Garry Jones/Associated Press Justify will be hard to stop in the 2018 Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York, on Saturday. The firm favourite is one more victory away from becoming a Triple Crown winner. Hofburg and Bravazo are Justify's most obvious competition, but it won't be easy to rule out Vino Rosso and Noble Indy. Here are the horses and jockeys with the best chance of winning the 150th edition of this prestigious race: Mike Smith's Experience Will be Crucial for Triple Crown Bid There's no denying Justify is a special horse. The precocious colt broke the so-called Curse of Apollo by winning the Kentucky Derby before powering to a win at Preakness. Yet as talented as Justify is, he's undoubtedly been helped by having Mike Smith in the saddle. The 52-year-old veteran's experience was vital on the slop at Churchill Downs before Smith truly proved his worth during a tight race at Pimlico. Patrick Smith/Getty Images Smith knew how to work the horse early on in Baltimore amid intense early pressure from Good Magic. Once one contender had dropped away, Smith held his nerve and made sure Justify kept enough in reserve to inch ahead of Bravazo in the finish. Video Play Button Videos you might like Just a half-length separated the two horses at the end. Back in May, Dan Wolken of USA Today said "Smith's highlight reel of rides in big races over the last decade is unrivalled," and also noted how "he’s now the guy trainers like Bob Baffert want on their horses in the biggest races." Smith's savvy in the big moments only increases Justify's already-strong chances of completing the Triple Crown sweep. Todd Pletcher's Influence Gives Vino Rosso and Noble Indy a Chance Todd Pletcher knows a thing or two about training winners for Belmont. He had the winner in 2007, 2013 and 2017. Florent Geroux will again be in the saddle for one of Pletcher's contenders this year, Noble Indy. Horse Racing Nation's Reiner Macatangay described how the horse is "always up front, either contesting the lead or just behind the leaders." Macatangay also noted how Noble Indy could shed his blinkers for the longer course at Belmont, according to Pletcher. Charlie Riedel/Associated Press/Associated Press Pletcher can trust Vino Rosso to apply pressure early after the colt was ridden to ninth place at Churchill Downs by jockey John Velazquez. Like Smith, Velazquez is another veteran capable of getting the most from his horse. What the 46-year-old can count on is Vino Rosso being expertly prepared by Pletcher as the high-profile trainer eyes his final chance of spoiling Justify's hopes. Bravazo Can Go One Better Staying so close to Justify at Preakness spoke volumes about the quality of Bravazo. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has had four Belmont Stakes winners to his credit and has been difficult to beat in any Triple Crown race. Eclipse Sportswire/Getty Images Bravazo is Lukas' latest entrant and has been defying expectations since he finished sixth at Churchill Downs. Lukas has promised Bravazo will make events at Belmont "real interesting," per Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier-Journal. Luis Saez rode Bravazo to within mere footsteps of victory in the Preakness. His ride last time out proves the horse is more than capable of going one better in New York.<doc-sep>The 150th running of the Belmont Stakes, the last leg of the Triple Crown, is set for Saturday night at 6:37 p.m. ET. After winning at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Justify is looking to become the 13th horse to sweep the Triple Crown. The last horse to pull it off was American Pharoah in 2015. There's also prize money on the line. A total of $1.5 million is up for grabs and will be divided among the top eight finishers. The winning horse's owner takes home $800,000. And the winning jockey gets 10 percent of that, or $80,000. That number will get shaved down about 30 percent after the jockey pays his his agent and valet, the person who gets the jockey's gear in place. And that's before taxes.<doc-sep>So what are Jody Demling's 2018 Belmont picks? Where does Justify finish? And what long shot do you need to jump on? Visit SportsLine now to get Jody Demling's Belmont Stakes picks and predictions for every single horse, all from the horse racing guru who nailed the 1-2 finish and superfecta last year. The third leg of the American Triple Crown is here, and all 10 horses set to face off in New York on Saturday at the Belmont Stakes have their post positions. Justify, the only competitor with a chance at capturing the Triple Crown, seemed to make out OK after two straight races out of Post 7, landing the inside track for Belmont. Here's a complete rundown of the 2018 Belmont Stakes post positions and odds: POST HORSE ODDS 1 Justify 4-5 2 Free Drop Billy 30-1 3 Bravazo 8-1 4 Hofburg 9-2 5 Restoring Hope 30-1 6 Gronkowski 12-1 7 Tenfold 12-1 8 Vino Rosso 8-1 9 Noble Indy 30-1 10 Blended Citizen 15-1 Best and worst post positions Justify's Post 1 draw gave trainer Bob Baffert mixed reactions. After running from Post 7 for both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, this weekend's favorite will look to become the first Triple Crown winner since 2015, and he'll technically be in the best track for Belmont races. The first post has produced more champions (23) than any other lane at Belmont Park. Yet no one has won the Belmont Stakes along the rail since 2003. Fifteen different winners, meanwhile, have started from either Post 3 or Post 5, where Bravazo and long shot Restoring Hope will begin. Bravazo figures to benefit from that since he's long been considered Justify's chief competition. It should be noted, though, that Belmont Stakes usually feature smaller fields, so the history of certain posts faring better might be a little less indicative of a horse's chances to win than in, say, Louisville. Live updates You can follow along with all of the action at the 2018 Belmont Stakes with live updates starting Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. If the stream isn't working for you, click here. Horses, jockeys and trainers Justify Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Mike Smith The big kahuna. After winning the Kentucky Derby by 2.5 lengths, Justify stayed undefeated with a dominant Preakness Stakes victory and now, with the