Belmont Stakes 2015 Horses: Jockeys and Horses with Best Chance in Belmont Race
American Pharoah headlines the field of contenders in the 2015 Belmont Stakes after winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes en route to a bid to become the first horse to win the elusive Triple Crown in 37 years.
While Pharoah has been extremely impressive this year, he's about to run his third race in a matter of five weeks. Even if he is the most talented horse in the field, fatigue will likely be an issue and allow other top contenders a chance to overtake the favorite.
So, what does Pharoah need to do to win the most difficult leg of the Triple Crown? Which contenders have the biggest chance of forcing an upset and lengthening the Triple Crown drought for at least another year? Before attempting to answer those questions, let's take a look at the full field of contenders and updated race odds.
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Belmont Stakes Contenders Info
| 5 | American Pharoah | 5-7 | Victor Espinoza |
| 6 | Frosted | 6-1 | Joel Rosario |
| 8 | Materiality | 13-2 | John R. Velazquez |
| 1 | Mubtaahij | 14-1 | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | 14-1 | Javier Castellano |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | 20-1 | Gary Stevens |
| 7 | Keen Ice | 25-1 | Kent Desormeaux |
| 4 | Frammento | 40-1 | Mike Smith |
All Belmont Stakes odds provided by Odds Shark.
Belmont's Top Horses and Jockeys
American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza
Neither horse nor jockey needs an introduction here. American Pharoah has been brilliant through the first two legs of the Triple Crown, and Victor Espinoza rides into the Belmont Stakes looking to claim horse racing's most coveted achievement for the second time in as many years.
Interestingly enough, this will be Espinoza's third attempt to claim the Triple Crown. He won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes atop War Emblem in 2002 and California Chrome in 2014; however, he was unable to come away with an elusive Belmont Stakes victory.
This year, Espinoza feels confident atop Pharoah, and he shared his thoughts following the post 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."
During the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Pharoah showed an ability to break nicely and accelerate quickly to the lead pack. From there, he was able to maintain his position while salvaging enough stamina to make a late charge to the front. All of those attributes will be necessary to win the Belmont Stakes.
Pharoah may be fatigued from a couple of grueling Triple Crown races, but his stamina should allow him to tackle the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes and potentially end the 37-year drought.
Frosted and Joel Rosario
Frosted had a disappointing showing in the Kentucky Derby, finishing fourth; however, he displayed some impressive stamina and incredible closing speed in the race.
After a sluggish start, Frosted fell well off the pace and spent the majority of the race in the rear of the pack. With about one-half mile remaining, jockey Joel Rosario asked him to run, and Frosted complied. The colt breezed past the bulk of the field and blazed down the final stretch to finish in fourth place. He may have been the most impressive closer at Churchill Downs.
It will be up to Rosario to put Frosted in a better position in the Belmont Stakes. Rosario has plenty of experience, winning more than 2,000 times during his illustrious career, including victories in the 2013 Kentucky Derby and 2014 Belmont Stakes.
Skipping the Preakness Stakes may prove to be a decision that allows Frosted to challenge Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes. Having not raced since May 2, the colt has plenty of rest under his belt, and we should see his stamina shine once more as a result.
Frosted's chance in the Belmont Stakes may come down to his start. He doesn't need to find himself out in front early, but maintaining a position close to the pace will be necessary for a chance to cross the finish line first.
Materiality and John R. Velazquez
The Todd Pletcher-trained Materiality is another favorite with a fair shot at taking down Pharoah and claiming the 2015 Belmont Stakes.
The colt didn't produce an optimal result in the Kentucky Derby, finishing sixth, but he did show his strengths during the race. Materiality didn't break well and was stuck in traffic early. This put him into unfamiliar territory, as he generally enjoys running near the front of the pack. Still, he was able to rebound, and he showed great closing speed as jockey John R. Velazquez navigated him up to sixth place.
That showing was encouraging to Pletcher, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming Belmont Stakes with Jennie Rees of the Courier-Journal: "He did run well [in the Kentucky Derby]. He put himself in a position where he'd never been before. He closed late. That was encouraging, it gives us optimism that the mile-and-a-half will be in his range."
Materiality just may have what it takes to flourish in the longer distance of the Belmont Stakes. After all, he has the pedigree to back it up, as he is the son of 2005 Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex. Like Frosted, it will all be a matter of getting the colt in position to strike early in the race.
Velasquez is no stranger to leading horses to victory in the Belmont Stakes, having won the race in 2007 and 2012. Materiality appears to have the endurance and certainly has the closing ability to give Velasquez his third win in Belmont Park's illustrious race.
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