Belmont Stakes 2018 Post Time: NBC TV Start Time, Final Predictions and More
Justify is the clear favourite for the 2018 Belmont Stakes, which takes place at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Saturday.
He will be ridden again by Mike Smith as he looks to become just the 13th horse to win the Triple Crown after triumphing in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in May.
Looking to stop the Bob Baffert-trained colt from etching his name in the history books will be the likes of Hofburg, Bravazo and Vino Rosso.
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See below for full scheduling and viewing details:
Date: Saturday, June 9
Post Time: 6:46 p.m. ET
TV Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports app
Only two favourites in the last 15 runnings of the Belmont Stakes have gone on to win the race.
That trend will worry backers of Justify, but there should still be major confidence in his ability to complete the Triple Crown.
The last favourite to prevail in Elmont was American Pharoah, who broke a 37-year drought by winning his own Triple Crown in 2015.
Last year's favourite, Irish War Cry, finished second to Tapwrit. Meanwhile, the well-backed Exaggerator finished well out of contention in 2016.
Justify is sure to contend for victory at the least.
In five career starts, he has won on each occasion and is looking to become only the second Triple Crown winner to achieve the feat unbeaten—Seattle Slew is the only horse to hold the accolade.
As ever with the Belmont, it is the distance that poses the biggest threat.
Justify won the Kentucky Derby over 10 furlongs, the Preakness over nine-and-a-half furlongs and his previous three at nine, eight and seven, respectively.
The Belmont is a 12-furlong race. Justify was nearly pipped to the post by a fast-finishing Bravazo at the Preakness, and the D. Wayne Lukas trainee could well cause the favourite problems again over the longer distance.
However, Justify has all the attributes to make it six wins from six at the Belmont and seal the Triple Crown.
Predicted Places: 1. Justify 2. Hofburg 3. Blended Citizen
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