The 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes is set for Saturday, June 11 at Belmont Park, and all indications are that both Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford will be in the field. It looks like the winners of this year's first two Tripe Crown races will have plenty of company.
The Thoroughbred Times reported a few days ago that as many as 19 horses are considered possible entrants in the 11/2-mile event, the longest of the Triple Crown races. The maximum number of entrants is 16, and the record number of participants was 16 in 1983. A dozen horses were in the 2010 field. That race was won by Drosselmeyer. Per the Thoroughbred Times, if Animal Kingdom and Shackleford meet in the Belmont Stakes it would be the first time winners of the first two legs of the Triple Crown have met in the Belmont since 2005, when Afleet Alex and Giacomo were in the field.
Post time for the race is tentatively scheduled at 6:35 p.m. ET. Coverage on NBC will begin at 5 p.m. Versus will provide pre-race coverage from 3-5 p.m. and race wrap-up from 7-7:30 p.m.
-- SB Nation New York will have your field, race odds, post positions and much more coverage as Belmont week unfolds. You can also check out SB Nation horse racing website, Anddownthestretchtheycome.