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Santa Anita Derby third-place finisher has been with trainer Doug O'Neill throughout his career, but made his first 5 starts with that one's smaller Kentucky string of horses. His lone victory came in a Keeneland maiden race in October. Photo: Keeneland / Coady
Maiden breaker on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard bounced back from a 6th-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby prior. Battled gamely in debut defeat at Tampa Bay Downs vs. Belmont rival Emerging Market. Photo: Coady/Churchill Downs.
From same trainer-jockey as last year's Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty, this lightly raced colt didn't debut until Jan. 10 and landed a fourth-place finish in the run for the roses. Close-up second in the Fountain of Youth and narrow third in the Florida Derby while knocking on the door at Gulfstream Park.
Kentucky Derby runner-up after drawing a tough rail post draw and absorbing several early bumps, he'll look to make up the neck defeat this time in a rematch with Golden Tempo. Expected Belmont Stakes favorite won the Arkansas Derby and Sam F. Davis prior. He debuted a distant third at Saratoga last summer in his prior Spa outing.
Blue Grass Stakes runner-up and Withers third-place finisher had enough points to compete in the Kentucky Derby but was aimed for the Preakness, missing that race with a foot issue. Trainer Chad Brown has a trio of Belmont Stakes hopefuls this year.
Peter Pan Stakes winner has won back-to-back races at Aqueduct and will get his first taste of the Triple Crown series. Son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, who skipped the Belmont after finishing third in the Preakness. Sprint-centric pedigree on the damside.
Kentucky Derby seventh-place finisher looks to rebound at Belmont. Only horse ever to win Gulfstream's Mucho Macho Man, Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, he gets a fourth different jockey in his last 4 starts as John Velazquez continues the musical saddles.
Most lightly raced member of this year's Kentucky Derby field, the Louisiana Derby winner finished a disappointing 10th at 8-1 odds. Jockey Flavien Prat remains aboard in search of a Belmont bounce-back. One of 3 Chad Brown trainees targeting this race.
Connections of the Kentucky Derby winner opted to bypass the Belmont Stakes in hopes of a repeat victory in the final jewel like Sovereignty a year ago. Lecomte winner at Fair Grounds this winter before third-place efforts in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby. Trainer DeVaux became first female to saddle Kentucky Derby winner and can be second to do so in Belmont. Co-owner Phipps Stable campaigned 1989 Belmont winner Easy Goer.
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New to Horse Race Betting? No worries—we’ve got you. This section breaks down the basics of horse racing bets, from the simple stuff like traditional Win bets to more advanced plays like Exactas and Pick 5s. We'll take a look at how odds work, how payouts are calculated, and what it all means for your wallet. It’s everything you need to understand betting and enjoy the action.
If you're new to horse racing or looking to understand the basics, it's essential to grasp the Traditional bet types: Win, Place, and Show. These straightforward wagers are the foundation of horse race betting and are ideal for beginners.
A WIN bet is the simplest type of horse racing wager—you’re picking a horse to come in first place. If your horse finishes at the front, you’ll earn a payout based on the final odds for that horse. For instance, if you wager $2 on a horse with 5-to-1 odds (5/1) and it wins, you’d get $10 in profit ($5 for every $1 bet), plus your original $2 bet back, totaling $12.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $2 WIN bet paid $7.00
A PLACE bet gives you two chances to win. You’re backing a horse to finish either first or second. As long as your chosen horse comes in one of those top two positions, you’ll receive a payout. Since the odds of winning are better than a Win bet, the potential payout is typically smaller.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $2 PLACE bet paid $3.20
A SHOW bet offers the most leeway—you’re betting on a horse to finish in the top three. Whether your pick comes in first, second, or third, you’ll get paid. While this type of bet has the highest chance of a return, it also comes with the lowest payout due to the broader margin for success.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $2 SHOW bet paid $2.30
Betting them ACROSS THE BOARD, is probably a term you've heard. It's a popular and straightforward wager where you’re betting on a horse to Win, Place, and Show all at once. This would be shown as WIN/PLACE/SHOW or WPS on the betting pad. If your horse finishes first, you collect the Win, Place, and Show payouts. If your horse finishes second, you collect the Place and Show payouts, and if it finishes third, you would just collect the Show payout.
