Belmont Stakes 2018: Post Time, TV Schedule and Live-Stream Hub for Triple Crown
The 150th Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday, June 9, in the final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.
For the third time since 2014, a horse will be bidding to complete the hat-trick of race wins, as Justify will enter the race on the back of victories at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
California Chrome fell short four years ago after picking up an injury out of the gate at Belmont Park in New York, but American Pharoah accomplished the feat in 2015, becoming the first since Affirmed in 1978.
Here are the schedule details for the race, complete with TV and live-streaming information:
Date: Saturday, June 9
Post Time: 6:37 p.m. ET
TV: 2-4 p.m. ET Belmont Prep on NBCSN, 4-7 p.m. ET Belmont Stakes on NBC (USA)
Live Stream: NBC Sports app
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas will be hoping to cause an upset and derail Justify's Triple Crown bid with Bravazo—who finished just half a length behind and closing in the Preakness Stakes—but he's under no illusions as to the difficulty of the task at hand.
He told Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier Journal:
"I think we're in trouble because I think Justify can control the race. Unless something extraordinary happens, I think [Justify] can control whatever happens. It's a smaller field, bigger turns, and he's already proved he can beat us all twice. ... He can do whatever he wants to do, and that makes him almost unbeatable. He's the best horse."
Justify was ceding ground to his opponents in the final furlong at Baltimore, but race announcer Ed Bugart was still impressed with his showing:
He has continued to look strong in preparation for Belmont, too:
It's clear the three-year-old—who did not race at the age of two—is a special horse, and having been victorious in all five of his races since his February 18 debut, he doesn't know what it's like to lose.
Belmont will be his toughest test yet, though, as he'll need to find the energy to go another 12 furlongs at top speed for his sixth start in less than four months.
His ability to do so could cement his place in Triple Crown history, or prove his downfall against some fresher-legged competition.
