Belmont Stakes 2018 Contenders: Justify and More Favorites

Justify is the firm favourite for Saturday's 2018 Belmont Stakes and is on the verge of making history.

The Bob Baffert-trained colt won at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, meaning he could become just the 13th winner of the Triple Crown should he prevail in Elmont, New York.

It will be no procession at Belmont Park, though. 

BloodHorse's Alicia Wincze Hughes provided the latest race odds and post positions following Tuesday's post draw:

There is a reason the Belmont Stakes is often referred to as The Test of the Champion. 

At 12 furlongs, it is considerably longer than the Derby and Preakness, and given Justify has already given his all to win at Churchill Downs and Pimlico, he will need to find something more to add the third and final leg of the Triple Crown.

Fresher horses will be looking to upset Justify in the 150th running of the Belmont, including second-favourite Hofburg.

After finishing seventh at the Kentucky Derby, Hofburg sat out the Preakness and has been looking in good shape in his preparation for the Belmont:

The Bill Mott trainee certainly has the pedigree to prevail on Saturday. His sire, Tapit, has produced three Belmont Stakes winners since 2014: Tonalist, Creator and Tapwrit.

Joint-third-favourite Bravazo could also provide a challenge to Justify.

A relatively experienced operator having run 10 times compared to Justify's five, Bravazo produced a storming finish at the Preakness and was just half a length back to the winner in second.

He looked to have plenty more in the tank and would have beaten Justify with a slightly better-timed run.

Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images

Given the Belmont Stakes' greater distance, Bravazo will surely be on the minds of the Justify camp ahead of Saturday's race.

However, despite a strong field and the weight of history, Justify is a deserved favourite and has a genuine chance of completing the Triple Crown.

He has not been beaten in five career starts, broke the Apollo Curse while prevailing in the Kentucky Derby and held off a huge effort from Good Magic, and then Bravazo, to win in the slop at the Preakness.

So far Justify has risen to every challenge, and there is no convincing reason to suggest he will fail to overcome his biggest test by winning the Triple Crown on Saturday.