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How to Watch the Race for the Triple Crown at the 2018 Belmont Stakes Online for Free

By:
Gabby Raymond
4 min read
Justify, #7, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, wins the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 19, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. - Eclipse Sportswire—Getty Images
Justify, #7, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, wins the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on May 19, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. Eclipse Sportswire—Getty Images

Justify leads the pack as the favorite to win the 2018 Belmont Stakes, which would make him only the 13th horse in history to hold the title of Triple Crown winner.

The Belmont Stakes is the final race of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, a three-day-event which started on Thursday, June 7. Of the three races that make up the Triple Crown, including the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, the Belmont is the oldest — first starting in 1867 at Jerome Park. It later moved to Belmont Park in 1904 Belmont Park, and races have been held there ever since.

There's a total of $1.5 million worth of prize money on the table for the 150th annual Belmont Stakes race, which is on Saturday, June 9. The first five horses to complete the 1.5-mile track and cross the finish line will receive prize money, and the winner will get $900,000. Justify is racing not only for the top prize, but the prestigious Triple Crown title — though it could be more difficult for him because he is still healing from a bruised heel sustained at the Kentucky Derby — that includes winning the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. While his odds of winning are currently 5-7, he still could lose to his closest competitors including Hofberg (9-2) and Bravazo (7-1).

Many of the most exciting races in recent years have happened at the Belmont Stakes, including Secretariat breaking a 25-year Triple Crown drought in 1973 and American Pharoah, whose 2015 win broke a 37-year dry spell of Triple Crown winners that started after Secretariat's win. Now, three years later, Justify will attempt to follow American Pharoah.

Here is everything you need to know to watch the 2018 Belmont Stakes, including start times, what channel the race is on and where to stream it online for free:

When is the 2018 Belmont Stakes Race?

The Belmont Stakes race will air live on Saturday, June 9 starting at 4 p.m. E.T. on NBC. The big race, featuring Justify's bid to snag the Triple Crown, is set to start around 6:46 p.m. E.T., give or take a few minutes. There will be a total of 18 races to watch starting on Thursday, which will all be broadcasted on NBCSN on Friday and Saturday.

If you are hoping to catch up on Justify's path to the Triple Crown before Saturday, NBC is also offering video of his Kentucky Derby win and his Preakness win.

How to stream the 2018 Belmont Stakes

If you don't have access to a TV, there is still hope to catch all the action.

You can watch the 2018 Belmont Stakes from your mobile devices on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app, which will be livestreaming the race. The NBC Sports app is available to download in the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. But you must be an NBC subscriber, or have access through a cable provider for this option.

You can also stream the race for free at TwinSpires.com on their live video section. Twin Spire is the Churchill Downs company that manages wages for the Triple Crown racing circuit. You can also place bets on the same page.

In addition to these streaming services, you can also sign up for free trials of YouTubeTV or HuluTV, both of which stream NBC. The free trials do require you to enter your credit card information, so make sure you cancel the trial before the complementary time is up and the next billing cycle begins.

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