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Belmont Stakes Betting: Belmont Stakes Betting: With a chance to become only the 13th Triple Crown winner in racing history, Justify enters the Belmont Stakes as the heavy favorite after securing wins at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes to remain undefeated. After taking the first two jewels of the Triple Crown in awful conditions, it will be interesting to see how he manages a dry track. Justify gave up ground in the stretch at Pimlico and was nearly caught by Bravazo, and the 1 ½ mile length at Belmont gives the competition hope that they can ruin Justify’s chance at making history.
The 150th running of the Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday, June 9, 2018 with post time set for 6:40 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Catch the Belmont Stakes live on NBC.
Justify
Career Record: 5-0-0
Career Earnings: $2,998,000
Belmont Stakes Odds at BookMaker.eu: -114
The closer than expected victory on a muddy track at the Preakness Stakes had some questioning whether Justify could do what American Pharoah did three years earlier. Another Bob Baffert-trained horse, American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, and Baffert is in position to win it again. We saw at Pimlico something no one has seen with Justify being caught in the stretch. But Baffert wasn’t concerned with the run, even calling it a “bounce”, or when a good race is followed by a bad one. And because of that Justify opened at the -114 favorite to claim the most prestigious
Why Justify Will Win the Belmont Stakes
Even when he doesn’t run the best race, Justify is still able to come out victorious, and that says a lot about him. He was pressured for the first time in his career at the Preakness by a trio of horses, but he never lost the lead and won the second leg of the Triple Crown by a half length over runner-up Bravazo.
“He can be 90 percent and still win,” Baffert said of Justify. The trainer also thinks a close race is just what his colt needed after running away from the field in his first four competitions. Baffert knows how to get his horse ready for the final leg as he’s taken a Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner to New York four times, winning it all in 2015.
Why Justify Won't Win the Belmont Stakes
A larger and more competitive field is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of Justify becoming the 13th Triple Crown winner. And for the first time we saw the competition gain ground on the colt down the stretch of the Preakness. If that race had been a tad longer, we likely wouldn’t be talking about history being made in Baltimore.
The Belmont Stakes is that extra bit longer and with several well-rested horses ready to take aim at the purse, Justify’s streak could be in jeopardy. He’s run a lot of races this year and he allowed several horses to close the gap at Pimlico. Justify will have to extend on the 1 ½ mile Belmont track and that could play a role in him not winning the Triple Crown.
The Final Verdict
Both Baffert and jockey Mike Smith said Justify wasn’t fatigued at the end of the Preakness. Rather he couldn’t hear the rest of the field and didn’t have his usual explosiveness at the end of the race. Justify will get plenty of down time leading up to the Belmont Stakes and with a close encounter under his belt, he’s likely to have his way with the field in Baltimore. And if he gets the chance to run on a dry track, he should run away with Triple Crown.
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2018 Belmont Stakes Contenders
