American Pharoah Draws Post 5 for Belmont

Zayat Stables' Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah drew post 5 for the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (gr. I) to be run June 6 at Belmont Park, and was installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite during a June 3 ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York.



The 3-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile   will be ridden again by Victor Espinoza for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and will face rested Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) opponents Frosted, Materiality, Mubtaahij, Keen Ice, and Frammento—who all sat out the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I)—as well as Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve and Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) victor Madefromlucky.

"I don't really think it's a horrible post position," Baffert said. "I've always liked the 5. It's one I've had good luck with. The main thing is that the horse is doing well. I think that's the most important thing. He's doing great, but we still have to get around there."

Post 5 is the same slot Seattle Slew left for his 1977 Belmont run en route to Triple Crown victory.

"We are very honored and very blessed to be here," American Pharoah's owner, Ahmed Zayat, said. "I think this is going to be a rider's race. It's a small, but tough and talented field. I personally think that this year's 3-year-old crop is unbelievably talented. I think the horses deserve to be there. I'm a horse fan before anything else and I have tremendous respect for a lot of them."

Charles Fipke's Tale of Verve drew post 2 with Hall of Famer Gary Stevens aboard for trainer Dallas Stewart and was assigned 15-1 odds on the morning line. Godolphin's Frosted, fourth in the Derby, will break from post 6 with Joel Rosario in the irons and is second choice on the morning line, at 5-1.

"I didn't think there was going to be a bad draw for us and (I) am happy that we drew post 6 in an eight-horse field," Frosted's trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, said. "No excuses. We weren't looking for any specific draw, but in the middle is always a great place to be. In a mile-and-a-half race, they will all have plenty of time to sort it all out."

Alto Racing's Materiality (6-1), a troubled sixth in the Derby, and jockey John Velazquez will stand in post 8 with fellow Todd Pletcher trainee Madefromlucky (12-1) five spots to his left in post 3 with Javier Castellano.

"I'd envision Materiality being close to the pace and Madefromlucky maybe in mid-pack," Pletcher said. "I think with Materiality, if you look at his first three races, he's always been close to the pace, and unfortunately (he) missed the break at Churchill (Downs) and found himself in a position he'd never been in. I like the fact that we drew outside of American Pharoah. We're going to make sure we break well this time and go into the first turn trying to make sure there's an honest pace."

Keen Ice (20-1), a head behind Materiality in the Kentucky Derby, drew post 7 with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard for trainer Dale Romans.

"It's perfect," Romans said. "I like having another horse on each side of me when they all break and this gives my rider the time to figure it out. In an eight-horse field going a mile and a half, the draw isn't that big of a deal."

Frammento (30-1), who finished 11th in the Derby and drew post 4 with another Hall of Famer, jockey Mike Smith, will try to be the third Triple Crown spoiler for fellow Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito.

"I don't think the post matters too much to us, because we're coming from behind, so hopefully we'll get a good trip and go from there," Zito said. "We'll be all right. We'll get a good position and we'll be fine. I'll talk to (Smith) and leave it up to him. He'll definitely get the trip and hopefully he's good enough that day."

Eighth-place Derby finisher Mubtaahij (10-1), with Irad Ortiz Jr. assigned to ride for the first time, will be assigned to the rail for trainer Mike de Kock.

"He did win from drawing (post) 1 in Dubai (in the grade II UAE Derby), but I'd rather be on the outside to be honest," de Kock said. "We've got a rider that knows his way around the track. You've got to leave it to the rider."