Rain creeping into updated Belmont 2018 forecast

The prospect that Justify may attempt to sweep all three races of the Triple Crown series on something other than a fast track is plenty possible.

Forecasts from the National Weather Service (40 percent), The Weather Channel (40 percent) and AccuWeather (60 percent) all now include rain possibilities in Saturday's forecast for Elmont, N.Y., where they'll head postward for the 2018 Belmont Stakes at 6:46 p.m. ET.

Of course, Justify won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes over sloppy, sealed racetracks. And while his speed figures for the most part regressed, he headed to the winner's circle despite two grueling pace scenarios, cutting swift fractions near the lead of the Derby and running head and head with Good Magic to open the Preakness.

While three of his five career wins came on wet tracks, Justify's recorded his career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 107 while taking the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on a sunny day in California. Connections are hoping for fast dirt Saturday.

“He’s very good on a dry track as well but unfortunately we’ve just been catching wet surfaces,” Jimmy Barnes, trainer Bob Baffert's top assistant, said after a recent Justify morning gallop. “I’ve seen him run on a dry surface and I definitely like what I saw.”

As for when that rain could arrive Saturday, The Weather Channel's current forecast reads: "Partly cloudy early followed by increasing clouds with showers developing later in the day." Chance of rain shoots to 70 percent by nightfall.

Of course, keep in mind that at this point Derby week, predictions called for a Friday deluge on Kentucky Oaks Friday and a beautiful Saturday. Instead, we got the opposite.