Justify is looking for a full sweep to take the Triple Crown with a win at the 150th run of the Belmont Stakes. Horse racing enthusiasts are calling it a foregone conclusion after impressive showings at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but does the assertion have the backing of experts? Many industry savants have already revealed their picks. We’ve listed some of the key ones below to help undecided bettors piece together a better picture at who has a real shot at this year’s final leg of the Triple Crown.
Expert Picks and Predictions for the 150th Belmont Stakes Horse Race on June 9, 2018
Joe Tansy (Bleacher Report) – Justify
Joe Tansy of Bleacher Report picks the safest horse to bet on. That’s Justify, of course, who is a win away at the Belmont Stakes from joining the exclusive group of Triple Crown winners. Justify, trained by the legendary Bob Baffert, had won both this year’s editions of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. He became the first winner of the Derby in over 100 years who went unraced as a two-year-old. For Tansy, those pair of successes make Justify the righteous favorite to win it all. Speaking of Baffert, the 65-year-old trainer has won the Belmont Stakes twice before, the latest being in 2015 when he had American Pharoah sweeping the Triple Crown.
Here’s what Tansy had to say about Justify and Baffert:
Justify carries plenty of experience around him to prepare for the June 9 race, as Baffert trained the last Triple Crown winner in 2015.
In addition to American Pharoah’s triumph three years ago, Baffert led three other horses into the Belmont Stakes with a chance to capture the Triple Crown.
It’s no surprise Justify will be the favorite heading into the Belmont Stakes, and there’s a good chance his odds remain low in the three weeks before the race.
Jody Demling is looking like a horserace betting demigod right now. Demling correctly predicted the winners of the following races last year: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. He also put money on the right horses ahead this year’s Travers Stakes, Pegasus World Cup, Louisiana Derby, Arkansas Derby, Man O’War Stakes, and Preakness Stakes. Surely, you would want to know what this dude has in mind before laying money on a colt.
Demling is not going for the favorite, Justify .Instead he thinks that Bravazo (+550) will get the win this coming June at Belmont Park, via CBS.
We can tell you Demling is high on Bravazo, a horse going off at 8-1 in the Belmont Stakes odds.
“No reason to think this horse isn’t getting better,” Demling told SportsLine. “Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas had him primed for the Preakness and he almost got there in the end; the longer distance will be good for him.”
Bravazo has finished in the top two in five of his 10 career races. The 1.5-miles track at the Belmont is a great fit for his style, so he’s a contender you can back with confidence on June 9.
Bravazo finished sixth at the Kentucky Derby and second at Pimlico.
EXPERT
PICK
Jody Demling
Bravazo
John Jacobs (TheSportsGeek) – Justify
John Jacobs from TheSportsGeek.com likes Justify for all of the practical reasons. Jacobs cites, for one, that Vegas likes him. Going where the money is may not result in a big pay day, but it will result in a pay day nonetheless. The writer also put it simply but effectively, that the undefeated (5-0) horse Justify is really good having beaten all of the other contenders going into Belmont. Lastly, Jacobs states Bob Baffert Wins, which means something:
“The beauty is Baffert has been in this exact position before and American Pharoah came through for him. Given Justify’s talent and production so far, there is a reason to believe Baffert has a second historic horse on his hands.”
EXPERT
PICK
John Jacobs
Justify
Ryan Simpson (TopBet Writer) – Bravazo
TopBet’s Ryan Simpson is going against the grain with Jody Demling (above) to make Bravazo the Triple Crown spoiler. Simpson notes that Bravazo’s close second place finish behind Justify at Preakness is an indicator of things to come this June 9, 2018. Sure, Justify may have won all of his races over the year, but that in itself is a concern according to TopBet’s resident expert. Fatigue may be setting in for the Triple Crown hopeful, and Bravazo will be nipping at his horseshoes at Belmont, and will surpass Justify in the final stretch. Read Ryan’s complete Belmont betting preview.
