Belmont Stakes Odds 2015: Best and Worst Horse-Jockey Tandem to Bet

Saturday's 2015 Belmont Stakes can't come soon enough, as the sport anticipates American Pharoah's run at snapping a 37-year Triple Crown drought.  

While 13 horses in that span have made it to the doorstep of Belmont Park with their Triple Crown hopes in hand, none of them galloped to victory lane and hoisted the elusive trophy. To say that trophy has accumulated some dust over the decades might be an understatement, but it will be shinier and brighter than ever if Zayat Stables are able to lift it over the weekend in Elmont, New York.

Of course, that won't happen unless American Pharoah can withstand the rigors of three races in five weeks and the 1 1/2-mile trek that has eluded so many of those before him. And there are more than worthy contenders alongside him who are capable of dethroning the favorite.

Here's a breakdown of every horse's odds in the field, along with a solid and not-so-solid prediction for the best horse-jockey combinations.

2015 Belmont Stakes

Post	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Mubtaahij	Mike De Kock	Irad Ortiz Jr.	14-1
2	Tale of Verve	Dallas Stewart	Gary Stevens	20-1
3	Madefromlucky	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	16-1
4	Frammento	Nick Zito	Mike Smith	40-1
5	American Pharoah	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	2-3
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

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Worst Horse-Jockey Tandem to Bet

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Frammento couldn't emerge from a deep group of dangerous Grade 1 colts prior to the Kentucky Derby, and he disappointed with an 11th-place finish at Churchill Downs. Things don't look much better entering Belmont for trainer Nick Zito and company. 

Against a handful of other eventual Derby runners, Frammento failed to stand out during three crucial races in 2015 prior to Churchill Downs. His year opened up with a sixth-place finish at Holy Bull before logging a third-place result at the Fountain of Youth—both Grade 2 races.

Perhaps the most telling of Frammento's recent outings, however, came in his most recent action prior to the Derby at the Blue Grass Stakes. He was able to finish fourth but never showed any sort of fight to threaten the top three, as you can see below:

Against superior horses at Belmont, Frammento is bound to have a hard time pushing the leaders. Like at Churchill Downs, the early speed of those around him will push him to the back and compromise jockey Mike Smith's ability to get his horse in the right position.

Smith does have two Belmont Stakes wins in the last five years, but only four overall at Triple Crown races. Don't expect immediate success with Smith riding Frammento for the first time.

Zito may have spoiled Triple Crown bids in each of his first two Belmont Stakes appearances, but he doesn't have the same horse in 2015. Frammento has lowly 40-1 odds, per Odds Shark, and that will show throughout Saturday's race.

Best Horse-Jockey Tandem to Bet

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Let's be honest, American Pharoah is the odds-on favorite for a reason and has proven himself superior. No jockey racing Saturday knows his horse better than Victor Espinoza, who magnificently navigated AP through the Triple Crown's first two legs. 

But it's no secret that betting on him to get it done won't exactly yield huge winnings—unless you're mortgaging your future or something.

For a better return on a horse that could still very well get it done, look Frosted's way. 

Had it not been for struggling in the first few furlongs at Churchill Downs, Frosted likely would have been hot on American Pharoah's tail down the stretch. He turned it into a fourth-place finish, but the ground he lost early on was the only thing that prevented him from easily finishing third or second.

It's not the first time trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has inserted a horse into Belmont off such a race, which prompted Chris Fallica to make the comparison:

Of course, Frosted won't stand a chance if American Pharoah runs like he has at Churchill Downs and Pimlico. Even McLaughlin knew that, but he conceded that if AP happened to be less than his best, Frosted can make it happen, per BloodHorse.com's Ron Mitchell:

"

We have to have an 'A-plus' day and he has to have a 'B' day. 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.

"

Post positions don't loom large in races like this, with the extra distance and a smaller field. But Frosted can't complain starting No. 6, which sets him up outside of American Pharoah.

Should Frosted maintain his place outside of AP, it will require him to run a longer distance but will also give gutsy jockey Joel Rosario more options to attack. Assuming he runs like he did at Churchill Downs and maintains that outside position, Frosted will give American Pharoah all he can handle down the stretch.

And in a dead-heat race between two horses with very different levels of fatigue, you'd have to give the edge to the fresher colt (spoiler: That's not American Pharoah).