Belmont Stakes Odds and Handicapping
The Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York is the final jewel of the Triple Crown, and it is coming up Saturday, June 10, 2023. The 1 1/2-mile (12-furlong) race is the longest that any of the horses in the field have ever tried to date, and the longest that most of the runners will probably ever try. The spoils are immense, though: $1.5 million in purse money, and a place in horse racing history for the winner.
If a horse wins both the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, then they are often the odds-on choice in the Belmont Stakes, and the world will be watching to see if they can complete the Triple Crown. But, even if there is not a live Triple Crown bid, the Belmont Stakes is an exciting race for connections and bettors alike.
Belmont Stakes History
The Belmont Stakes began in 1868. It has been run at four different tracks over the years, but all were in New York. They include Jerome Park, Morris Park, Belmont Park, and even Aqueduct Racetrack, when Belmont was under construction. Four New York-breds have won the Belmont Stakes, most recently Tiz the Law in 2020.
The Belmont Stakes is traditionally the final leg of the Triple Crown. Though it has occasionally been moved around, and it was even the first Triple Crown race in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, the race is back in its usual spot three weeks after the Preakness Stakes.
The 1 1/2-mile (12-furlong) race is open to three-year-old Thoroughbred colts, geldings, and fillies. Three fillies have won the race. Most recently Rags to Riches did it in 2007 for trainer Todd Pletcher, whose filly Nest ran second to stablemate Mo Donegal in 2022 as well.
There have been 13 Triple Crown winners to date: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018). Trainer Bob Baffert won the last two Triple Crowns, and might return to the Belmont in 2023 as he is eligible at all tracks not owned by Churchill Downs.
Belmont Stakes Betting Online
As you get ready for the Belmont Stakes, it matters where you bet online. Our guide to the top racebooks will help you identify trusted betting sites with market-leading odds, trusted payouts, and the best user experiences available anywhere. They also offer sportsbooks as well, so it’s easy to do horse betting and sports betting. Make your account, and get ready to bet the Belmont from home or on the go, anywhere there is an internet connection!
These online racebooks also offer promos that you will never find at the track. These include welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, horse racing rebates, and even referral incentives for betting with your friends. Take a few minutes now to pick the best site for your betting style, and be ready for the most profitable wagering experience!
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Belmont Stakes Betting Odds
The Belmont Stakes odds were last updated on May 18, 2023. We'll post the markets from the top bookmakers, assisting players in ways to bet on Belmont Stakes online, as we have assessed a variety of the best online providers for US players.
For anyone who wants to place Belmont Stakes best bets, continue to read through our Belmont Stakes betting guide, as we'll provide expert advice from our in-house horse racing team. Stay tuned!
Belmont Stakes Race Favorites
Favorites in the Belmont have won at a 43% clip over all 154 editions of the race, which is considerably better than the average 30% most races see. Favorites had a cold run through most of the 2000s and 2010s, though the favorite has been the Belmont Stakes winner the last three years.
The winning payouts and favorite finish position for the last ten years is as follows:
- 2022: Mo Donegal - $7.20 (Favored)
- 2021: Essential Quality - $8.60 (Favored)
- 2020: Tiz The Law - $5.50 (Favored)
- 2019: Sir Winston - $22.40 (Tacitus second)
- 2018: Justify - $3.60 (Favored)
- 2017: Tapwrit - $12.60 (Irish War Cry second)
- 2016: Creator - $34.80 (Exaggerator eleventh)
- 2015: American Pharoah - $3.50 (Favored)
- 2014: Tonalist - $20.40 (California Chrome fourth)
- 2013: Palace Malice - $29.60 (Orb third)
The average winning payout over the last ten years is $14.82.
Belmont Stakes Bets
In the Belmont Stakes, you can make a full range of horse racing bets. If your strongest opinion is on one particular horse in the race, then your best wager may be one of the classic straight bets: the win bet, place bet, or show bet. They pay off if your horse finishes first (win bet), second-or-better (place), or third-or-better (show), and they only depend on the performance of the one horse you bet.
