Belmont Stakes 2016: Post Time, TV Schedule and Live Stream Hub for 148th Race

The 2016 Belmont Stakes is slated for Saturday, and although a Triple Crown bid isn't in play, the favorite for the 148th running of the race could still make significant history.

Exaggerator opened the morning line at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, as the 9-5 favorite. Given his runner-up finish at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes win, another victory in the Belmont would mark one of the best Triple Crown campaigns ever.

NBC will provide TV coverage, and the post time for the Belmont Stakes is slated for 6:32 p.m. ET. NBC Sports' Live Extra serves as the live-stream hub for the race, featuring mobile services as well.

Below is a look at the full TV schedule, along with post positions and an overview of the upcoming Triple Crown finale.

Post No.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Morning-Line Odds
1	Governor Malibu	Joel Rosario	Christophe Clement	12-1
2	Destin	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	6-1
3	Cherry Wine	Corey Lanerie	Dale Romans	8-1
4	Suddenbreakingnews	Mike Smith	Donnie Von Hemel	10-1
5	Stradivari	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	5-1
6	Gettysburg	Paco Lopez	Steve Asmussen	30-1
7	Seeking The Soul	Florent Geroux	Dallas Stewart	30-1
8	Forever d'Oro	Jose Ortiz	Dallas Stewart	30-1
9	Trojan Nation	Aaron Gryder	Paddy Gallagher	30-1
10	Lani	Yutaka Take	Mikio Matsunaga	20-1
11	Exaggerator	Kent Desormeaux	Keith Desormeaux	9-5
12	Brody's Cause	Luis Saez	Dale Romans	20-1
13	Creator	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Steve Asmussen	10-1

This year's Belmont won't garner the hype of the prior two editions, when California Chrome and American Pharoah each had a chance to capture the Triple Crown, with the latter doing so successfully.

But there are 13 horses in the 2016 field who have a chance to race into immortality at one of the most prestigious horses races in the world, so the stakes are still extremely high for those involved.

One of the more notable and rather inspiring storylines ahead of Saturday's start has to do with Exaggerator jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Long estranged from his brother and Exaggerator trainer, Keith, Desormeaux has battled alcohol issues throughout his career. Following his landmark triumph at the Preakness, the 46-year-old entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility on May 31 and is continuing treatment.

BloodHorse.com's Steve Haskin reported on Desormeaux's situation and logged a statement the jockey released through his agent, which read in part as follows:

"

I am now in full understanding of the depth of my problem and I am now going to address it professionally. The reality was the fact that I thought it was time. I had family pressure, and my wife Rosie [Higgins] and longtime friend Michael Klein really thought that now was the perfect time.

Things have come to fruition. They have slapped me in the face. I may have been in this rehab facility for only eight days, but I will have a correspondent for 20 more days who will follow me everywhere I go.

"

Considering all Desormeaux has accomplished in his epic career, including five finishes in the money at the Belmont, he stands to extend his riding days with a fresh outlook and a clearer head.

He seemed pleased when Wednesday's post position draw revealed Exaggerator in the No. 11 slot, saying, per KY Derby Contenders on Twitter, "I think it's a wonderful post position. I can't see any horses who will cross over on him."

The majority of favorites are lined up all next to each other from second through fifth posts, with 5-1 morning-line bet Stradivari furthest from the rail among them.

Mike Welsch of the Daily Racing Form weighed in on the perceived top threats to Exaggerator after watching both work at Belmont Park recently:

Event	Time (ET)	TV
Pre-Race Coverage	3-5 p.m.	NBC Sports Network
148th Belmont Stakes	5-7 p.m. (Post Time: 6:32 p.m.)	NBC
Post-Race Coverage	7-7:30 p.m.	NBC Sports Network

Destin does have considerable speed and an impressive win at the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, which helped him get into the Kentucky Derby field.

After entering the final 300 yards of the race at Churchill Downs in third, though, Destin faded to sixth by the end. His dubious stamina at 1 1/4 miles in Louisville doesn't figure to translate well to the 1 1/2-mile jaunt in Elmont—especially if he tries to set the pace.

Stradivari has only four career races, and two of those were blowout victories. His debut on the big stage came at the Preakness, where he ran to a respectable fourth-place finish.

The team of trainer Todd Pletcher and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, a two-time Belmont champion, provides Stradivari backers with plenty of hope. It's a question of whether he can maintain the explosiveness shown in his two starts prior to the Preakness for 12 furlongs at Belmont Park.

Based on how well Exaggerator powered through the slop in the Preakness and in his 6 1/2-length win at the Santa Anita Derby, he's the horse to beat—and deservedly so.