A fifth straight Triple Crown chase without a sweep will come to an end Saturday when a field of nine will contest the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. While the search for a 14^th Triple Crown winner will have to wait until next year at least, the 1 ½-mile final leg of the Triple Crown features an interesting matchup with Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure; Forte, the morning-line favorite who was scratched on the morning of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve; and Angel of Empire, the favorite in the run for roses who settled for third.

1. Tapit Shoes (20-1 morning-line odds): He’s on an upward swing and he’s one of the few horses in this field with early speed, but he’s making his graded stakes debut and may not be up to the task of handling the distance and an array of quality, Grade 1 winners in the field.

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Brad Cox

2. Tapit Trice (3-1): He got off to a slow start in the Kentucky Derby and never figured in the outcome, finishing seventh. His late-running style should be suited by the distance and his trainer, Todd Pletcher, has already won the Belmont three times with a horse who was off the board in the Derby and then rested five weeks for the “Test of the Champion.” If he breaks smoothly, he should be a major player, but there is an “if” attached to that.

JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

3. Arcangelo (8-1): The son of the late Arrogate showed some grit in battling back late to win the Peter Pan Stakes, the traditional prep for this race. He certainly has potential and is entering off a solid victory, but this seems a big ask in just his fifth career start.

JOCKEY: Javier Castellano; TRAINER: Jena Antonucci

4. National Treasure (5-1): While he was able to set slow fractions on the front end in the Preakness, he showed tenacity in turning aside a determined stretch bid from Blazing Sevens to prevail by a head. He has worked sharply since then and has more than enough speed to control the pace and hang around until the very end. Definitely belongs in the exotics.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez; TRAINER: Bob Baffert

5. Il Miracolo (30-1): He posted a front-running allowance win last time out at Gulfstream Park, which sounds interesting. But what stands out more is that in four starts in graded stakes he was never better than sixth and lost by a combined total of more than 70 lengths. We’ll pass.

JOCKEY: Marcos Meneses; TRAINER: Antonio Sano

Champion Forte (Eclipse Sportswire)

6. Forte (5-2): A foot injury kept the 2-year-old champion in his stall on Derby day and he’ll get a second chance in the Belmont, where he is the morning-line favorite. The lack of a race since April 1 is a concern but he has won five straight races and figures to have a major say in the outcome as trainer Todd Pletcher seeks a fifth Belmont Stakes win.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

7. Hit Show (10-1): He turned in a good effort in the Kentucky Derby, moving into third before weakening late and dropping back to fifth. Liked his game effort in finishing second in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino after a bumpy stretch drive and would not be surprised if he took a step forward here.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Brad Cox

8. Angel of Empire (7-2): He was favored in the Kentucky Derby and rallied late to finish third, missing second by a half-length. The way he closed in the run for the roses bodes well for his chances at this longer 1 ½-mile distance and, as long as the pace is realistic, he should be a force in this field.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Brad Cox

9. Red Route One (15-1): Was forced to move sooner than usual in the Preakness due to the slow pace but still hung around to finish fourth. He should benefit from the added distance as long as he doesn’t linger at the back too long. Despite the distance, stone-cold closers are usually at a disadvantage in the Belmont due to the inherently slower pace.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen

THE PICK: Angel of Empire

LIVE LONGSHOT: Hit Show 

SUPERFECTA: 8-4-6-7