Belmont Stakes 2015: Post Time, TV Schedule and Live Stream Hub for 147th Race
American Pharoah headlines the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes as he looks to become the first horse to win the coveted Triple Crown since 1978. Many horse racing enthusiasts think the colt will end the 37-year drought after his impressive showings in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes; however, the Belmont has consistently been the Achilles' heel of Triple Crown hopefuls.
Since Affirmed completed horse racing's greatest achievement in 1978, a total of 13 horses have entered the Belmont Stakes with the same aspirations—none emerged victorious. Last year was the most recent example, as California Chrome won at Churchill Downs and Pimlico only to be upset by Tonalist at Belmont Park.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Will American Pharoah be the horse that finally bucks the trend of Triple Crown hopefuls leaving Belmont empty-handed, or will he simply become another statistic? As we anxiously await the answer to that question, let's take a look at the race's essential viewing information, contenders information and a preview.
2015 Belmont Stakes Viewing Info
Date: Saturday, June 6
Where: Belmont Park in Elmont, New York
TV Time: 4:30-7 p.m. ET, NBC
Post Time: 6:50 p.m. ET
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
Mobile Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
Belmont Stakes Contenders Info
| 1 | Mubtaahij | 14-1 | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | 20-1 | Gary Stevens |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | 14-1 | Javier Castellano |
| 4 | Frammento | 40-1 | Mike Smith |
| 5 | American Pharoah | 5-7 | Victor Espinoza |
| 6 | Frosted | 6-1 | Joel Rosario |
| 7 | Keen Ice | 25-1 | Kent Desormeaux |
| 8 | Materiality | 13-2 | John R. Velasquez |
All Belmont Stakes odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Race Preview
American Pharoah was plagued with some bad luck during the first two legs of the Triple Crown, drawing unfavorable starting positions in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. However, that didn't stop the colt from producing a pair of thrilling victories.
At Churchill Downs, the Bob Baffert-trained horse drew the No. 18 gate—he started from gate No. 16 due to scratches. That position forced him to make up plenty of additional ground throughout the race, as he ran three-wide off the rail. He still managed to salvage enough stamina to make a late push to the front of the pack, outlasting Firing Line for an enormous win.
American Pharoah faced a different challenge at Pimlico, drawing the dreaded No. 1 gate—a post position that had previously yielded just one winner since 1961. Big acceleration out of the gate allowed the colt to burst to the front of the pack, and he maintained enough stamina to finish strong, notching a seven-length victory.
Luckily, American Pharoah's fortunes changed at Belmont Park, as the colt drew a favorable starting location in the No. 5 gate. Historically, that position has been solid, producing a total of 13 winners over the years, according to Belmont-Stakes.info.
Jockey Victor Espinoza shared his thoughts on the draw during an interview with Dan Wolken of USA Today, saying, "I'm very happy with the draw. I'm feeling lucky this year. Third time's the charm."
The horse many bettors think will give American Pharoah a run for his money is Frosted. The fourth-place finisher in this year's Kentucky Derby will get some betting action at the Belmont Stakes due to his phenomenal closing ability and great stamina.
At Churchill Downs, Frosted had a very sluggish start and was stuck behind traffic early. He fell way off the pace and spent most of the race in the rear of the field. With roughly one-half mile remaining, he turned on the jets and cruised past the bulk of the field to finish in fourth place.
After skipping the Preakness Stakes, Frosted is very well-rested for Belmont. His combination of fresh legs and good stamina could be what propels the colt to victory.
Materiality is the race's third favorite. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt had a rough outing in the Kentucky Derby, finding traffic early and never really getting into contention. Still, despite the slow start, Materiality was able to navigate past several contenders en route to a sixth-place finish.
Like Frosted, Materiality skipped the Preakness, and Pletcher shared his expectations for the rested horse during an interview with Wolken:
"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.
"
A couple of sleepers to keep an eye on are Tale of Verve and Madefromlucky.
Tale of Verve came out of nowhere to finish second in the Preakness Stakes. He has a distance pedigree and showed some phenomenal closing ability at Pimlico. If he can keep a solid pace at Belmont Park, he'll likely be a factor down the final stretch.
The Belmont Stakes will be Madefromlucky's first Triple Crown race. The colt was impressive in May, winning the Peter Pan Stakes, and skipped the Preakness, opting to train at Belmont Park instead. Last year's Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist took the exact same path, making Madefromlucky an intriguing contender.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
