Belmont Stakes 2015: Entries, Contenders, Odds, Post Time and Lineup Analysis
This year's Belmont Stakes promises to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. While the field doesn't offer the depth of competition it has in years past, it does offer what everybody is looking to see, a Triple Crown threat.
For the second time in as many years, we'll see a horse try to capture the ever-elusive third jewel of the Triple Crown after winning both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. This time, it's the Ahmed Zayat-owned American Pharoah who will look to rewrite the record books as the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
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To do so, he'll need a superhuman effort, as running three races in five weeks is no small task, let alone winning said races.
Belmont Park will be rocking on Saturday. But, before we get there, here's a look at everything you need to know about the 147th Belmont Stakes, including post-time info, runners, post positions and odds, as well as a comprehensive look at the race lineup.
Belmont Stakes Info
When: Saturday, June 6
Where: Belmont Park in Elmont, New York
Post Time: 6:50 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: NBC and NBC Sports Network
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
Runners, Post Positions, Odds and More
| 1 | Mubtaahij | Michael De Kock | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 14-1 |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | Dallas Stewart | Gary Stevens | 20-1 |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | Todd Pletcher | Javier Castellano | 14-1 |
| 4 | Frammento | Nick Zito | Mike Smith | 40-1 |
| 5 | American Pharoah | Bob Baffert | Victor Espinoza | 5-7 |
| 6 | Frosted | Kiaran McLaughlin | Joel Rosario | 6-1 |
| 7 | Keen Ice | Dale Romans | Kent Desormeaux | 25-1 |
| 8 | Materiality | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 13-2 |
Lineup Analysis
If we're being honest, this isn't the best Belmont field we've seen. Where the Derby field was deep and loaded with talent up top, this race features maybe three horses—including American Pharoah—who could win the race, but AP is clearly the cream of the crop.
Pharoah has been historically dominant in each of his last four races, and at this point, his track record speaks for itself. The ability level his colt possesses even surprises trainer Bob Baffert, who told CBS News, "(Pharoah) is more explosive than my other horses. Every time he runs, he's showing me; he looks like maybe this is the one."
After that, only two horses figure in as legitimate challengers to Pharoah and his quest to win the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The first, Frosted.
Frosted, a Grade 1-winning son of Tapit, boasts some of the strongest bloodlines in this year's field; the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained colt is yet another in a long line of graded stakes-winning sires. Seriously, Frosted's pedigree page over at HorseRacingNation.com reads like a who's who of racing's all-time greats.
That said, McLaughlin, who is certainly one of the game's best trainers right now, doesn't sound too confident in his or anybody's chances to beat Pharoah on Saturday, per Ron Mitchell of Blood-Horse:
"We have to have an 'A-plus' day and he (American Pharoah) has to have a 'B' day," McLaughlin said. "But it's a mile-and-a-half, it's a different race over a different track and we're here. We're as close to the paddock as you can get. So it's nice just to walk through the tunnel and be at the paddock."
Despite his trainer trying to temper expectations, Frosted is a big threat to AP and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Materiality is the other big name to watch out for. This son of Afleet Alex is fast, like, really fast.
The young colt ran well in the Florida Derby (shown below), earning the best Equibase speed figure (115) for that race since Cape Town back in 1998 and the fifth fastest since the site started assigning speed figures in 1992.
Following that strong showing in the Florida Derby, the colt tried his hand at the Kentucky Derby and finished a disappointing and distant sixth. Don't hold that race against the Todd Pletcher-trained colt, though.
In the Derby, Materiality broke poorly from the gate and was immediately bottled up well back of the lead between foes. From there, Materiality showed great composure and solid burst, which allowed him to work through traffic en route to that sixth-place finish.
If he gets a better trip here—he almost certainly will—Materiality could play spoiler to American Pharoah's Triple Crown bid.
The only other horse with a chance in this field is Madefromlucky.
Madefromlucky's sire was an outstanding distance runner in his day, logging victories at 1 1/16 miles, 1 3/16 miles and 1 ¼ miles. Madefromlucky should be fine with the distance, but does he have the class to keep pace with Pharoah, Frosted and Materiality?
Well, that's not the easiest question to answer. In two past races, the Lookin At Lucky colt finished well behind Pharoah, logging a fourth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby and a second-place finish in the Rebel Stakes.
Pletcher and owner Mac Nichol then opted to skip the first two legs of the Triple Crown in favor of an easier tuneup, the Peter Pan Stakes (shown below).
A 1 1/8-mile race on the Belmont dirt track, the Peter Pan served as a proving ground in the past. Just last year, Tonalist took a similar path to the Belmont Stakes, where he won by a head as a 9-1 underdog.
According to Equibase's speed figures, Madefromlucky actually ran a better race in the Peter Pan than Tonalist did. So, we have that and a solid workout regimen. As long as Madefromlucky can keep in touch with the pack leaders, he'll have a shot on Saturday.
Odds via Odds Shark.
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