Belmont Stakes 2015 schedule: American Pharoah races for history

The intrigue and draw of the Belmont Stakes depends entirely on the Kentucky Derby winner’s performance in the Preakness Stakes. American Pharoah was able to leave the field in the dust, or rather the mud, in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Now American Pharoah will attempt to do what many horses have failed to do in recent years and snag the first Triple Crown in nearly four decades.

Not since Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978 has a horse managed to win all three races, but American Pharoah is the third horse in the last four years to snare victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. In fact, since Affirmed earned the Triple Crown 37 years ago, 13 different horses have failed to cap the title with a third win after winning the first two.

If American Pharoah loses, though, it would be the first for the 3-year-old trainee of Bob Baffert since the first race of his young career. After a fifth-place finish at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in California in August 2014, American Pharoah has tallied six straight wins to enter the Belmont Stakes on a hot streak.

However, the Belmont Stakes has a way of ending hot streaks.

While earning the Triple Crown is a test of endurance for one horse asked to win three consecutive races in the span of a month, challengers in the Belmont Stakes are able to enter as a spoiler after resting up for the race. The injustice led to a tirade in 2014 from the owner of California Chrome after his horse was defeated by Tonalist, a horse that did not run in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes.

For now, the challenge is keeping American Pharoah as fresh and healthy as possible before the 6:50 p.m. ET post time on Saturday.

Wednesday, June 3 - Draw occurs, 11:15 a.m., TV: NBCSN

Thursday, June 4 - Gates open, 11 a.m.

Friday, June 5 - Belmont Stakes Classics, 4 p.m., TV: NBCSN, 3 p.m.

Saturday, June 6 - Belmont Stakes, 6:50 p.m. post time, TV: NBC, 5 p.m.

All times listed in Eastern.