Forte, National Treasure Lead Nine-Horse Belmont

Ever since Justify   swept the Triple Crown in 2018, the series has been a singular sensation.

There have been 14 Triple Crown races since then with 14 different winners, including two in the first legs of this year's chase.

That trend, however, could come to an end June 10 as Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National Treasure  was among a field of nine 3-year-olds entered June 6 for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, the 1 1/2-mile final jewel in the Triple Crown.

"He's silky smooth and looking fabulous now. You're never confident going into a classic, but we're confident he's in a good place," said SF Racing's Tom Ryan, managing partner of the son of Quality Road  's ownership group. "I think he has moved forward since the Preakness."

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, National Treasure drew post 4 and was pegged at 5-1 on the morning line.

The posts at the June 6 draw were assigned after a member of the New York Racing Association racing office announced a name and a member of the horse's connections randomly picked up a statue with a post position number underneath it.

The field also includes the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1), Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's 2-year-old champion Forte , who was scratched the morning of the opening leg of the Triple Crown due to a foot he had bruised a few days before. He has not raced since winning the April 1 Florida Derby (G1), which came four weeks after he won the March 4 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in his season debut. 

Five weeks later, Forte (post 6) was pegged as the 5-2 morning line favorite for the 155th Belmont.

"It's been 10 weeks since he's run, but he was ready to run in the Kentucky Derby and we missed a little bit of training, but not much," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said about the son of Violence  . "I'm pretty confident his fitness is very good."

Mike Repole said the connections' faith in Forte remain as strong as ever.

"Obviously, he didn't run in the Derby, but he hasn't missed any training and we're excited," the co-owner said about the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner. "We still think this is the best 3-year-old in the crop and I think on Saturday he's going to prove that."

Pletcher will also send out the second choice in Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Farm's Tapit Trice  (post 2, 3-1), who was seventh in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Tapit   is following the pattern of the eight-time Eclipse Award winning trainer's four previous Belmont victors (Rags to Riches, Palace Malice  , Tapwrit  , and Mo Donegal   last year): racing on Kentucky Derby weekend and then waiting five weeks for "The Test of the Champion."

"He's got a big, long stride on him and if he we can get him into a good rhythm, I think he's going to like the mile and a half," Pletcher said. 

Albaugh Family Stables' Pennsylvania-bred Angel of Empire  (post 8, 7-2), who was sent off as the favorite in the Run for the Roses, will return in the Belmont following a third-place finish on the first Saturday in May for trainer Brad Cox, who will also send out Hit Show  (post 7, 10-1) and Tapit Shoes  (post 1, 20-1).

"He's doing good physically," Cox said of Angel of Empire, a son of Classic Empire  . "We really like what we've seen in his three works since the Derby. I think he stepped up and ran a huge race in the Derby. We're very proud of that effort. I think we have to take another step forward to win, but his race in the Derby puts him right there."

Angel of Empire races with blinkers on.

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show, a Candy Ride (ARG) colt, won the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack in February and was fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Tapit Shoes, a son of Tapit, has not run since finishing second to fellow Belmont starter Red Route One  in the April 22 Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park.The half brother to Cox's multiple grade 1 winner Cyberknife   is owned by a partnership featuring Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers Racing, Michael Dubb, and Martin Schwartz.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' late-running Red Route One (post 9, 15-1) is a homebred son of Gun Runner   trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. He comes into the Belmont off a fourth-place finish behind the front-running National Treasure in the slow-paced Preakness.

"He's like he always is. We're blessed to have a horse like him who always shows up and runs his race. He hasn't disappointed us yet," said David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds. "He's dependent on a (pace) setup but I don't think a mile and a half is beyond his scope."

The rest of the field includes Peter Pan Stakes (G3) winner Arcangelo  (post 3, 8-1) and allowance optional claiming winner  Il Miracolo  (post 5, 30-1).

The lineup for the Belmont was reduced from 10 to nine when Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Raise Cain  was removed from consideration June 5 by trainer Ben Colebrook, who announced his colt would instead run in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Ellis Park June 11.