Belmont Stakes 2015: Latest News, Time, Live Stream Info for Post-Positions Draw
American Pharoah was unable to avoid unfortunate starting positions in the post-position draws for both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Jockey Victor Espinoza, trainer Bob Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat will be hoping for a change of fortunes in the Belmont Stakes.
The Triple Crown hopeful drew the No. 18 gate at Churchill Downs—he would later start from the No. 16 position following a couple scratches—and was forced to make up significant ground, extending the distance of the race. He went on to draw the dreaded No. 1 gate at Pimlico—a position that previously yielded just one winner since 1961—and had to exert plenty of energy early to ensure he wouldn't get caught against the rail.
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Luckily, no horse will get the most feared starting positions in this year's Belmont Stakes due to an expected small field of eight contenders. Historically, the No. 9, 10 and 11 gates have combined to produce just seven winners, while all seven of the interior starting positions have at least matched that number.
Still, the post draw is extremely important for a contender's chances of success, especially in the lengthy 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes. That said, let's take a look at all of the draw's essential viewing information so you can watch the drama unfold.
2015 Belmont Stakes Post Draw Info
When: Wednesday, June 3
Where: Rockefeller Center in New York City
Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. ET
Live Stream: NYRA.com (requires membership)
Latest News
Perhaps the biggest news to surface from Belmont Park this week was the withdrawal of Carpe Diem from the third leg of the Triple Crown. The Blue Grass Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby winner had an uncharacteristic 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and was held out of the Preakness by trainer Todd Pletcher.
Still, after some time off, the colt figured to be one of the favorites for the Belmont Stakes, but it wasn't to be. WinStar Farm president Elliott Walden explained the decision during an interview with Frank Angst of BloodHorse.com:
"We just felt like he wasn't quite 100 percent. His last two works have been good—timewise they've been great—Todd just feels like he's not quite where he was for the Blue Grass or Breeders' Futurity. He's too good a horse to lead over there not feeling 110 percent confident."
That scratch, along with the withdrawal of The Truth or Else, left the field of contenders at eight.
Here's a look at how those moves affected the race's odds, courtesy of Odds Shark:
| American Pharoah | 4-5 |
| Frosted | 5-1 |
| Materiality | 13-2 |
| Madefromlucky | 12-1 |
| Mubtaahij | 16-1 |
| Tale of Verve | 20-1 |
| Keen Ice | 25-1 |
| Frammento | 33-1 |
All eyes will be fixed on American Pharoah, as the odds-on favorite aims to become the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the elusive Triple Crown. Many horse racing enthusiasts are hesitant to bet on the colt considering he'll be running in his third race in a stretch of just five weeks and will be competing against fresher horses.
Although, if there's one thing we've learned about Pharoah to this point, it's that his stamina is off the charts. The colt ran three wide throughout most of the Kentucky Derby and still had enough gas in the tank to outlast the charging Firing Line down the final stretch. In the Preakness, Pharoah had to run hard in the beginning of the race to avoid traffic but still had enough stamina remaining to burn the field by seven lengths in the end.
Sure, things could be different this time around, as both of those races were tough on the colt; however, according to an interview with Jerry Bossert of the New York Daily News, Baffert remained confident:
"We're sort of used to running in these big races, so it's not like it's the first time for us. We know that as long as we're prepared and we know what we need to do—that's the whole thing. The only thing that I would get nervous about would be if things aren't going well, but so far everything has been right on schedule. There haven't been any setbacks, no hiccups, so that's the main thing.
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As we know, the Belmont Stakes is the longest of the Triple Crown races, coming in at 1 ½ miles—a distance none of the expected contenders have ever run. To gauge which horses may be best suited for that distance, Joe Nevills of DRF.com looked at the pedigree of each contender and determined which is bred better for the race. Here's what he found:
| Keen Ice | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| American Pharoah | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Madefromlucky | 6 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Mubtaahij | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| Materiality | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| Frosted | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| Tale of Verve | 8 | 5 | 13 | 5 |
| Frammento | 7 | 7 | 14 | 6 |
Interestingly enough, Pharaoh came in second just behind Keen Ice. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering the magnificent closing ability we've seen from the colt over his previous two races. Could that mean the 37-year Triple Crown drought is coming to an end in 2015?
It may be too early to tell, but the post-positions draw will begin to help shed some light on the matter. Be sure to tune in.
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