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Belmont Stakes Preview: Will Justify complete the Triple Crown?

Mike Stobe / Getty Images Sport / Getty

How to watch

When: Saturday, June 9
Post time: 6:46 p.m. ET
Where: Belmont Park, Queens, N.Y.
TV: USA - NBC, 4 p.m. ET; Canada - TSN, 4 p.m. ET

Once again, Bob Baffert, the white-haired wizard of Thoroughbred horse racing, finds himself on the brink of history.

The Hall of Fame trainer will saddle the undefeated Justify (4-5) in hopes of keeping the colt's perfect career alive and clinching one of the sports world's most coveted prizes, the Triple Crown, in Saturday's 150th running of the Belmont Stakes. To get to this point, Justify has turned away all comers in his short but stellar five-race career. The rangy chestnut put in a dominating performance in the Kentucky Derby, winning by 2 1/2 lengths over the slop at Churchill Downs. In the Preakness two weeks later, in similarly wet conditions, Justify and his jockey, Mike Smith, pulled off what some might say was a less impressive win, but a win nonetheless, holding off a charging Bravazo.

It has only been three years since the Baffert-conditioned American Pharoah streaked to Triple Crown glory, making him the first horse to clinch the title in 37 years. But Baffert has also felt the heartbreak of Triple Crown losses. On three other occasions, he has sent the Derby and Preakness winner to the gate in the Belmont and came home to his California barn unsuccessful, including watching Real Quiet lose the Crown in a photo finish in 1998.

On Saturday, Justify will take on nine other foes in the race that's dubbed "The test of a champion" for its grueling 1.5-mile distance.

Other notable contenders in Saturday's race include the equine Gronkowski (12-1), named and now part-owned by New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Horse Gronk has never run in the United States, having been trained and raced in the U.K. After missing the Derby, Gronkowski was sent to American trainer Chad Brown's barn to make a bid for the Belmont.

Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola owns a stake in the colt Vino Rosso (8-1), who will also look to thwart Justify's bid at the Crown. Vino Rosso and Justify happen to be born days apart and were both raised at Kentucky's Glenwood Farm, owned by Canadian investment banker John Gunther.

Bravazo (8-1), trained by legendary horsemen D. Wayne Lukas, gave Justify a bit of a scare in the Preakness, gaining on him in the last few jumps before the wire. This colt has punched above his weight in both legs of the series. Saturday might be the day this gritty colt turns the tables.

For Justify to win, he needs a clean trip. He drew the one hole, and the plan is to break sharp and take the lead from the jump. After that, it's just a matter of whether he has enough gas in the tank to stay there.

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