Apollo Curse well behind him, looks to become the first American Triple Crown winner since 2015's American Pharaoh, another Baffert specimen. Vino Rosso Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: John Velazquez Pletcher's Always Dreaming captured headlines for his 2017 Kentucky Derby win, but Vino Rosso barely cracked the top 10 in Louisville. Still, he makes for a potential upset pick since he's rested up and looked fly at the Wood Memorial. Bravazo Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas Jockey: Luis Saez He finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby as one of that 20-horse field's biggest long shots, then skyrocketed to a second-place finish in Baltimore for the Preakness. He might represent Justify's biggest challenge under the guidance of Lukas. Noble Indy Trainer: Todd Pletcher Jockey: Javier Castellano The second of Pletcher's horses in the Belmont Stakes, he underwhelmed at the Kentucky Derby with a 17th-place finish but has three first-place runs in his last five races -- the most recent being the Louisiana Derby on March 24. Hofburg Trainer: William I. Mott Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. He's a spoiler candidate with decent odds entering the race after a seventh-place showing at the Kentucky Derby. From purely a physical standpoint, he figures to give Justify a run for his money down the stretch. Tenfold Trainer: Steve Asmussen Jockey: Victor Espinoza Tenfold did not race as a 2-year-old and missed this year's Kentucky Derby after a fifth-place run in the Arkansas Derby, but with Espinoza -- a three-time Preakness winner -- riding him, he captured a third-place finish in Baltimore. Gronkowski Trainer: Chad C. Brown Jockey: Jose Ortiz Most known for being named after New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, he missed out on the Kentucky Derby because of an infection but is ready for his debut after a dominant run in Europe's Burradon Stakes. Free Drop Billy Trainer: Dale L. Romans Jockey: Robby Albarado He hasn't had a first-place finish since October 2017 and is probably the biggest long shot of the bunch. Still, he got himself warmed up with a 16th-place spot in the Kentucky Derby. Blended Citizen Trainer: Doug F. O'Neill Jockey: Kyle Frey His first-place mark at the 2018 Peter Pan have some hopeful for his showing at Belmont, where he won in May. He has just one other first-place finish in his previous nine races, however. Restoring Hope Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Florent Geroux An anticipated addition to the Belmont lineup, he's another Baffert horse, which obviously spawns some questions about what kind of competition Justify will get from him. He finished 12th in the May 5 Pat Day Mile.<doc-sep>
Julie Jacobson/Associated Press After clearing the first two hurdles of the Triple Crown, Justify faces the toughest test of his career Saturday at the Belmont Stakes. The longest of the Triple Crown races is a grueling challenge for any horse, especially Justify, who is running his third race in five weeks. While Justify has been busy on the track, some of his top competitors for Saturday's race possess fresher legs after either skipping the Preakness Stakes or preparing solely for the Belmont Stakes. If Justify pulls off the victory at Belmont Park, he will become the 13th horse to complete the Triple Crown and only the second horse to achieve the feat this century. Weather Forecast At the time of the race, it is expected to be 76 degrees and mostly cloudy with a wind of eight miles per hour out of the southeast in Elmont, New York, per Weather.com Video Play Button Videos you might like Odds Justify -110; bet $110 to win $100 Hofburg +450; bet $100 to win $450 Bravazo +750 Vino Rosso +900 Tenfold +1.000 Blended Citizen +1.800 Gronkowski +2,500 Noble Indy +2,800 Free Drop Billy +3,000 Restoring Hope +3,300 Odds via OddsShark. Jockey Info and Post Positions 1. Justify (Mike Smith) 2. Free Drop Billy (Robby Albarado) 3. Bravazo (Luis Saez) 4. Hofburg (Irad Ortiz Jr.) 5. Restoring Hope (Florent Geroux) 6. Gronkowski (Jose Ortiz) 7. Tenfold (Victor Espinoza) 8. Vino Rosso (John Velazquez) 9. Noble Indy (Javier Castellano) 10. Blended Citizen (Kyle Frey) Race Picks Justify It's hard to bet against Justify given his track record since first competing in February. The undefeated three-year-old dominated the Kentucky Derby and held on to win the Preakness Stakes to set up the opportunity for trainer Bob Baffert's second Triple Crown in four years after American Pharoah achieved the feat in 2015. Justify appears to be in an ideal position, as he will be able to take the inside track from post No. 1 and won't have to make up ground from the outside like others in the field. Julio Cortez/Associated Press The Triple Crown contender also has a good feel for what most of his competitors will do, as he's raced against the majority of them in the past five weeks. The only concern to have about Justify is whether he can survive the length of the Belmont Stakes, as it is the longest of the Triple Crown races at 1 ½ miles. If the Preakness Stakes were that distance, Justify might not have been able to hold off the charge from Bravazo, who ran a strong race to take second. Justify still deserves to be the favorite, but he has plenty left to prove in the grueling conclusion to the Triple Crown. Vino Rosso There are a few intriguing horses in the field with a solid chance to ruin Justify's Triple Crown bid. Vino Rosso fits in that category alongside Hofburg and Bravazo, and expect each of those horses to test Justify at some point during the race. Starting out of post No. 8 in a 10-horse field would be a concern in other races, but since Vino Rosso has plenty of time to make up ground from the outside, he should be able to reach the front of the field with ease. Julie Jacobson/Associated Press The Todd Pletcher-trained horse put together a nice buildup to the Kentucky Derby that was highlighted by a victory at the Wood Memorial. However, Vino Rosso didn't achieve the success some expected of him at Churchill Downs, as he finished ninth. As one of a few horses with fresh legs coming into the Belmont Stakes, Vino Rosso should be up for the challenge and, at the very least, will make Justify earn the Triple Crown in a tight race. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.