Belmont Stakes 2016 Contenders: Horse Pedigree and Jockey Info for Top Favorites

The Belmont Stakes is set for Saturday, as a field of horses looks to conquer the longest track in the Triple Crown races. Exaggerator leads the pack, though a number of contenders are capable of defeating the Preakness winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up.

Let's take a look at the field:

Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Pedigree
Brody's Cause	Dale Romans	Luis Saez	Giant’s Causeway and Sweet Breanna
Cherry Wine	Dale Romans	Corey J. Lanerie	Paddy O'Prado and C. S. Royce
Creator	Steve Asmussen	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Tapit and Morena
Destin	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	Giant's Causeway and Dream Of Summer
Exaggerator	Keith Desormeaux	Kent Desormeaux	Curlin and Dawn Raid
Governor Malibu	Christophe Clement	Joel Rosario	Malibu Moon and Akilina
Lani	Mikio Matsunaga	Yutaka Take	Tapit and Heavenly Romance
Stradivari	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	Medaglia d'Oro and Bending Strings
Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie Von Hemel	Mike Smith	Mineshaft and Uchitel
Trojan Nation	Patrick Gallagher	Aaron Gryder	Street Cry and Storm Song

Horse racing aficionados like to talk about pedigree when forecasting future success, though of course the best horse—and not the best pedigree—ultimately wins the race. But pedigree isn't the only way to project how a race might play out. 

Weather always plays a potential factor. Might Nyquist have triumphed over Exaggerator at the Preakness on a dry track? Perhaps, but Exaggerator took advantage of the muddy conditions to end any possibility of a Triple Crown winner this year.

There's the chance for rain later in the day and in the evening at Belmont Park, according to Weather.com, so Exaggerator could have his favored muddy conditions once again.

Another factor is the jockey. And there is a strong group of riders at this year's Belmont Stakes.

Exaggerator's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, won the Belmont Stakes in 2009 on Summer Bird and has won both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby three times. He was in the news over the weekend after he announced he would enter alcohol rehabilitation, though he will still be available for the Belmont Stakes.

"It was time to take a sober look at my life and take this step," he said in a statement, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

Destin's jockey, Javier Castellano, has never won at Belmont but did claim the Preakness in 2006. Governor Malibu's Joel Rosario won the Belmont Stakes in 2014 and the Kentucky Derby the year before. Stradivari's John Velazquez has won the Belmont twice (2007, 2012) and the Kentucky Derby once (2011). 

And finally there's Mike Smith, riding Suddenbreakingnews, who has won the Belmont twice (2010, 2013), the Kentucky Derby in 2005 and the Preakness all the way back in 1993.

Of course, the length of the track is a factor as well. Since the race was first run in 1867, the favorite has won just 42 percent of the time, according to Christina Moore of America's Best Racing, via ESPN.com. That is in part due to the track, which is 1 ½ miles, a longer distance than any horse entered in the race has ever run. 

That makes it nearly impossible to know how the various horses will handle the distance, making the Belmont perhaps the least predictable of the three Triple Crown events.

Of course, in a field that isn't rife with top talent—Nyquist's withdrawal from the race due to illness took away one of the top two contenders—it's hard to bet against Exaggerator.

"It sure seems like Exaggerator has jazzed up some people," his trainer, Keith Desormeaux, told Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union. "Maybe they like the name, and they like his running style, the distance of his wins. Hopefully we can get some fans that are not everyday fans to come in and watch us compete. Hopefully, we can provide them with a good show."

The Belmont needs to provide a good show. Exaggerator's win at the Preakness and Nyquist's inability to race in New York took away the two most compelling aspects: the Triple Crown pursuit and the grudge match between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners. 

Watching Exaggerator try to live up to expectations, then, is the most intriguing aspect left of this race. A number of factors may stand in his way, but for the moment, Exaggerator remains the primary reason to watch the Belmont Stakes.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.