Belmont Stakes 2015: Post Time, Weather Forecast, Horse Odds and Race Picks
The day of the 2015 Belmont Stakes has finally arrived, and before sundown, the 37-year Triple Crown drought may very well have come to an end.
Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner American Pharoah is aiming to etch his name into the history books with a win at Belmont Park on Saturday, as a victory will secure him horse racing's highest honor. However, he's dealing with fatigue—this will be his third race in five weeks—and must contend against fresher opponents.
Bob Baffert, the colt's famed trainer, put it simply during an interview with CBS News: "I know the odds are against us—37 years—there's a reason for that."
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Still, Pharoah's recent display of unequaled stamina and a tremendous ability to close out races bodes well for his shot at the 1 ½-mile race—and the Triple Crown. As we anxiously await what may be a historic day in horse racing, let's take a look at the essential viewing information, weather forecast, horse information and predictions.
2015 Belmont Stakes Viewing Info
Date: Saturday, June 6
Where: Belmont Park in Elmont, New York
TV Time: 4:30 to 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
Weather Forecast
According to Weather.com, we may see yet another sloppy Triple Crown race. Elmont, New York, is expected to reach a high of 74 degrees with a 60 percent chance of morning showers that will eventually lead to overcast skies in the afternoon.
Contender Info and Odds
| 1 | Mubtaahij | 14-1 | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | 20-1 | Gary Stevens |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | 14-1 | Javier Castellano |
| 4 | Frammento | 33-1 | Mike Smith |
| 5 | American Pharoah | 10-13 | Victor Espinoza |
| 6 | Frosted | 11-2 | 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 Predictions
| Win | American Pharoah |
| Place | Frosted |
| Show | Madefromlucky |
| Fourth | Materiality |
There you have it: American Pharoah strikes again and becomes the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. This isn't just wishful thinking—there are plenty of reasons to believe the colt will emerge victorious on Saturday.
In both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Pharoah had some unfortunate luck during post draws. He drew the No. 18 gate at Churchill Downs and the No. 1 gate at Pimlico—two starting positions that were immediately detrimental to his chances of success.
Starting far out wide in the Derby, Pharoah had to make up plenty of ground early on to find his way up to the lead pack. Once there, he still needed to run three wide off the rail just to maintain his position throughout the race. Despite running plenty of additional distance, he still had enough stamina to defeat a hard-charging Firing Line down the final stretch.
At Pimlico, he needed to accelerate quickly out of the No. 1 gate—a starting position that had previously yielded just one winner since 1961—in an effort to avoid getting caught in traffic. He found his way to the front, and despite exerting plenty of energy at the start of the race, he still had enough endurance to make a great run down the final stretch and win by seven lengths.
Finally, Pharoah received a bit of luck at Belmont Park. He drew the No. 5 gate—a favorable starting position that has produced 13 previous winners. Immediately after the draw, jockey Victor Espinoza expressed his delight during an interview with Dan Wolken of USA Today: "I'm very happy with the draw. I'm feeling lucky this year. Third time's the charm."
Pharoah's workouts have been solid leading up to the Belmont Stakes, and with the stars apparently aligning for the colt, there's no reason to think he won't be able to pull off one more brilliant victory.
Earning the runner-up finish will be Frosted. This colt was impressive in the Kentucky Derby despite finishing fourth. He didn't break well out of the gate and was immediately caught up in traffic. After settling at the rear of the pack, where he remained for the majority of the race, he ran hard over the last half mile, passing a bevy of contenders en route to his fourth-place finish.
If Frosted can get a better jump out of the gate at Belmont Park, he should be a factor down the final stretch.
Madefromlucky will get the third-place finish. This will be the colt's first Triple Crown race this year, as he didn't qualify for the Kentucky Derby, went on to win the Peter Pan Stakes and skipped the Preakness in an effort to focus on the Belmont. It just so happens that 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist took the exact same route.
Rounding out the top four is Materiality. This Todd Pletcher-trained colt has been receiving some betting action, but buyer beware: While he did earn a victory earlier in the year at the Wood Memorial, his finishing time of 1:52.30 was hardly impressive. He has the pedigree to run the Belmont distance, but he may not have the pace to keep up with the likes of Pharoah and co. A fourth-place finish seems likely.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
