Triple Crown 2015: Storylines for Top Contenders in Belmont Field

After being let down yet again in last year's Belmont Stakes, racing fans will have another opportunity to watch as another top-tier colt, American Pharoah, takes a shot at one of the all-time great sports accomplishments, winning a Triple Crown.

The Belmont is widely recognized as the most difficult of the Triple Crown's three legs, and winning will require literally everything this young colt has to offer, as he'll face a field including nine other contenders this Saturday.

The Test of the Champion has seen a number of superstar thoroughbreds take a swing at the final jewel after having won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes (24 times to be exact), with 13 having come since Affirmed last completed a sweep back in 1978. Pharoah will make 14 Derby/Preakness doubles since 1978, with half of those 14 coming since the turn of the century.

Given the magnitude of the events unfolding as we lead up to race day, it's safe to say this is a pretty big deal. So, to help keep you up with all the latest buzz surrounding AP's attempt to cement his growing legacy, I've collected some of the latest storylines on the field's top contenders (three in total) and outlined them in the sections to follow.

Before we begin, though, take a look at the current field for the 147th Belmont Stakes—via BelmontStakes.com, and their respective odds, via OddsShark.com.

The Field

Horse	Trainer	Odds
American Pharoah	Bob Baffert	5-6
Frosted	Kiaran McLaughlin	11-2
Materiality	Todd Pletcher	13-2
Carpe Diem	Todd Pletcher	12-1
Mubtaahij	Michael De Kock	16-1
Madefromlucky	Todd Pletcher	16-1
Tale of Verve	Dallas Stewart	22-1
Keen Ice	Dale Romans	28-1
Frammento	Nick Zito	40-1
The Truth or Else	Ken McPeek	50-1

American Pharoah

American Pharoah is, in all likelihood, making his last race on Saturday.

As first reported by Ray Paulick, the Zayat family sold Pharoah's breeding rights to a then-unknown farm back on May 20.

Eventually the news broke that Coolmore Stud—a company based in Ireland—had purchased AP's breeding rights, and the growing consensus is that they will indeed shut the superstar colt down following the Belmont Stakes. 

There is a remote—all sorts of extra emphasis on the word "remote"—possibility that Coolmore and the Zayat family decide that Pharoah can increase his stud fee if he were to run in, and dominate, a few more races following the Belmont. But as Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel points out, the group would run the risk of injury, in which case both sides would lose a lot of money.

So, it's likely that this will be Pharoah's last race before he goes on to make lots of little American Pharoah babies, and also to make the Zayats and Coolmore a whole boatload of money. If that's the case, what should we expect on the track?

Well, if his recent workouts are any indication, then Pharoah is in tip-top shape, and should be primed to take a stab at greatness in what is likely his last race.

Pharoah is training down at Churchill before he makes the trip up to Belmont later this week, and according to his workout rider, Jorge Alvarez—via BloodHorse.com—the Pioneerof The Nile colt galloped well over the 1 1/2-mile dirt track:

"

He was a little more aggressive this morning and wanted to do more, but I just kept doing my thing. I'm feeling more excited than nervous. We just feel that we have the right horse and he's doing well. We're all staying positive."

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The BloodHorse.com staff also noted that Pharoah galloped again yesterday (May 31) and will breeze for a final time on June 1 before making the trip to Belmont.

All signs point to him being a worthy even-money favorite come race day.

Frosted

Frosted is the biggest threat to Pharoah in the Belmont. The three-year-old son of Tapit has a pedigree that most owners would kill for—he's a member of the Tapit-Pulpit-A.P. Indy-Seattle Slew family line— and his trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, happens to be one of the hottest trainers year in and year out during the Belmont meet—he ranks third in earnings there so far in 2015.

This colt literally has everything you want in a Belmont contender. A strong showing in the Derby, a great trainer-rider angle (McLaughlin/Joel Rosario), a run over the surface, a Grade 1 win and a workout tab that would make American Pharoah blush.

Last time out (shown in the video below), Frosted ran a half-mile in 47.84 seconds, the fourth-fastest time of 33 run at that distance on May 29, via BloodHorse.com. The BloodHorse.com staff also noted that the young colt also worked through five furlongs in 1:01.45 a week prior on May 22.

Frosted is working well at Belmont, and according to Jonathan Lintner of the Courier-Journal, when asked about that workout, McLaughlin stated that, for Frosted, "It couldn't have gone better. We're all set."

Frosted's training times are quick. With that 47.84-second half-mile on May 29, Frosted bested the half-mile time (48.52 seconds) Tonalist put up in his eventual winning effort in last year's Belmont—via Equibase.com.

If you're pulling for AP to complete his sweep of the Triple Crown, this is a horse you should be very, very afraid of.

Materiality

One of three Todd Pletcher trainees running in this year's Belmont, Materiality has put on quite a show in each of his four career races. The Afleet Alex colt broke his maiden in his first shot at Gulfstream Park, and then stayed on site to win both the Islamorada and the Grade 1 Florida Derby in impressive fashion.

Though he followed up that Grade-1-winning effort with a sixth place, Materiality showed impressive burst, and the ability to navigate a rather cluttered field.

At the half-mile mark, the young colt sat in 17th place and was a whopping 13 1/2 lengths back of Pharoah. When they crossed the finish line, Materiality had moved up 11 spots into the sixth position, and shaved nearly six lengths off the deficit, as he finished 7 3/4 lengths back of AP.

Materiality has great speed, and he's been showing it at Belmont as he works out for Pletcher.

According to the BloodHorse.com staff, Materiality's last workout came on May 29, and was run over the Belmont dirt track. The Grade-1 winner logged a time of 1:00.04 in that five-furlong workout, and also worked through a half-mile in 49.03 back on May 16.

Materiality is working well, and after a month on the shelf, he should be one of the field's freshest horses come June 6.

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