Belmont Stakes Entries 2018: Purse Payout, Vegas Betting Odds, Field Lineup
Justify will be one of 10 horses bidding for glory on Saturday at the 2018 Belmont Stakes, as he pursues a historic Triple Crown victory.
Up for grabs once again in the 150th Run for the Carnations will be a total purse of $1.5 million, and based on the past four years, the winner will claim $800,000 of that.
After winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, Justify is the favourite to win in Belmont Park on Saturday. Here is the lineup, complete with the latest odds, according to OddsShark:
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- Gate 1: Justify, 4-5
- Gate 2: Free Drop Billy, 50-1
- Gate 3: Bravazo, 7-1
- Gate 4: Hofburg, 4-1
- Gate 5: Restoring Hope*
- Gate 6: Gronkowski, 25-1
- Gate 7: Tenfold, 10-1
- Gate 8: Vino Rossi, 9-1
- Gate 9: Noble Indy, 33-1
- Gate 10: Blended Citizen, 12-1
*Odds not listed.
Justify will start from Gate 1, which means he will be up against the rail.
While such a post position is not as damning as it might be in the Kentucky Derby given its larger field, trainer Bob Baffert was not happy with the draw.
"I never do like the rail," Baffert said, per USA Today's Dan Wolken. "We have it. We can't change it. We'll just deal with it."
As TVG's Candice Hare noted, it's not ideal for Justify:
The inside position has produced 23 winners in the race's history, more than any other post, but success from Gate 1 has not been the case for some time, per David Grening of the Daily Racing Form:
Justify has plenty of pace out of the gate, so it might not be a significant hindrance. But it's another hurdle he'll have to overcome to achieve Triple Crown glory.
It's also worth noting that Gate 3, where Bravazo will start, has produced 15 winners in the past, including back-to-back victories for Ruler on Ice and Union Rags in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Without having to worry about being trapped on the inside heading into the first turn, Bravazo—who came within half a length of Justify at the Preakness Stakes—should be a serious contender to Justify's throne in New York.
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