You can also go for a much bigger payout withe exotic wagers. They require having correct opinions about more than one horse, but they can also pay thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars!
If your best opinions are about multiple horses who can run well in the Belmont, consider building an intra-race exotic ticket like an exacta, trifecta, or superfecta. They require you to pick the first two, three, or four horses across the wire in the exact order. The more horses you have to pick the tougher the bet is to cash, but the bigger the payout can be!
On the other hand, other bettors have better opinions about who can win other races on the card before or after the Belmont Stakes. In that case, why not play a wager like the Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, or Pick 6? If you pick the winners of consecutive races, those bets can make your day.
Belmont Stakes Prep Races
When handicapping the Belmont Stakes, it makes sense to focus on horses who come in from races that are historically live. The most traditional prep races for the Belmont include the other Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Often horses who run well in those races can hold their form in the Belmont.
The traditional local prep for the Belmont is the Peter Pan (G3), which has settled into a spot four weeks out from the Belmont Stakes. Though the nine-furlong race is significantly shorter than the Belmont Stakes, it can give a good idea of which horses are rounding into better form in time for the Belmont, and who can handle the taxing, sandy surface in Elmont.
It also makes sense to look for horses who run well in Grade 1 stakes races including the Blue Grass, Florida Derby, Arkansas Derby, Santa Anita Derby, and even the Kentucky Oaks. Horses who are class-proven coming into the Belmont do bring a seasoning advantage.
2023 Belmont Stakes Contenders
The final field for the 2023 Belmont Stakes will be drawn Tuesday, June 6. On that day the post positions, trainers, jockeys, morning lines, and post time will be finalized for the race. Until then, however, you can start to focus on horses who might be coming into the Belmont Stakes in the right form.
Kentucky Derby Horses
Mage was the impressive Kentucky Derby winner in 2023, and if he wins the Preakness as well he could be an odds-on favorite into the Belmont Stakes. The Gustavo Delgado trainee has a good pedigree for stamina, and is well trained for long races. He is also versatile enough to stalk or close, though his best chance in the Belmont will come if he can improve at the break.
Todd Pletcher is always worth watching in the Belmont. In 2022 he truly shined in the race, with his Mo Donegal and Nest finishing 1-2 over a deep field that included Skippylongstocking, Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, Creative Minister, and Barber Road. In 2023, he has two interesting prospects for the Test of the Champion: Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns.
They both have interesting Belmont pedigrees: Tapit Trice is by Tapit (the sire of four Belmont winners) out of a mare by Afleet Alex, who also won the Belmont. Kingsbarns is by Uncle Mo, the sire of last year’s Belmont winner. Kingsbarns may be able to get the more tactical forward trip if he goes to the Belmont, though Tapit Trice has a better dam side for stamina and may shine if there’s some pace to chase.
New Faces in the Belmont Stakes
The Peter Pan is the traditional local prep race for the Belmont Stakes. The top two horses in the race, Arcangelo and Bishops Bay, finished well clear of the rest of the field and may be headed toward the Belmont Stakes. Between the pair, the narrow winner Arcangelo is more appealing from a betting perspective.
Though Bishops Bay dug in late in the Peter Pan, he could not hold off Arcangelo in the end even over the shorter 1 1/8-mile distance. Arcangelo is a son of Arrogate with some interesting breeding to stretch out. And, Arcangelo is trained by experienced under-the-radar trainer Jena Antonucci, whose runners are more likely to be longshots (or at least present good betting value) on the national stage.
Belmont Stakes Racing Festival
The Belmont Stakes card has a host of other major stakes, and the days leading up to the race are filled with stakes action. The card on Friday, June 9 features five graded stakes including three at the Grade 1 level: the Acorn Stakes, Just a Game Stakes, and New York Stakes.
The June 20 card has nine graded stakes races. That includes five races other than the Belmont that are also at the Grade 1 level: the Woody Stephens, Met Mile, Manhattan, Ogden Phipps, and Jaipur. These races draw the classiest horses of all ages from all divisions of horse racing, so it is worth taking the time to handicap them and place your bets!
