The 2014 Belmont Stakes are on the schedule for Saturday and the draw was released with posts and odds for the horses, as Triple Crown hopeful California Chrome was listed as the early favorite for the race and that comes after wins at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and now the NBC TV coverage will be massive as everyone wants to see whether the horse can pull off the historic feat in New York.
California Chrome was listed as the 3-5 favorite in the race and was placed in the number two post position and that comes in between a 20-1 horse with Medal Count and a 30-1 horse in Matterhorn in the first and third positions. Chrome is trying to become the 12th Triple Crown champion in history and no one has done it in decades and this is yet another attempt to set the mark that Affirmed did in 1978 and Secretariat hit back in 1973. That race ended up being a record win, as the horse took the title by 31 lengths and also set a track record.
Chrome may not be able to set the track record, but the horse has brought a ton of excitement to the event and now over 100,000 people could descend on the Belmont on Saturday to see the race. The Saturday event at the Belmont has NYC already buzzing and Chrome is in the number two spot and previously that is where the last Triple Crown winner was posted and that gives some history and intrigue to the race as well. Wicked Strong is in the number nine post and is a 6-1 fave alongside the Chrome and Tonalist is the third favorite with 8-1 odds and that horse will be out from the number 11 post and that horse could win the race, as it has experience after winning the Peter Pan.
Ride On Curlin has experience running and Matterhorn and Matusza come in at 30-1 in their first taste of the Triple Crown and all eyes will be on Chrome anyway and if he falls, people will wonder if a Triple Crown will ever happen again. Chrome was able to win the Kentucky Derby by pulling away down the stretch and he also was neck and neck with Curlin at the Preakness before pulling that one out and now the Belmont comes as the possible crowning achievement.
The race starts up around 6:52 pm, as that is the post time and the draw came out on Wednesday to set the race lineup and coverage from NBC will be all day with the NBC Sports Network and other coverage online.
Check here for the Belmont schedule and Triple Crown odds and post time for the race on Saturday.
