Belmont Stakes Field 147

Last updated: 6/3/15 5:34 PM

147TH BELMONT STAKES

PP	HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	ODDS
1	Mubtaahij	Mike De Kock	Irad Ortiz Jr.	10-1
2	Tale of Verve	Dallas Stewart	Gary Stevens	15-1
3	Madefromlucky	Todd Pletcher	Javier Castellano	12-1
4	Frammento	Nick Zito	Mike Smith	30-1
5	American Pharoah	Bob Baffert	Victor Espinoza	3-5
6	Frosted	Kiaran McLaughlin	Joel Rosario	5-1
7	Keen Ice	Dale Romans	Kent Desormeaux	20-1
8	Materiality	Todd Pletcher	John Velazquez	6-1

American Pharoah receives post 5, listed at 3-5 in 147th
Belmont Stakes

American Pharoah made his
first appearance on the Belmont track Wednesday morning
(Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

The connections of American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) won’t have to worry
about post position in Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes. The Kentucky
Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner will start from post No. 5 in the
eight-horse field as he attempts to join the list of Thoroughbred racing
immortality, becoming only the 12th winner of the storied American Triple Crown
for three-year-olds.

The Bob Baffert-trained colt drew well in the Kentucky Derby, settling into a
perfect tracking position in the clear from gate 18, but his rail post was the
subject of much speculation and concern entering the Preakness. It wound up
being a non-factor as American Pharoah romped in the slop at Pimlico, scoring by
a commanding seven-length margin in wire-to-wire fashion.

“I don’t really think it’s a horrible post position. I’ve always liked the
five,” Baffert said. “It’s one I’ve had good luck with. The main thing is that
the horse is doing well; I think that’s the most important thing. He’s doing
great, but we still have to get around there.

“I think we don’t know until it happens. A mile and a half is very foreign
for most of those three-year-olds and for me. We’re just going to get him ready
and if he’s great he’ll get it done.”

‘There’s a really good vibe
behind this horse,’ Baffert said
(Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Baffert will be going after a Triple Crown for the fourth time, finishing
second in the Belmont Stakes with Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998), and
eighth with War Emblem (2002).

The Hall of Fame trainer was asked how he felt about the strong possibility
of American Pharoah ending the 37-year drought since Affirmed recorded the last
Triple Crown sweep in 1978.

“I don’t know how I’m going to feel about it,” Baffert said. “I don’t think
about it because I know how tough it is so I never get ahead of myself. I want
to win it for the horse because the horse is deserving of it. He’s an exciting
horse to watch and he’s an exciting horse for me to train the way the does
things easily. There’s a lot of pressure. Right now we just want to stay
focused. The horse is happy and healthy. I have a great team around me. We’re
enjoying New York right now. New York is just amazing every time I come here.
It’s just a lot of fun. There’s a really good vibe behind this horse.”

Jockey Victor Espinoza is also in familiar territory. He was aboard War
Emblem, who lost all chance when stumbling at the start of the Belmont Stakes;
and California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), who dead-heated for fourth last year.

“I am very happy with the draw,” Espinoza said. “Number five is a pretty good
number. I’m here again. I’ve come here twice and I’m feeling lucky this year.
The third time is the charm. American Pharoah is always special. From the first
time Baffert put me on, he was special.”

Owner Ahmed Zayat praised the depth of the competition and American Pharoah’s
skills.

“We are very honored and very blessed to be here,” Zayat said. “I think this
is going to be a rider’s race. It’s a small but tough and talented field. I
personally think that this year’s three-year-old crop is unbelievably talented.
I think the horses deserve to be there. I’m a horse fan before anything else,
and I have tremendous respect for a lot of them.

“It’s going to be a rider’s race. Going a mile and a half, nobody has won at
that distance. They are very young. I’m confident in the ability of American
Pharoah because the horse is giving me that confidence. I’m not arrogant about
it. I think that he’s a special horse. What makes him special, in my opinion, is
the way he moves. He’s the best-moving horse I’ve ever seen and he does
everything so easy. His stride and the way he’s going into carry himself will
allow him to get any kind of distance. We are coming in the best we could. Bob
did a brilliant job as well as the entire team preparing him. The horse looks
very healthy and very happy. We’re going in with no excuses. It’s an incredible
feeling to go in confident that you have the horse to beat.”

McLaughlin is looking
forward to dry conditions in the coming days with Frosted
(Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (G1) winner Frosted (Tapit), a late-running
fourth after a wide trip in the Kentucky Derby, will start to the immediate
outside of American Pharoah and was installed as the 5-1 second choice.

“I didn’t think there was going to be a bad draw for us and am happy that we
drew post six in an eight horse field. No excuses,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin
said. “We weren’t looking for any specific draw but in the middle is always a
great place to be. In a mile-and-a-half race, they will all have plenty of time
to sort it all out. Materiality (Afleet Alex) drew well, eight of eight, as did
American Pharoah, five of eight, and they’ll probably be the first two into the
first turn and we’ll probably be third to six and from there we’ll let Joel
(Rosario) work it out.

“I’m just glad the sun is out so we can train properly. The last couple of
days we’ve had to jog and now we’ll gallop the next few days. Frosted is doing
just super and we’re excited about the race.”

Two-time Belmont Stakes winner Todd Pletcher will send out Florida Derby (G1)
hero Materiality, a rallying sixth in the Kentucky Derby after a rough start,
and Peter Pan (G2) victor Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky). They are listed at
6-1 and 12-1, respectively, on the morning line.

“I’d envision Materiality being close to the pace and Madefromlucky maybe in
midpack,” Pletcher said. “I think with Materiality, if you look at his first
three races he’s always been close to the pace and unfortunately missed the
break at Churchill and found himself in a position he’d never been in. I like
the fact that we drew outside of American Pharoah. We’re going to make sure we
break well this time and go into the first turn trying to make sure there’s an
honest pace.

Pletcher envisions Florida
Derby winner Materiality ‘being
close to the pace’
(Adam Coglianese Photography)

“I think (post 3) is fine (for Madefromlucky). I don’t think it was important
for him where he drew. I think he’ll appreciate the mile and a half. One of the
things we’re hoping is that because in his previous races he didn’t run the
turns very well, and because he seemed to run the turn much better at Belmont,
that it’ll be a positive. It’s kind of a bigger, sweeping turn. He needs to keep
improving. I think his last race was his best and he’s trained well since then.”

U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) winner Mubtaahij (Dubawi), an even eighth when making
his U.S. debut in the Kentucky Derby, is the early 10-1 fourth choice and will
break from the innermost post with new jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

“He’s done well,” trainer Mike De Kock said. “The fact that he’s been settled
in one place for a few weeks now has made a difference to him. I’m very happy
with the way he’s going and training. As opposed to the Derby where he had a lot
of changes going into the race, everything has been pretty consistent this time,
which I think makes a big difference. I think all the traveling and all the
changes like feed, surroundings, changes, no one really wants to go through that
going into a race like the Derby. Unfortunately those were the hoops he had to
jump through. It’s far more advantageous to be at Belmont and settled.

“I don’t think a mile and a half is a problem at all. He’s by Dubawi and
there’s a lot of stamina in his family. The way he won the Derby in Dubai I’d be
shocked if he didn’t get the distance. He did win from drawing (post) one in
Dubai, but I’d rather be on the outside to be honest. We’ve got a rider that
knows his way around the track. You’ve got to leave it to the rider.”

A trio of late runners — Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati), Keen Ice (Curlin)
and Frammento (Midshipman) — round out the Belmont Stakes field.

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