A $2 WIN/PLACE/SHOW aka 'ACROSS THE BOARD' on last year's Belmont Stakes winner SOVEREIGNTY would have cost you $6 total ($2 for WIN, $2 for PLACE & $2 for SHOW) and returned $12.50 in winnings.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, Exotic bets offer a thrilling next step. These wagers involve predicting multiple outcomes—like the exact order of finishers in a single race—and they come with higher risk but much bigger potential rewards. Whether you’re chasing an Exacta or aiming for the elusive Superfecta, exotic bets bring strategy, excitement, and serious payout possibilities to the track.
An EXACTA bet ups the challenge. You’re predicting which two horses will finish first and second, in the exact order. If your selections cross the line in that precise sequence, you win. It’s tougher than a Win or Place bet, but the payouts can be significantly higher. Not confident about the exact order, but like your horse picks? Box your bet, and as long as your selected horses finish in the top 2 spots—1st and 2nd—they can finish in any order and you’ll still win.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $2 EXACTA bet paid $13.20
Taking it a step further, a TRIFECTA bet requires you to choose the first three finishers in the exact order. Nail all three in the right sequence and you’ll score a much bigger payout—though it’s definitely harder to hit than an Exacta. Box your bet, and as long as your selected horses finish in the top 3 spots—1st through 3rd—they can finish in any order and you’ll still win.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $0.50 TRIFECTA bet paid $6.90
The SUPERFECTA is where serious bettors test their skill. You must pick the top four horses to finish in the exact order. It’s a high-risk, high-reward wager that can deliver massive payouts if you’re able to beat the odds. Box your bet, and as long as your selected horses finish in the top 4 spots—1st through 4th—they can finish in any order and you’ll still win.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $0.10 SUPERFECTA bet paid $4.05
Multi-race wagers add an extra layer of excitement to the day’s card. Instead of betting on just one race, you’re trying to predict the winners of multiple consecutive races. These bets raise the stakes—and the payouts—making them popular among players who enjoy longer-range strategy and higher risk. To increase your chances of hitting winners, you can include more than one horse in each race. That will raise your ticket cost, but it also boosts your probability of picking more winners.
DOUBLE: pick the winners of two back-to-back races. It’s the most approachable multi-race bet and often serves as a great entry point for players looking to move beyond single-race wagers.
2024 Belmont Stakes $2 DOUBLE bet paid $173.00
*2025 refunded due to postponed turf races
PICK 3: correctly select the winners of three consecutive races. Slightly tougher than the Daily Double, but with greater reward potential for a small added challenge.
2024 Belmont Stakes $.50 PICK 3 bet paid $426.50
*2025 refunded due to postponed turf races
PICK 4: predict the winners of four races in a row. The payouts start to grow substantially here, and it's a favorite among intermediate-level bettors who enjoy a bit of suspense across multiple races.
2024 Belmont Stakes $.50 PICK 4 bet paid $514.00
*2025 refunded due to postponed turf races
PICK 5: choose the winning horse in five straight races. Hitting all five requires strong handicapping skills—and a little luck—but the payoff can be massive, especially with longshots in the mix.
2024 Belmont Stakes $.50 PICK 5 bet paid $3,972.50
*2025 refunded due to postponed turf races
PICK 6: is the most legendary of the multi-race bets. To win a Pick 6, you must select the winners of six consecutive races. It's incredibly difficult to hit, but that’s also why the pools can climb into life-changing territory.
2024 Belmont Stakes $.20 PICK 6 bet paid $35,034.00
*2025 refunded due to postponed turf races
Unlike traditional fixed-odds sports betting, where the payout is predetermined, horse racing uses a pari-mutuel system. This means that all bets on a particular race are pooled together, and the odds can change as more money is wagered until the pools close and the race goes off.
Horse racing odds represent the potential payout for a bet relative to your stake. Let’s break down what some example odds like 5/1, 5/2, and 9/5 mean, and how to calculate your winnings.
When you see 5/1 odds, it means that for every $1 you wager, you’ll win $5 if your horse comes in first. That’s 5 times your bet! Plus, you get your original $1 stake back. So, with a $2 wager on a horse that is 5/1 odds, you’d win $10 ($5 for every $1 you bet) plus your initial $2 stake back, for a total of $12 in payout.
Example bet at 5/1 odds:
Bet: $2
Horse Odds: 5/1
Total Payout: $12 (your $10 in winnings ($5 for every $1 you bet) + your $2 stake back)
With 5/2 odds, you’ll win $5 for every $2 bet. This is often considered a "shorter" odd, meaning your return is smaller compared to 5/1, but still a nice payout. For a $2 bet, you'd win $7 (your $5 in winnings ($5 for every $2 you bet) plus your original $2 stake back, for a total of $7.
