Belmont Stakes 2018: Horses list
By Zoe West
The field is set for the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Can Justify do it? Can he become the second Triple Crown winner in 3 years, after the previous wait was 37? Can he become the first ever horse to win the Triple Crown without racing as a 2-year-old? We’re about to find out.
The field was finalized (barring injury) and post positions drawn on Wednesday for the race. This time Justify will face 9 others. 9 horses (and jockeys and trainers and…) trying to take his crown. Can he do it?
So far Justify has answered every question asked of him, and answered it well. What do you think of massive crowds and a tense atmosphere? No problem. How about running again barely 2 weeks later? Got it. Longer distances, or a muddy track? Easy. The Belmont will ask even more questions.
Justify had no problem with the distance in the Kentucky Derby, but the Belmont is a quarter-mile longer, and he will (or should) be more tired. He also won both the Derby and the Preakness on sloppy tracks. Assuming the track is fast for the Belmont, what will change? Justify clearly didn’t find the mud too distasteful, but some of the others did.
The field for the Belmont consists of:
1 Justify
2 Free Drop Billy
3 Bravazo
4 Hofburg
5 Restoring Hope
6 Gronkowski
7 Tenfold
8 Vino Rosso
9 Noble Indy
10 Blended Citizen
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Seven of these horses (including Justify) Ran in the Kentucky Derby, but none proved much of a challenge to him there. Two (Tenfold and Bravazo) raced in the Preakness as well and got much closer in that one, finishing third and second respectively.
Justify (for obvious reasons) is the current favorite and should remain that way. The second choice currently is Hofburg, followed by Bravazo and Vino Rosso who share third billing as it were. The Belmont Stakes post time is expected to be just after 6:30 ET on Saturday.