Belmont Stakes 2015: American Pharoah the Odds-on Favorite for the Triple Crown

Rain couldn't hold American Pharoah back from capturing the 2015 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday, and now the colt is again favored to buck recent history and complete the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6, in New York.

American Pharoah became just the 14th horse to win at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness since Affirmed famously won all three legs of the Triple Crown back in 1978. Recent history, however, suggests that winning the first two races is the easy part of the feat; coming out victorious at the Belmont Stakes has been the most daunting task.

Since 2000, six horses have won the first two races of the Triple Crown but were unable to make it three in a row at Belmont. War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones (2004), Big Brown (2008), I'll Have Another (2012) and California Chrome (2014) all fit in under that category. 

Last year, like many of the other horses that couldn't finish first at Belmont, California Chrome was the odds-on favorite at 4-5. Like his predecessors, American Pharoah enters the Belmont already as the colt to beat.

American Pharoah is being favored at 20-23 at 5Dimes and 10-11 at Bovada to win the final leg of the Triple Crown, according to OddsShark.com. But while the sportsbooks peg American Pharoah as the favorite, perhaps history is the horse's biggest form of competition.

In 37 years, no colt has been able to complete the Triple Crown. Recent history suggests the Belmont Stakes is the most difficult part of the feat.

The 1.5-mile track is all too familiar for American Pharoah jockey Victor Espinoza, who last year rode California Chrome in the race. California Chrome, however, suffered a minor injury in the race.

Now American Pharoah will once again try to live up to the hype. The horse was favored in both the Derby and the Preakness. If he's able to do it, American Pharoah will be the 12th horse ever to win the Triple Crown.