American Pharoah will look to become the 12th Triple Crown winner, and the first since Affirmed last won the Triple Crown in 1978, in Saturday's Grade 1, $1.5-million Belmont Stakes in Elmont, N.Y. Here are three things you need to know about the race.
Related: How to bet the 147th Belmont Stakes
The Details
Time: Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. (ET), post time is 6:50 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Television: NBC
American Pharoah the heavy favorite
American Pharoah will start from post five and was named the heavy 3-5 morning line favorite for the race at Wednesday's post position draw. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner's morning training sessions since he won the Preakness over a sloppy surface in Baltimore on May 16 have drawn rave reviews, but recent history isn't on American Pharoah’s side.
Thirteen horses have gone into the Belmont Stakes having won the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed’s triumph, and all have failed to finish the task in the Belmont. American Pharoah’s trainer Bob Baffert has been behind three of those previous Triple Crown bids (Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998, and War Emblem in 2002), while jockey Victor Espinoza had a chance to end the Triple Crown drought with California Chrome last year.
Although American Pharoah has been outstanding in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the main concern heading into this race will be if he can get the grueling 1 ½-mile distance after running four tough races over the last nine weeks. He's the only horse competing in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year, and there are seven other fresh horses in this field ready to take their best shot at him on Saturday evening.
| Position | Horse | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mubtaahij | 10-1 |
| 2 | Tale of Verve | 15-1 |
| 3 | Madefromlucky | 12-1 |
| 4 | Frammento | 30-1 |
| 5 | American Pharoah | 3-5 |
| 6 | Frosted | 5-1 |
| 7 | Keen Ice | 20-1 |
| 8 | Materiality | 6-1 |
Kentucky Derby also-rans look for redemption
Five of the eight starters in this Belmont Stakes field are horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs but skipped the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, and perhaps the horse with the best chance to upset American Pharoah is Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Frosted.
Frosted struggled to find his best stride early in the Kentucky Derby, but continued to gain ground on American Pharoah and the other frontrunners, Firing Line and Dortmund, in the late going at Churchill Downs. If he can continue a sustained bid to the wire in this race similar to the one in the Kentucky Derby, he might be able to catch American Pharoah in the final strides.
Materiality appeared to lose all chance in the Kentucky Derby right at the start when he missed the break. Materiality had been within a length of the lead in the early going in each of his three career starts before the Kentucky Derby, but was immediately shut off along the inside after his slow start. Despite finding himself in the back half of the field for most of the race, Materiality still had some run in him in the stretch, and he should be able to put pressure on American Pharoah all of the way around the track. He could be a major threat at a good price.
Mutbtaahij, who finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby, has two recorded wins over 1 3/16-miles in Dubai and should appreciate the added ground, while seventh-place finisher Keen Ice and 11th place finisher Frammento will also be looking to spring an upset.
Madefromlucky looks to follow Tonalist
Tonalist did not run in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes before upsetting California Chrome's bid for a Triple Crown in last year's Belmont Stakes. Instead, he used a victory in the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes as his final prep race ahead of his foray into the Triple Crown series.
This year, Madefromlucky can do the same thing, as he defeated Conquest Curlinate by a length in the Peter Pan Stakes on this Belmont Park surface on May 9.
Madefromlucky faced American Pharoah two starts ago in the slop at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 11 and was defeated by nine lengths. The weather and track conditions may have played a factor, but it would likely take considerable improvement from Madefromlucky for him to upset American Pharoah on Saturday.
The Pick: American Pharoah hasn't done anything wrong during his six-race winning streak and has been dominant in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but we're keeping with history and going against a historic run on Saturday. Materiality should be forwardly placed and will offer good value at the windows. We'll side with him in the Belmont Stakes.