Belmont Stakes 2015: Latest Odds and Top Threats to Upset American Pharoah

The 2015 Belmont Stakes marks the final chapter of American Pharoah's quest to end horse racing's 37-year Triple Crown drought. The colt's journey hasn't been easy to this point, and it will only get tougher from here.

Pharoah was able to rise above his unfavorable outside starting position at Churchill Downs, showcasing his great stamina while making up plenty of extra ground to outlast a strong field. He rose to the occasion once more at Pimlico, bursting out of the ominous No. 1 gate, passing early traffic and notching a sparkling wire-to-wire victory.

While those two performances were certainly remarkable, a fatigued Pharoah must face off against a field of rested contenders that have far fresher legs. The fact the Belmont is a lengthy 1 1/2-mile race only increases the level of difficulty.

With those factors in mind, it's no wonder there hasn't been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

So, here's the burning question: Which horses in this year's field have a chance of taking down the impressive Pharoah and ruining yet another Triple Crown bid? Before we address that inquiry, let's first take a look at the race's latest odds.

Belmont Stakes Odds

Horse	Odds
American Pharoah	1-1
Frosted	5-1
Materiality	15-2
Mubtaahij	14-1
Carpe Diem	16-1
Madefromlucky	22-1
Keen Ice	25-1
Divining Rod	25-1
Tale of Verve	28-1
Conquest Curlinate	33-1
War Story	33-1
Frammento	50-1

Belmont Stakes odds provided by Odds Shark.

American Pharoah's Top Threats

Frosted

Frosted is a rather tricky horse to forecast. The colt has had a roller-coaster 2015 campaign to this point, finishing second and fourth before finally notching a win in the Wood Memorial. He went on to place fourth in the Kentucky Derby and was held out of the Preakness Stakes.

This horse's tendencies are best displayed in the Kentucky Derby and Wood Memorial. In both races, he started slowly, quickly finding himself near the rear of the pack. However, both times he rallied, passing the majority of the field with a fantastic late-race burst. That tactic earned him a win in the Wood Memorial, but he couldn't find his way to the front of a much larger and far more talented Kentucky Derby field.

The upside for Frosted entering the Belmont Stakes is his ability to close. He has tremendous stamina and is quick down the final stretch. Although, that tactic will be questionable in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes, as he'll likely be forced out wide, further lengthening an already long race.

Materiality

One of four Todd Pletcher-trained horses held out of the Preakness Stakes, Materiality was expected to be highly competitive in the Kentucky Derby but finished in a disappointing sixth place. Although, like Frosted, he displayed a late-race push at Churchill Downs that will likely intrigue bettors on the day of the Belmont Stakes.

Materiality was caught up in early traffic at Churchill Downs, and with nearly a half mile left to race, the colt began to run hard. He put on an impressive show, passing some hard-charging contenders to finish 7 3/4 lengths behind Pharoah. A better start will go a long way for Materiality, and that showed up in his 1 1/2-length Florida Derby win.

At Gulfstream Park, Materiality got a nice jump out of the gate, immediately settling into second position. He maintained a brisk pace, holding that spot for half of the 1 1/8-mile race. When asked to run, he found another gear and pulled away from the pack with ease, outlasting a good horse in Upstart. That kind of endurance will go a long way at Belmont Park.

Carpe Diem

Another Pletcher horse that was held out of the Preakness, Carpe Diem produced a shockingly terrible performance in the Kentucky Derby. One of the horses to watch at Churchill Downs, he appeared to break just fine, finding himself near the front early on, but he would go on to finish 10th without any kind of excuse.

The reason to give Carpe Diem a chance in the Belmont Stakes is due to his body of work leading up to the Kentucky Derby. He began 2015 with a flourish, winning both the Tampa Bay Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. While his speeds weren't overly impressive in either race, he showed an extra gear down the final stretch and didn't appear to be losing steam—a good sign for his capability of running a longer race.

Those victories weren't against lackluster fields, either. Carpe Diem defeated Preakness third-place finisher Divining Rod in Tampa Bay and both Danzig Moon and Ocho Ocho Ocho at Keeneland. As long as Carpe Diem can shake off whatever ailed him at Churchill Downs, his talent and rested legs will make him a horse to watch at Belmont.