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The 2018 Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday, June 9. It’s the final leg of the Triple Crown also known as “The Test of Champion,” and this year Justify will be looking to become the first horse since American Pharoah in 2015 and only the 13th Triple Crown winner in history. Justify drew the 1 post position and entered race day as the overwhelming favorite at 4-5 odds.
The toughest competition for Justify was Bravazo and Vino Rosso, ridden by Luis Saez and John Velazquez respectfully, which both sat at 8-1 odds.
How did it all play out and who came away with the big win and biggest chunk of the $1.5 million purse?
Justify immediately jumped out to the early lead to set the pace around the first corner. Justify, Restoring Hope, and Vravazo continued to pace the field at the midway point as Justify was looking to pull away on the backstretch. Entering the final turn, Justify held a two-length lead as Vino Rosso looked to make an outside run. Vino Rosso was on Justify’s tails entering the final stretch as Justify pulled away and breezed past the finish line to make history.
If you missed out on “The Test of the Champions,” we have you covered with the full race video and highlights from Pimlico Race Course.
You can watch the full race below.
2018 Belmont Stakes Race Video
Witness history!
Justify becomes the 13th horse to win the #TripleCrown! Watch the full #BelmontStakes race replay, presented by @rocketmortgage. pic.twitter.com/NA6MkfWBdY— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 9, 2018
2018 Belmont Stakes Start Positions, Jockeys & Odds
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjqMPuzn1GT/?hl=en&taken-by=belmontstakes
| Post Position | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Betting Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justify | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | 4-5 |
| 2 | Free Drop Billy | Robby Albarado | Dale Romans | 30-1 |
| 3 | Bravazo | Luis Saez | D. Wayne Lukas | 8-1 |
| 4 | Hofburg | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Bill Mott | 9-2 |
| 5 | Restoring Hope | Florent Geroux | Bob Baffert | 30-1 |
| 6 | Gronkowski | Jose Ortiz | Chad Brown | 12-1 |
| 7 | Tenfold | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 12-1 |
| 8 | Vino Rosso | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 8-1 |
| 9 | Noble Indy | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 10 | Blended Citizen | Kyle Frey | Doug O’Neill | 15-1 |
