Belmont Stakes Entries 2015: Latest Purse Payout, Betting Odds and Field Lineup
Plenty will be on the line when many of the best three-year-old horses in racing converge on the Belmont Stakes Saturday, and American Pharoah's pursuit of the first Triple Crown since 1978 will top the list.
American Pharoah and his team aren't the only ones competing for something, though, as the other seven horses have an opportunity to play spoiler. Also, with $800,000 going to the winner, according to NYRA.com, the other jockeys and trainers aren't likely to let up either.
Here is an in-depth look at the Belmont Stakes lineup and payout breakdown, as well as further analysis regarding some of the horses with the best opportunity to overtake American Pharoah.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Belmont Stakes Lineup and Odds
| 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 |
Belmont Stakes Payouts
| 1 | $800,000 |
| 2 | $280,000 |
| 3 | $150,000 |
| 4 | $100,000 |
| 5 | $60,000 |
| 6 | $45,000 |
| 7 | $35,000 |
| 8 | $30,000 |
Breaking Down Threats to American Pharoah
Materiality
Every horse in the Belmont Stakes field possesses qualities that could allow them to give American Pharoah a run for their money, but none of them are closer to being the complete package than Materiality.
The Todd Pletcher-trained three-year-old won the Florida Derby in impressive fashion before finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby. His overall showing at Churchill Downs wasn't as strong as many expected, but there were some positives that could be taken away.
According to Churchill Downs announcer Travis Stone, no horse finished with better pace than Materiality in the Kentucky Derby:
Although he will be ridden by John Velazquez in the Belmont Stakes, Materiality was guided by Javier Castellano in the Derby. While some unfortunate circumstances led to Materiality falling behind early, Castellano believes he benefited from what happened in the Kentucky Derby, per Jennie Rees of The Courier-Journal:
"I think he kind of fell asleep in the gate. When they opened the gate, he didn't come out sharp and everybody squeezed me. He'd never had any dirt in his face. Turning for home, he got used to the dirt and started passing horses, splitting horses. I liked the way he performed in the Derby. I know we got beat, but he learned a lot. And he's a fresh horse too.
"
Materiality will start the Belmont Stakes from the No. 8 position, which should allow him to stalk the leaders. If he is able to make a move earlier than he did in the Derby, then he may have the speed needed to overtake American Pharoah and Co.
The fact that he didn't race in the Preakness Stakes is a huge plus in his favor, and that could prove to be the difference between a Triple Crown celebration and another year without a Triple Crown winner.
Keen Ice
There were plenty of question marks surrounding Keen Ice prior to his entry in the Kentucky Derby, as he had gone five consecutive races without a win. The Dale Romans-trained colt ended up with a seventh-place result at Churchill Downs, but the manner in which he finished the race makes him a potential contender in the Belmont Stakes.
Keen Ice was among the top closers in the Derby, and with a post position shaded toward the outside, jockey Kent Desormeaux should be able to hold him back before making a move late in the race.
He was held out of the Preakness Stakes, which means he is fresh, and Romans believes Keen Ice is in ideal form ahead of the Triple Crown's third leg, according to Jonathan Lintner and Jennie Rees of The Courier-Journal:
"He couldn't be more perfect than he is right now," Romans said. "It's just a matter of being good enough. I've never had a horse this perfect before. He just never has a bad day. The more he runs, it seems the better he'll get—the better he does get."
TVG analyst and former MLB catcher Paul Lo Duca backed up Romans' claim by pointing out how good the colt looked during the lead-up to the Belmont:
It isn't uncommon for upsets to occur in the Belmont Stakes, since the amount of rest that horses are working on makes things unpredictable. Add in the 1 ½-mile length of the event, and it is extremely tough to guess how the equine athletes will react.
If American Pharoah stumbles in any way, shape or form, Keen Ice has the right combination of freshness and closing speed to steal the win.
Frammento
As the longest shot in the field, Frammento isn't getting much love from handicappers leading up to the Belmont Stakes. That is understandable, but there is a lengthy track record of under-appreciated horses turning in great performances at Belmont Park.
That is especially true when it comes to horses trained by the great Nick Zito. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Zito has twice led long-shot horses to upset victories that ruined Triple Crown bids in the Belmont Stakes:
While American Pharoah could prove to be better than the horses who fell short of winning the Triple Crown previously, he could just as easily be plagued by the same issues, such as tiredness and a field of talented and hungry opponents.
Frammento also has the benefit of being guided by Mike Smith, who has won two of the past five Belmont Stakes. He has also accomplished some great things when working alongside Zito over the years, per KY Derby Contenders:
Although Frammento may not be the best horse in the Belmont Stakes field, the combination of Smith and Zito is about as good as it gets. Frammento is as prepared as any other horse, and he will be in great hands during the race as well.
After Tale of Verve finished an impressive second to American Pharoah in the Preakness Stakes despite being the biggest long shot, perhaps Frammento can do him one better by pulling off one of the greatest upsets in Belmont Stakes history.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
