Belmont Stakes 2015: Projected Prize Money Earnings, Order of Finish and More
The favorite hasn't won the Belmont Stakes since 2005. That fact casts an ominous shadow over American Pharoah's bid for the Triple Crown, as he's been Vegas oddsmakers' top pick since his victory in the Preakness Stakes.
Casting further doubt over the colt's ability to obtain horse racing's most coveted achievement is the fact that we haven't seen a Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Since Affirmed won the prestigious feat back in 1978, a total of 13 horses have entered the Belmont Stakes with the same aspirations—but none emerged victorious.
American Pharoah's supporting cast hasn't had much luck in the Triple Crown category, either. Trainer Bob Baffert has been in this situation three times before, and jockey Victor Espinoza has twice. Is Pharoah the horse that will finally earn them the sport's most cherished prize?
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Before we attempt to predict the answer to that question, let's take a look at the race's essential viewing information, projected purse payouts and updated odds.
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
Purse Breakdown
| 1 | $800,000 |
| 2 | $280,000 |
| 3 | $150,000 |
| 4 | $100,000 |
| 5 | $60,000 |
| 6 | $45,000 |
| 7 | $35,000 |
| 8 | $30,000 |
All payout information provided by NYRA.com.
Contenders and Odds Info
| 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.
Projected Order of Finish
| Win | American Pharoah |
| Place | Frosted |
| Show | Madefromlucky |
| Fourth | Materiality |
That's right, American Pharoah defies the odds and takes the Triple Crown. No, this isn't just wishful thinking, as there are plenty of reasons to like the colt in the Belmont Stakes. Let's start by taking his unequaled stamina into consideration.
We all know fatigue is the main issue at Belmont Park for Triple Crown hopefuls. Running three grueling races in a matter of five weeks is no easy feat—especially against well-rested opposition. However, looking back at Pharoah's performances in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, there's reason to believe stamina won't be much of an issue at Belmont.
At Churchill Downs, Pharoah started from well outside and needed to make up additional ground in a hurry. After he accelerated to a position just behind the leaders, he was forced to run three-wide off the rail or risk falling behind. Despite adding plenty of distance to the race, Pharoah still maintained enough endurance to make a late charge to the front of the pack and outlast several strong contenders.
At Pimlico, we saw more of the same. This time, Pharoah started from the dreaded No. 1 gate—a post position that had previously yielded just one winner since 1961. In an effort to avoid getting caught in traffic, he accelerated to the front of the pack before the first turn. He held his lead throughout the race and still managed to run down the final stretch, pulling away from the field to win by seven lengths.
At Belmont Park, the stars are aligning for the colt.
Pharoah finally received a favorable starting position after drawing the No. 5 gate—a location that has produced 13 winners over the years and will give Espinoza plenty of strategic options. In fact, the jockey expressed his elation with the post 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."
Adding to the colt's improved chances were the late scratches of Carpe Diem and The Truth Or Else. After those horses were pulled from the race's lineup, the field was reduced to eight contenders. That's important considering no Triple Crown winner has ever defeated more than seven opponents in the Belmont Stakes.
Taking all of this into consideration, there isn't much of a reason to bet against the favorite this time.
Frosted is a likely horse to notch a runner-up finish. He is an extremely strong closer with good stamina, and those traits were well on display during the Kentucky Derby.
After a slow break, Frosted fell to the rear of the pack and remained there for the bulk of the race. Although, with a half-mile remaining, he began to make his move, blazing past the bulk of the field and weaving his way down the final stretch to notch a fourth-place finish. He was actually gaining ground on Pharoah and the other leaders late in the race.
If Frosted can get off to a better start in the Belmont Stakes, he'll challenge Pharoah down the final stretch.
Madefromlucky is a surprise pick here for a third-place finish. The Belmont Stakes will be the colt's first Triple Crown race, as he didn't earn a start in the Kentucky Derby and went on to win the Peter Pan Stakes instead. After skipping the Preakness Stakes, he's very well-rested for the Belmont. That exact strategy was employed by Tonalist, the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner.
Rounding out the superfecta is Materiality. While this Todd Pletcher colt is talented, his overall speed may prevent him from finishing better than fourth. He did notch a win in the Florida Derby, but a time of 1:52.30 was hardly impressive. Materiality wasn't overly convincing in the Kentucky Derby, either, earning a sixth-place finish.
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