Example bet at 5/2 odds:
Bet: $2
Horse Odds: 5/2
Total Payout: $7 (your $5 in winnings ($5 for every $2 you bet) + your $2 stake back)
With 9/5 odds, you’ll win $9 for every $5 bet. Like 5/2 odds, this payout is lower compared to 5/1, but still offers a good return. For a $5 bet, you would receive $14 (your $9 in winnings ($9 for every $5 you bet) plus your original $5 stake back, for a total of $14.
Example:
Bet: $5
Horse Odds: 9/5
Payout: $14 (your $9 in winnings ($9 for every $5 you bet) plus your $5 stake back)
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COMMANDMENT
RENEGADE
GOLDEN TEMPO
EMERGING MARKET
EMERGING MARKET
RENEGADE
CHIEF WALLABEE
POWERSHIFT
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RENEGADE
EMERGING MARKET
COMMANDMENT
CHIEF WALLABEE
EMERGING MARKET
CHIEF WALLABEE
GOLDEN TEMPO
RENEGADE
RENEGADE
GROWTH EQUITY
CHIEF WALLABEE
COMMANDMENT
COMMANDMENT
RENEGADE
POWERSHIFT
CHIEF WALLABEE
CHIEF WALLABEE
RENEGADE
GOLDEN TEMPO
POWERSHIFT
EMERGING MARKET
CHIEF WALLABEE
POWERSHIFT
RENEGADE
EMERGING MARKET
COMMANDMENT
GOLDEN TEMPO
RENEGADE
RENEGADE
EMERGING MARKET
GOLDEN TEMPO
COMMANDMENT
CHIEF WALLABEE
RENEGADE
EMERGING MARKET
GOLDEN TEMPO
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SCENE SETTER: The Acorn Stakes headlines 5 Friday stakes as the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival primes the nation for Saturday’s main event. This Grade 1 test for 3-year-old fillies joins a card that includes the Grade 1 Phipps and Grade 1 New York for fillies and mares on the dirt and turf, respectively. Saratoga’s trio of hosted Acorn editions have been contested at 1-1/8 miles, while its been predominantly a 1-turn mile downstate at Belmont Park. A highly competitive Kentucky Oaks 5 weeks ago at Churchill Downs saw the top-4 finishers within 2-1/2 lengths at the wire. The 2026 class has yet to solidify with a standout favorite; the Acorn could build a strong case for Oaks winner ALWAYS A RUNNER or continue the open debate.
SCENE SETTER: Kentucky Derby top finishers GOLDEN TEMPO and RENEGADE renew acquaintances over the same distance as Churchill Downs 5 weeks prior. The field size / complexion and pace will look different as horseplayers decide to either reshuffle the result or play it right back. It was only a year ago when Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza repeated the Derby trifecta in the Belmont Stakes. But don’t pencil that in as any sort of trend. It only happened once before – in 1977 when Seattle Slew, Run Dusty Run and Sanhedrin repeated the results from Kentucky to New York. Other 2026 Derby alumni like COMMANDMENT, CHIEF WALLABEE and EMERGING MARKET are looking to break through Saturday. Triple Crown series newcomers like POWERSHIFT, OTTINHO and GROWTH EQUITY also will have a fresh say in the outcome.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux on his running style and (lack of) pace in the Belmont: “He’s going to run his race, and where he is depends on what’s happening in front. If there’s not a contentious pace, he should be closer in theory. Jose [Ortiz] can either get him closer earlier or start his run earlier. Ideally, I’d like him in a better position to make his run without having to do so much late. We’ve never wanted to change his running style, but if the pace isn’t contentious, he should be closer.” – NTRA Teleconference
Trainer Todd Pletcher on the Derby trip and looking forward to Belmont: “All of our fears of drawing the 1 post unfolded right out of the gate. The good news is despite all the contact he came out of the race unscathed and with no cuts. He has always shown us he is a very gritty horse. Renegade runs with a lot of courage and he has proven he is not afraid to wrestle if he needs to … Renegade is versatile enough and has enough experience that we feel he can win from anywhere. The shortened distance and it being run at Saratoga is no real factor for him. We will see how the race unfolds and just let him be him.” – Forbes.com
Trainer Brad Cox on landing Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez as this colt’s fourth different rider in his last 4 starts: “Johnny was open and felt like we needed to lock him up before maybe someone else did. You can’t go wrong when you leg him up on a horse, and I think it’ll be a good match-up.” – NTRA Teleconference
SCENE SETTER: Trainer Todd Pletcher has had at least 1 Belmont Stakes starter all but 1 year since 2006 (absent in 2012). During those 19 appearances, he’s had a dozen first or second-place finishers in the final jewel of the Triple Crown with 4 wins and 8 runners-up. His 1-2 finish in 2022 with Mo Donegal and the filly Nest was followed up by second-place efforts by Forte (2023) and Mindframe (2024) before a couple of longshot misfires a year ago. Pletcher’s not the only Belmont-winning barn looking to add to its trophy case Saturday when he saddles likely favorite RENEGADE and upstart POWERSHIFT. Bill Mott (CHIEF WALLABEE) seeks a third Belmont win and defense of Sovereignty’s 2025 title. Brad Cox (COMMANDMENT) has a single Belmont victory on his ledger.
