Belmont Stakes Horses 2015: Analyzing Top Contenders and Jockeys
American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza have proven to be a winning team. The horse and veteran jockey have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in impressive fashion displaying different skills and techniques in both races.
In the Derby, Espinoza pushed American Pharoah to overcome fellow Bob Baffert trainee Dortmund and Firing Line despite running fourth for a good piece of the race. At the Preakness Stakes, the duo shook off a rail post position and the potential effects of a muddy track to win going away.
American Pharoah has proven to be capable of winning the medium and short races, but we'll soon find out if he has what it takes to win the marathon-like Belmont Stakes.
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As for Espinoza, we shouldn't be surprised to see him here. He guided California Chrome to this exact spot in 2014 before falling short of his Triple Crown aspirations. In all, this will be Espinoza's third shot at the Triple Crown. Back in 2002, War Emblem finished eighth in the Belmont Stakes after stumbling out of the gate.
The 43-year-old veteran understands how rare of an opportunity he has. He told Alicia Wincze Hughes of the Lexington Herald Leader:
"I think that this is probably my last time to be in this position, because you have to be realistic. I don't think in a million years it could happen a third time."
He, Baffert and much of the horse racing community hopes the third time is the charm. Let's take a look at the jockey-horse combination for two other highly regarded contenders in the 2015 Belmont Stakes.
Frosted and Joel Rosario
According to Odds Shark, American Pharoah is the odds-on favorite to win the Belmont Stakes at 5-6. However, Frosted and 30-year-old jockey Joel Rosario are in the mix at 11-2.
Frosted had won all four of his races this year heading into the Kentucky Derby—including the Wood Memorial. Just before that race, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin installed Rosario as jockey. They didn't get the results they wanted at the Derby as the duo came in fourth. However, after sitting out the Preakness Stakes, recent indications have been that the horse is in top form.
"Ahead of the June 6 Belmont Stakes, Frosted, fourth in the Kentucky Derby, may have impressed the most. Moving in company for the second straight week with Tamarkuz, the McLaughlin trainee finished just ahead of his older workmate. The pair went four furlongs in 47.84 seconds.
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Rosario could be the one to help push Frosted to new heights at the Belmont. Legendary jockey Gary Stevens gushed over Rosario back in 2013 when the young Dominican was attempting to guide Orb to Triple Crown glory. Per Tim Sullivan of USA Today, Stevens said:
"He's a freak in a good way."
Materiality and John R. Velazquez
The Todd A. Pletcher-trained Materiality will also be well rested when he takes the track in Elmont, New York. After finishing sixth at the Derby, he didn't run at the Preakness, which is customary for Pletcher's horses that don't win the Derby. In fact, Materiality is one of three Pletcher horses in the Belmont.
The trainer was pleased after a recent workout from Materiality where he noted his solid stamina. Per Lintner, Pletcher said:
"I thought [Materiality] worked very well. You know, he's the kind of horse who kind of does what his workmate does. It was a very good, progressive breeze, picking it up as they went along, with a very strong gallop out. [Materiality] came back and he wasn't even blowing. He just took it all very well.
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Obviously, Materiality will have to be a lot better than he was at the Derby. His jockey is the least accomplished of the men in the saddle for the top three horses. John R. Velazquez has won three Triple Crown events. His most recent victory came atop Union Rags at the 2012 Belmont Stakes.
If you buy into the impact of a jockey on a horse in what figures to be a tight race, you might be a little down on Materiality. On Saturday we'll find out which pair is the winning combination.
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