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Breaking down the last 5 horses that had a shot at the Triple Crown

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Bob Baffert is in familiar territory.

On Saturday, Justify will try to become the 13th horse to sweep the coveted Triple Crown. He's the 4-5 morning-line favorite and drew post position No. 1. After easily taking the Kentucky Derby, the Baffert-trained colt followed up that big effort two weeks later with a less convincing win in the Preakness.

Now, in order to hoist the crown, Justify must prevail in the Belmont Stakes, dubbed "the test of a champion" for its brutal 1.5-mile distance over the deep Belmont Park dirt.

It was only three years ago when American Pharoah, also trained by Baffert, won the Triple Crown. Before that, racing fans waited 37 years for a horse to take the title. In between Affirmed in 1977 and Pharoah, 13 horses tried for the sweep but came up short in New York. Here's a reminder of how the last five Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners fared in the Belmont:

American Pharoah, 2015

American Pharoah broke a 37-year drought in 2015, becoming the first horse to conquer the Crown since Affirmed in 1977. Pharoah went on to win the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred Racing by winning the Breeders' Cup Classic that November, but not before being beaten by Keen Ice in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August.

After the Classic, Pharoah retired to stud at Ashford Stud in Kentucky (the same operation that has reportedly bought the stallion rights to Justify for $60 million), where he commanded $200,000 per breeding in his first year as a stallion. Now, Pharoah shuttles back and forth between the United States and Australia to breed mares. His first foals will hit the track in 2019.

California Chrome, 2014

California Chrome won people's hearts for his flashy appearance (high white socks and thick white blaze down his face) and his blue-collar background. In a sport that's built on pedigree, it's safe to say the California-bred Chrome - with his no-name parents and neophyte owners - came from the wrong side of the tracks.

Still, the striking chestnut colt dominated in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, winning the affections of the snobbiest of horse fanciers. He arrived at Belmont the overwhelming favorite but lacked the energy to win over the fresh, "new shooter" Tonalist and finished in a tie for fourth.

Immediately after the race, his owners blasted Tonalist's connections and racing organizers for Tonalist not running in the other two legs, feeling it gave the horse an unfair advantage over Chrome and other participants who ran in the Derby and the Preakness. After that, Chrome's career took a strange twist with an ill-fated trip to England and subsequent injury. But he recovered and went on to win seven races in the U.S. before retiring to stud.

I'll Have Another, 2012

I'll Have Another won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2012, but, in a heartbreaking twist, defected from the Belmont the day before the race after suffering a career-ending tendon injury.

Owned by the Canadian-born Paul Reddam and ridden by a relatively unknown jockey named Mario Gutierrez (the same owner-trainer-jockey combo went on to win the 2016 Derby with Nyquist), the colt was sold to Japan for his stallion career.

Big Brown, 2008

Big Brown was undefeated in his career coming into the Belmont Stakes, after sparkling wins in the 2008 Derby and the Preakness. However, he developed quarter cracks - a hoof ailment that plagued him as a 2-year-old - after the Preakness, which marred his training going into the Belmont.

Big Brown made it to the race, but was never comfortable during the running and eventually pulled up and failed to finish. He's the only horse in a Triple Crown bid to not cross the wire in the Belmont. He bounced back and won his next two races before retiring.

Big Brown's ownership group, IEAH, went on to make headlines of a different kind when one partner was jailed for investment fraud after it was found he was accepting kickbacks for investments made in companies which included the horse syndicate.

Smarty Jones, 2004

Smarty Jones was also undefeated in eight starts before the Belmont. In fact, he had never been passed by a horse before arriving in New York.

At the Belmont, Smarty Jones went to the lead and set a fast pace, setting the race up perfectly for a come-from-behind horse. Despite a valiant effort to maintain quick early fractions and show stamina in the stretch, he couldn't hold off the late run of Birdstone and finished second.

The Belmont was Smarty Jones' last race of his career. While he didn't go out a winner, he's still a hero in horse-racing circles for his speed and heart.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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