Belmont Stakes Schedule 2015: Live Stream, TV Coverage, Post Time, Lineup, Picks
For the second straight year, a Triple Crown bid occupies the Belmont Stakes spotlight. Although California Chrome fell short at the third leg, American Pharoah looks poised to break the 37-year drought on Saturday.
A field of fresher horses will fight to take American Pharoah down. Besides the Preakness Stakes victor, only Tale of Verve—who skipped the Kentucky Derby—ran at Pimlico. This makes American Pharoah the only one tasked with running his third race in five weeks.
But hey, seven competitors isn't too many for Pharoah, who decimated an identically sized field on Pimlico's sloppy track. His speed and endurance has many onlookers assuming history won't repeat itself for the 14th Triple Crown contender since 1978.
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It won't be easy, but American Pharoah rightfully gallops into Belmont Park as the horse to beat.
Belmont Stakes Info
Date: Saturday, June 6
Post Time: 6:50 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
| 1 | Mubtaahij | Irad Ortiz | Mike de Kock | 14-1 |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | Gary Stevens | Dallas Stewart | 20-1 |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 14-1 |
| 4 | Frammento | Mike Smith | Nick Zito | 33-1 |
| 5 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 10-13 |
| 6 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 11-2 |
| 7 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 25-1 |
| 8 | Materiality | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 13-2 |
Picks
Win: American Pharoah
Winning a Triple Crown wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't so difficult.
The 1 ½-mile track, longer than the other races, works against finishing the deed. Yet endurance has so far proved an advantage for American Pharoah, who stormed from the outside at Churchill Downs and cruised to an easy Preakness triumph from start to finish.
No matter how fresh in the starting gate, everyone else also must deal with Belmont's prolonged track, a brutal course for sprinters. Pharoah's long, smooth strides have worked to his strength down the stretch of his last six victories.
Bob Baffert's colt has looked impressive in practices during the week, and the Los Angeles Times' John Cherwa touted the significance of the horse preserving weight after the Preakness:
"There is one really big factor that trainers look at when a horse is coming off a short layoff: How's his weight? Last year, California Chrome was already showing signs of being tired as he entered the Belmont as he was, at best, just maintaining his weight. American Pharoah has actually put on a few pounds, meaning he is in good health, has a great appetite and is just loving life. His ears are perked and he seems to be having fun. Of all the factors, this is the one that brings the most optimism. He seems more than ready.
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California Chrome and every other Triple Crown hopeful still entered Belmont as the favorite, so it's foolish to ignore past examples and assume American Pharoah will earn another easy victory. It won't be easy, but he has impressed enough to narrowly net the benefit of the doubt.
Place: Materiality
Trainer Todd Pletcher fully understands the obstacle Baffert faces with American Pharoah. After holding everyone out of the Preakness, he's set to make his peer's challenge harder.
Pletcher won't apologize for picking his spots, a common protocol, although he's often singled out for the practice. He spoke frankly about the mindset to New York Daily News' Jerry Bossert:
"I think any time you're trying to win three consecutive races it's hard to do under any circumstances. Maybe those three consecutive races, in five weeks, at three different racetracks, in three different states just to start with that's pretty hard. Plus, it's very difficult competition at different distances. I don't think it's any big secret why it's hard to win.
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His top contender to spoil the party, Materiality, entered Churchill Downs an undefeated, dangerous threat. He disappointed with a sixth-place finish, but he still holds three victories under his saddle, including the Grade 1 Besilu Stables Florida Derby.
A tough break derailed Materiality, who needed to rally to avoid a more disastrous result at Churchill Downs. The No. 8 post position gives him a chance for a cleaner start on the outside of American Pharoah, who flourished from the outside at the Run for the Roses.
Since 2006, jockey John Velazquez has twice won at Belmont while notching three second-place finishes. He now gets a rested, high-pedigree horse who will factor into the final call with a clean break.
Show: Frosted
Having never finished below fourth, Frosted is a risk-adverse choice to place inside the top three.
Distance poses less of an issue for Frosted, who rallied to fourth despite a rough Kentucky Derby start. Opening on a strong note presents the bigger concern for jockey Joel Rosario, who guided Tonalist to a Belmont victory last year.
Rosario can dash Victor Espinoza's Triple Crown hopes for the second year in a row. Were the first race conducted on a 1 ½-mile track, he may have led Frosted into the money after they stormed from way behind to fall just shy of the top three.
The stamina and closing speed make Frosted an intriguing choice, but any late burst will again prove moot with another sluggish start.
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