BELMONT STAKES RACING FESTIVAL THURSDAY PICKS
Trainer Bill Mott on his Kentucky Derby effort and late-blooming development: “He proved to me that he had some determination. I thought getting bothered the way he did, he dug in and came on and got up for fourth money. With a clean trip, maybe he gets a little more than that … “(He) was such an inexperienced horse, with the lack of foundation that you’d prefer to have going into the Kentucky Derby, to ask him to run in the Derby and back in two weeks that would have been an awful lot for this particular horse. He didn’t have the foundation in him to do it. I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. Having five weeks in between would suit him a little better, give him a little more recovery time from the Derby and give him an opportunity to show a little better in the Belmont.” – Daily Racing Form
Trainer Chad Brown on the time between the Derby and Belmont: “I did a little more with him this week and I liked what I saw. He galloped out really well. The horse is doing really good.” – Daily Racing Form
Trainer Chad Brown on his Belmont chances: "At the end of the day, he's by a Derby winner, he's handled the mile and an eighth the right way, his figures keep getting faster every race the further I run him. He's fresh, he's in good form, and if he drew a cozy post towards the inside and got a ground-saving trip in there, he's very handy." – NYRA Release
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SCENE SETTER: This will be the third and final Belmont Stakes scheduled at historic Saratoga Racecourse. The reconstructed Belmont Park is slated to reopen in September, and the final jewel of the Triple Crown returns downstate to its mile and one-half norm next spring. How might the track and distance impact Belmont Stakes 158? The past 2 editions at the Spa over a mile and one-quarter have seen pacesetters finish fourth and seventh (Rodriguez 7-1, Preakness winner Seize the Grey 5-1). Local Saratoga experience has not been predictive of results; Belmont Stakes winners Dornoch and Sovereignty both lost single maiden debut starts at the Spa the summer prior.
POST DRAW RAPID REACTION & BETTING NOTES
Trainer Chad Brown on foot issue post-Blue Grass: "He had a crack in the sole of his foot, in a weird spot, and he's been training with a bar shoe. He's likely not to run in it (the bar shoe), and I think I can get him out of it by race day. He's doing great in it, and he's really picked it up between the last two weeks." – NYRA Release
Trainer Todd Pletcher on working this colt with Renegade (and against on Saturday): “Powershift is a good work horse, and they’ve been [work] companions quite a bit. They make good mates … We’ve always thought a lot of him and I think they complement each other’s racing styles. It’s in play.” – Daily Racing Form
Trainer Doug O’Neill on Belmont prospects: “He’s always shown a lot of talent, he was just a little slow to come around. He’s training well … His last couple of works have been his best to date. And he always acted like a horse the longer the better.” – Daily Racing Form
Kentucky Derby winner to win: Sovereignty (2025)
Kentucky Derby runner-up to win: Empire Maker (2003)
Kentucky Derby third-place finisher to win: Essential Quality (2021)
Skipped Derby and Preakness to win: Arcangelo (2023)
Ran Derby, Skipped Preakness to win: Sovereignty (2025)
Ran Derby and Preakness to win Justify: (2018)
Jockey to win back-to-back: Laffit Pincay, Jr. 1982-’84 three-peat on Conquistador Cielo, Caveat and Swale.
Trainer to win back-to-back: D. Wayne Lukas (1994-‘96) three-peat with Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch and Editor’s Note.
Jockey to win debut: Manny Franco (2020 Tiz the Law)
Trainer to win debut: Jenna Antonucci (2023 Arcangelo)
Filly to win: Rags to Riches (2007)
Filly to compete: Nest (2022, 2nd)
Gelding to win: Ruler Once Ice (2011), prior to that Crème Fraiche (1985)
Wire-to-wire winner: Justify (2018)
Winner to close from more than 10 lengths back: Jazil (2006)
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