Belmont Stakes Results 2018: Finishing Times, Payouts, Triple Crown Highlights

When Justify won the Kentucky Derby in May, it was clear the Bob Baffert-trained colt was a special horse. Few would have anticipated him winning the Triple Crown at Belmont on Saturday, though.

At Elmont Park, the winner of the Derby and the Preakness Stakes added the Belmont Stakes to his haul of prizes with a supreme performance, leaving the rest of the field unable to match him from the early stages.

The win made Justify just the 13th horse in history to win the trio of thoroughbred racing showpieces and the first since 2015, when the Baffert-trained American Pharoah scored the illustrious treble.

Here's a recap of some of the key details from race day, including the finishing times, the payouts and a look at some of the best moments from a historic victory.

2018 Belmont Stakes Results

Horse—Distance Behind (Post, Jockey, Trainer)

1. Justify (1, Mike E. Smith, Bob Baffert) Payout: $800,000 

2. Gronkowski—1 ¾ lengths (6, Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown) Payout: $280,000

3. Hofburg—3 ½ lengths (4, Irad Ortiz, William Mott) Payout: $150,000

Results via NBC Broadcast.

Sports journalist Eric Crawford relayed the finishing order in full, including the winning time of the champion:

Justify Proves His Class

Given what was on the line here and the effort that had been expended by Justify in winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, many people were expecting a dramatic finish to the Belmont Stakes.

Instead, Justify was able to produce a serene display, with jockey Mike E. Smith allowing the favourite to dictate the pace and turn for home in the lead. From there, as the Kentucky Derby's Twitter account shared, there was always only going to be one winner:

It was the mark of a true champion in what was a much more competitive field than the one Justify had encountered at Pimlico in the Preakness.

The triumph was also a measure of how well Justify was trained in the buildup to this trio of races. In Baffert's case, it's no fluke, either, as he's now watched two of his horses win Triple Crowns in the past four seasons.

Churchill Downs announcer Travis Stone paid tribute to Baffert's work in recent years:

As ESPN Stats & Info noted, only one other person has been able to train two Triple Crown champions in the history of the sport:

Baffert commented on the aura the horse has about him and even suggested rivals in the stables feel it too.

"I'll never forget it," he said, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. "When I unloaded him the other day, those horses in that barn went nuts when they saw him. I've never seen anything like that. They just knew his presence. There was something about him."

While the winning time of two minutes, 28.21 seconds was more than good enough for Justify to win this one comfortably, as broadcaster Don Harris noted, it wasn't one of the quickest Belmont wins ever:

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

However, per Crawford, Justify's cumulative times make him one of the best Triple Crown champions:

Little of that will matter to those associated with the horse, though, as winning a Triple Crown in any circumstances is still an extraordinary feat.

Justify overcame numerous challenges—he started on the rail on Saturday—different terrains and some serious competition to secure the three victories. He's more than earned his place in the pantheon of great horses.