Belmont Stakes 2015 Contenders: Odds, Jockey and Pedigree Info for Top Favorites
Following Wednesday's draw, the post positions for the 2015 Belmont Stakes are set. While we can attempt to predict the race's outcome based on each contender's recent performances and historical trends from Belmont Park's starting gates, knowing the history of each horse will only help anyone planning to wager on the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
The pedigree for each horse is a very important factor in the Belmont Stakes. After all, some contenders are bred for speed, while others have a better lineage for distance. Since the Belmont is the longest race of the Triple Crown series at 1 1/2-miles, knowing which horses are likeliest to have enough stamina to finish strong is key.
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Luckily for us, Joe Nevills of DRF.com did the dirty work and ranked each Belmont contender's ability to run a longer distance based purely on pedigree. Take a look at his results:
| 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, race favorite and Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah comes in at No. 2 overall. That's a pretty positive omen.
With that in mind, here's a glance at the pedigrees, jockeys, odds and post positions for every Belmont Stakes contender, followed by some analysis pertaining to the race's favorites.
Belmont Stakes Contender Information
| 5 | American Pharoah | 2-3 | Pioneerof the Nile | Littleprincessemma | Victor Espinoza |
| 6 | Frosted | 6-1 | Tapit | Fast Cookie | Joel Rosario |
| 8 | Materiality | 13-2 | Afleet Alex | Wildwood Flower | John R. Velasquez |
| 1 | Mubtaahij | 14-1 | Dubawi | Pennegale | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | 16-1 | Lookin at Lucky | Home From Oz | Javier Castellano |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | 20-1 | Tale of Ekati | Verve | Gary Stevens |
| 7 | Keen Ice | 25-1 | Curlin | Medomak | Kent Desormeaux |
| 4 | Frammento | 40-1 | Midshipman | Ginger Bay | Mike Smith |
All Belmont Stakes odds provided by Odds Shark.
Top Contender Analysis
American Pharoah
American Pharoah dazzled in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, overcoming poor starting positions and strong fields to take the first two jewels of the Triple Crown and enter the Belmont Stakes attempting to end a drought that has lasted for 37 years.
The colt received his first stroke of luck during the post draw, acquiring the No. 5 gate. This starting position gives jockey Victor Espinoza plenty of strategic options early in the race, and it comes with a solid history. A total of 13 horses have emerged victorious from the position, including 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew.
Trainer Bob Baffert appears to like the colt's chances from the No. 5 gate. He shared his thoughts during an interview with the Associated Press, via ESPN.com: "I've always liked the five. It's a number I always do well with. More important is the horse is doing well."
Another historical fact that bodes well for Pharoah in this year's race is this: No Triple Crown winner has ever defeated more than seven horses in the Belmont Stakes. It just so happens that this year's race features a total of eight horses.
Frosted
Frosted will start alongside Pharoah in the No. 6 gate. With a favorable starting position, the race's second favorite will attempt to become the eighth horse to win from that location. However, Frosted will need to overcome his woes out of the gate if he's to contend with Pharoah.
The colt's tendency to start slowly was evident in the Kentucky Derby. He didn't break quickly and was immediately caught behind traffic. He drifted well off the pace and found himself in the rear of the pack early. Frosted does have a phenomenal closing ability, however, and he cruised past the bulk of the field over the last half-mile to finish fourth.
Coming from behind isn't a bad strategy in the Belmont Stakes. After all, the race's longer distance gives a trailing horse additional time to make up ground. Although, Frosted must avoid falling too far off the pace early. Pharoah is still a brilliant closer, and Frosted needs to remain close to have a chance down the final stretch.
While Frosted is likely Pharoah's biggest competition in the Belmont Stakes, the colt could drop out of contention early with another bad start. However, if you happen to see Frosted near the lead pack around the first turn, get ready for a thrilling battle.
Materiality
This Todd Pletcher-trained colt was held out of the Preakness Stakes following a disappointing showing in the Kentucky Derby. Materiality didn't get off to a good start at Churchill Downs and was subsequently caught up in traffic and wound up finishing sixth.
Previously unbeaten in three career races, Materiality boasted a good track record; however, his results were less than spectacular. While he did take the Florida Derby over Upstart, he posted a time of 1:52.30—a rather sluggish mark for a 1 1/8-mile race.
Still, Pletcher remains confident in his colt. He had this to say during an interview with Dan Wolken of USA Today: "With Materiality, if you look at his first three races he can be close to the pace. He missed the break at Churchill and found himself in a position he's never been in. I like being outside of American Pharoah. We're going to go into the first turn trying to make sure there's an honest pace."
For Materiality, the question remains if he'll be able to maintain a pace that will allow him to keep up with the likes of Pharoah. So far, he has yet to prove he's capable of doing so.
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