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

There isn't an opportunity for a Triple Crown champion this derby season after Exaggerator's victory over Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist in the Preakness Stakes, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to watch in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

The Preakness winner, who is making his third start in five weeks, is the early favorite to win at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

But some of the other horses are racing for the first time since the Kentucky Derby. That factor, in addition to a horse's pedigree and jockey, could make a difference in terms of who will win. 

Let's take a look at some top favorites ahead of the Belmont Stakes:

Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Pedigree	Odds
Exaggerator	Keith Desormeaux	Kent Desormeaux	Curlin and Dawn Raid	11-10
Suddenbreakingnews	Donnie Von Hemel	Mike Smith	Mineshaft and Uchitel	13-2
Cherry Wine	Dale Romans	Corey J. Lanerie	Paddy O'Prado and C. S. Royce	15-2
Stradivari	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	Medaglia d'Oro and Bending Strings	15-2
Destin	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	Giant's Causeway and Dream Of Summer	10-1

Exaggerator

A favorable post position draw with an outside No. 11 spot helped Exaggerator on Wednesday.

That made Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux very happy. 

"It's a wonderful, wonderful position," Exaggerator's jockey said, per the Associated Press (h/t the Los Angeles Times). "I can't see any horse that would cross over on him. I'd like to establish position preferably without him getting a grain of sand in his face."

Exaggerator has never run a 1 ½-mile race before, as he will at the Belmont Stakes. Per the event's official website, his longest race was 1 ¼ miles in the Derby at Churchill Downs, where he posted a 101 Beyer Speed Figure. 

However, just because Exaggerator is the favorite doesn't mean that history is on his side in terms of winning. 

Per Odds Shark handicapper Mike Dempsey, "The wagering favorite has won just three times in the last two decades (American Pharoah [in 2015], Afleet Alex [in 2005] and Thunder Gulch in 1995)."

However, Exaggerator was looking more than ready as he prepared for the race on Tuesday:

Cherry Wine

As for Exaggerator's challengers, Cherry Wine has been climbing the leaderboard in each of his last three starts, from fourth, to third to second, and he ousted Nyquist for a second-place finish in the Preakness. 

Cherry Wine drew the No. 3 post.

According to Dempsey, that puts him in good company: "Since 2005, the best post position is the one post with 23 winners. However, the last winner to break from the one post was Empire Maker in 2003. The three and five post are next in total winners with 15 each."

The Field, Post Time and TV Viewing Info

You can check out all the horses' post positions below, as shared by the New York Racing Association:

The action begins as early as Thursday, with 19 races in total being held over three days. But the post time for the 148th running of the Belmont Stakes is 6:32 p.m. ET on Saturday. NBC will televise the event.