focus on the Belmont Stakes, a race he has won twice—with Rags to Riches (2007) and Palace Malice (2013).
With promising horses like Materiality and Carpe Diem, he could be poised for a strong showing.
Dark Horses to Watch
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Tale of Verve
Tale of Verve narrowly missed a shot in the Kentucky Derby but came back in the Preakness Stakes and rewarded trainer Dallas Stewart's confidence with a good runner-up performance.
Prior to the Preakness Stakes, Stewart told Jennie Rees of the Courier-Journal that the ultimate goal was the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness was merely a prep.
"I'm thinking of maybe running him in the Preakness. The track, we always think of it as a little bit on the speed-favoring side, and he's a come-from-behind, one-run horse. I think the Belmont would be better for him, but I don't know if I can keep him fit enough. I might need to run him, get a race in him and be ready for the Belmont. He's kind of a big, lazy-type colt, kind of like Commanding Curve. There's a big shot he could come up empty going a mile and a half (without a race in between).
"
Now with that race under his belt, he could be poised for a major effort at Belmont Park.
Materiality
Materiality, despite lacking a lot of racing experience, ran a gutsy race in the Kentucky Derby to finish sixth. A typical front-runner forced off of his game due to a poor start, he showed a new dimension and was able to rally from off of the pace and be competitive despite losing a shoe at one point during the race.
Pletcher told the Associated Press, "It came down to we just felt two weeks was a little bit risky. We felt five weeks to the Belmont would be an advantage for him."
Mubtaahij
The international invader, Mubtaahij, was a major dark horse heading into the Kentucky Derby. Though he wound up eighth, it was not a terrible effort, and he is one horse who is truly suited for the grueling 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes.
With strong European distance influence in both sides of his pedigree, he is bred to excel at longer distances, whereas his American counterparts are not. In the middle of Belmont Park's long stretch, he could just be hitting his best stride.
Favorites
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American Pharoah
There is no doubt that American Pharoah will be the heavy favorite and seems like a legitimate contender to end the Triple Crown drought. While he, like all of his rivals, is unproven at a mile and a half, he has shown both versatility and a sharp cruising speed, both of which will make him a dangerous contender.
With so many Triple Crown disappointments fresh in the minds of racing fans, it is easy to think that a horse actually winning is an impossible feat. American Pharoah will have to buck history in the Belmont Stakes but could be the horse to do it.
Frosted
Kiaran McLaughlin is no stranger to the Belmont Stakes—he saddled Jazil to win in 2006. After Frosted was flying late to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby, the decision was made to sit out the Preakness and come in fresh for the final jewel of the Triple Crown.
Physically, Frosted was thriving prior to the Kentucky Derby and appears to have continued his development with a recent strong workout at Belmont Park. McLaughlin told The Bloodhorse, "He worked great. We just wanted a regular half-mile and that's him. He's always been a good worker."
Predictions
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The Triple Crown is the Holy Grail of horse racing and has become the most sought-after and elusive prize in the sport. Will American Pharoah be the horse that fans have been waiting for? Or, will he join a growing list of great horses who have faltered in the Belmont Stakes?
Win: Frosted
Place: American Pharoah
Show: Tale of Verve
Note: Preakness Odds created by the author
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