American Pharoah's Final 2015 Triple Crown Odds and Pre-Belmont Predictions

American Pharoah is just 1 1/2 miles from etching his name into horse racing history. The three-year-old heads into the 2015 Belmont Stakes as the horse to beat, but doubt continues to reign as to whether he'll win the Triple Crown.

By now, little needs to be said about American Pharoah's record. He won a hard-fought Kentucky Derby, answering whether he could prevail in a close race in which he's pushed hard right to the finish. His victory in a wet, muddy Preakness Stakes affirmed his overall quality.

On its own, it comes as little surprise that the oddsmakers consider American Pharoah the favorite for today's race. Here's a look at the full odds for all eight contenders, courtesy of Odds Shark:

Post Position	Horse	Odds
1	Mubtaahij	14/1
2	Tale of Vervre	20/1
3	Madefromlucky	14/1
4	Frammento	40/1
5	American Pharoah	5/7
6	Frosted	6/1
7	Keen Ice	25/1
8	Materiality	13/2

Somewhat surprising—given the history of others pursuing the goal—American Pharoah's Triple Crown odds remain pretty positive. According to Odds Shark, he is 10/13 to capture it and even to lose out.

ESPN Stats & Info threw a wet blanket on the hype surrounding the Derby and Preakness winner:

Trainer Bob Baffert knows American Pharoah still has a steep road to climb, but he isn't worried about the colt coming apart at the seams once the race begins.

"I know what I'm walking into," said Baffert, per Gary B. Graves of the Boston Globe. "‘It's going to be pretty crazy. One thing about the horse, we know what to expect. We’re not going to be overwhelmed by it because we’re used to the big show."

Simply put, until another horse wins the Triple Crown, you will find every reason why another horse can't win the Triple Crown. And the longer we get from Affirmed's Belmont win, the more skepticism supersedes optimism.

As good as American Pharoah has looked so far, is he really that much better than the other 13 horses who've captured two-thirds of the Triple Crown before stumbling at the finish line?

The Belmont field may not be particularly large, but both Frosted and Materiality are well-rested after skipping out on the Preakness Stakes. ESPN Stats & Info noted that American Pharoah is actually the only horse to have run the first two Triple Crown legs:

There are a variety of reasons why so many horses have failed to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in order.

One big reason is fatigue. Asking a horse to participate in three massive events in a little over a month is extremely tough. Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde argued correctly that the system in place effectively ensures that no horse can ever obtain the Triple Crown:

"

The Triple Crown is outdated and flawed, an anachronism from an earlier time when hardier horses ran far more frequently. Today, the best ones never run three times in five weeks – and certainly not on three different tracks in three different states at three different distances. So the winner of the first two legs is at a distinct disadvantage.

And there is nothing in the rules that says a horse has to contest all three legs. So, the New York sniper thinking goes, why wear out my horses in what likely would be a losing effort in Baltimore when I can bring them home, get them some rest and go after a big score here?

"

Maybe American Pharoah is different. Maybe he has enough energy to push through the longest course on the Triple Crown circuit.

A more likely scenario is American Pharoah running a good race—one that's not good enough to capture the Belmont Stakes. Instead, look to either Materiality or Frosted to come out on top.

Between the two, Materiality gets the slight edge. While he's starting on the outside rail, that shouldn't be a massive issue, both for the fact that only eight horses are competing and the length of Belmont Park should allow him plenty of time to get into a solid position.

Before the Kentucky Derby, Materiality had a good record, with his biggest win coming in the Florida Derby. Losing in the Derby could be a blessing in disguise with regard to the Belmont Stakes. It allowed Materiality to be extra prepared for today's race.