Belmont Stakes TV Schedule 2015: NBC TV Info, Start Time and Race Live Stream
The 2015 Belmont Stakes features one dominant storyline: Will American Pharoah buck recent history and complete the Triple Crown with a victory in the 147th Test of the Champion.
Following a seven-length victory at the Preakness Stakes and only a three-week break since, American Pharoah has his work cut out to be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Belmont Park presents a steep challenge with its grueling 1 ½-mile track.
Read on for the complete TV information on the Belmont Stakes, including NBC Sports Network's exclusive access:
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| Belmont Stakes Access | 3:30-6 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Pre-Race Coverage | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| 147th Belmont Stakes | 4:30-7 p.m. | NBC |
| Post-Race Coverage | 7-7:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
All of the race's live stream coverage can be viewed through NBC Sports Live Extra, and post time is slated for 6:50 p.m. ET in Elmont, New York.
American Pharoah will start from the fifth post and be running against seven other horses. Every one of them, save for unlikely Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve, will have had more rest after not competing at Pimlico.
Longer recovery time for six entries means a greater likelihood they'll be able to give American Pharoah a good push over the course of 12 furlongs.
At least American Pharoah is showing few signs of slowing down in his workouts. Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated has seen American Pharoah work through multiple mediums at Churchill Downs recently with similar, impressive results:
| 1 | Mubtaahij | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Mike de Kock | 10-1 |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | Gary Stevens | Dallas Stewart | 15-1 |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 12-1 |
| 4 | Frammento | Mike Smith | Nick Zito | 30-1 |
| 5 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 3-5 |
| 6 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 5-1 |
| 7 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 20-1 |
| 8 | Materiality | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 6-1 |
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert hinted that this year's Triple Crown hopeful has a different aura about him than his previous contenders for horse racing's ultimate trifecta, per USA Today's Dan Wolken:
"It's about the horse now. Is he good enough to do it? It always happens to me when I go up [to New York]. I start feeling pressure because I don't want to let those fans down. Every year, people say, 'This is the one.' So hopefully, maybe this is the one. We don't know. All indications show me he's doing well.
[...] I really feel like it's a different vibe this year with this horse. It's been so long and I just feel like I've probably mellowed out a little bit more.
"
Jockey Victor Espinoza was aboard War Emblem for Baffert in 2002 and won the first two legs of the Triple Crown before falling short in Elmont. Espinoza had another shot last year in the irons for California Chrome, only to finish fourth at Belmont Park.
Espinoza is familiar with the heartbreak of a Triple Crown close call, as is Baffert. The pair will have to hope the third time is the charm for both of them and that they can provide closure to the unfinished business they opened together more than a decade ago.
Frosted and Materiality finished fourth and sixth respectively in the Kentucky Derby and are both gearing up for the Belmont Stakes. They figure to be American Pharoah's biggest threats unless Tale of Verve surprises everyone again as he did in the Preakness, where he entered with the longest odds to win.
Just a quarter of a length behind Dortmund at Churchill Downs, there's no denying Frosted could be a factor. The Wood Memorial Stakes champion has shown the ability to separate from an elite array of opponents before, and he's a potential spoiler to be reckoned with.
But as Baffert mentioned, the buildup to Saturday's race seems to have a slightly different feel than in previous years. American Pharoah feels like the unquestioned best and has morning-line odds of 3-5. Espinoza and Baffert—and the industry overall—are overdue a Triple Crown.
It should be a fascinating finish down the final stretch, but look for American Pharoah to race into the record books as the 12th Triple Crown champion.
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