The undefeated Justify will head to the starting gate on Saturday as the heavy betting favorite for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) and a field of nine foes will attempt to end his bid to become the 13th Triple Crown winner.
Justify is the solid 4-5 wagering favorite on the Belmont Stakes odds after winning the Kentucky Derby (G1) by 2½ lengths and the Preakness Stakes (G1) by a half-length, both in the slop.
There is a chance we could see another off track for the Belmont. There is a 50% chance of showers for Saturday afternoon.
The second choice in Belmont Stakes betting is the Bill Mott trained Hofburg at 9-2. The colt has just four starts in his career and makes his first start since a troubled trip in a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He ran second to Audible in the Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park in his stakes debut.
The colt is sent out by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and is out of a Touch Gold mare. Touch Gold was the 1997 Belmont Stakes winner.
Preakness Stakes runner up Bravazo is the third choice at 15-2. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee was sixth in the Run for the Roses while beaten eight lengths and cut into that margin in Baltimore where he made a good late rally to come up just a half-length short of getting to the winner in the Preakness.
Lukas has won the Belmont Stakes four times including three years in a row from 1994 to 1996.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled last year’s winner Tapwrit, sends out a pair of runners who ran in the Derby and skipped the Preakness.
Vino Ross is 9-1 and looking to improve off his ninth-place finish in the Derby where he raced wide. Noble Indy was not a threat in the Derby in a 17th place finish and is 33-1 for the Belmont.
Tenfold rallied to finish third in the Preakness and is 10-1. The colt was just three-quarters of a length behind Justify and a neck behind runner up Bravazo. His trainer Steve Asmussen won the Belmont in 2016 with Creator.
Gronkowski makes his U.S. debut and first start since landing with the Chad Brown barn. The colt was originally being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby but spiked fever and missed the race. The colt is currently at odds of 25-1.
Blended Citizen won the local prep, the Peter Pan (G3), and is listed at odds of 20-1.
Restoring Hope is looking to rebound off a 12th-place finish in the Pat Day Mile (G3) on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. He is trained by Bob Baffert. The colt is listed at 33-1.
Free Drop Billy was a promising juvenile last year, missing winning the Hopeful (G1) by a neck and taking the Breeders’ Futurity (G1). However, he has now lost five in a row and was beaten 41 lengths in a 16th place finish in the Derby. He is the biggest price in the Belmont field at 66-1.