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Peter Pan winner jumps into the Triple Crown late after a reported fever forced him to miss the Wood Memorial and potentially make the Kentucky Derby. Breeders' Cup Juvenile third-place finisher was also third in the Tampa Bay Derby in March. Trainer Brown, third last year with Sierra Leone, seeks his first Belmont win.
Kentucky Derby winner skipped the Preakness by choice of his connections and comes into the Belmont Stakes having won 2 of 3 starts this year. Captured Gulfstream's Fountain of Youth and finished second in the Florida Derby there. Debuted fourth at Saratoga last summer in only local start. Trainer Mott won '10 Belmont (Drosselmeyer).
Wire-to-wire winner of the Wood Memorial in New York, this California-based colt missed the Preakness and Belmont with a foot issue. Has done his best running on the lead and should be expected to be part of the early pace. Baffert won the Belmont in 2001, 2015 and 2018.
Peter Pan Stakes sixth-place finisher would be a Belmont longshot in search of his first stakes win. Debuted a Saratoga winner last summer. Trainer Pletcher is a 4-time Belmont Stakes winner, most recently 2022 with Mo Donegal. 2-time Belmont winner Saez rode Dornoch to victory last year.
Sir Barton Stakes winner at Pimlico on the Preakness Day undercard, this would be his first attempt at the graded-stakes level. Debuted in February, broke his maiden at Keeneland in April and would be among the most lightly raced Belmont contenders. Trainer Pletcher has 4 wins in this race, jockey Velazquez has 2.
Kentucky Derby third-place finisher and Santa Anita Derby runner-up has a Triple Crown legacy pedigree. Dam, Puca, already produced 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch. Trainer Shirreffs orchestrated 50-1 shot Giacomo to upset the 2005 Kentucky Derby and managed the legendary mare Zenyatta.
Preakness winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up as the favorite could be the only horse to start in all 3 legs of the 2025 Triple Crown. Won hearts and respect for overcoming severe bumping in the Preakness and his determined rally to win. Trainer McCarthy now has 2 Preakness wins, seeks first Belmont.
British-bred and based son of Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A.P. was fifth in the Preakness and has remained stateside for the Belmont. Both career wins have come in 1-mile journeys. Father-daughter trainer-jockey tandem.
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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 traditonal 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 $37.40
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 $17.60
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 $8.10
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 DORNOCH would have cost you $6 total ($2 for WIN, $2 for PLACE & $2 for SHOW) and returned $63.10 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 $326.50
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 $236.50
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 $320.05
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.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $2 DOUBLE bet paid $173.00
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.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $.50 PICK 3 bet paid $426.50
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.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $.50 PICK 4 bet paid $514.00
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.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $.50 PICK 5 bet paid $3,972.50
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.
Last year's Belmont Stakes $.20 PICK 6 bet paid $35,034.00
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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RODRIGUEZ
JOURNALISM
BAEZA
SOVEREIGNTY
BAEZA
JOURNALISM
SOVEREIGNTY
HILL ROAD
JOURNALISM
BAEZA
SOVERIGNTY
HEART OF HONOR
SOVEREIGNTY
BAEZA
JOURNALISM
RODRIGUEZ
BAEZA
SOVEREIGNTY
JOURNALISM
RODRIGUEZ
BAEZA
JOURNALISM
SOVEREIGNTY
HILL ROAD
RODRIGUEZ
JOURNALISM
SOVEREIGNTY
BAEZA
BAEZA
RODRIGUEZ
SOVEREIGNTY
JOURNALISM
BAEZA
SOVEREIGNTY
JOURNALISM
HILL ROAD
SOVEREIGNTY
BAEZA
JOURNALISM
RODRIGUEZ
SOVEREIGNTY
BAEZA
JOURNALISM
RODRIGUEZ
SOVEREIGNTY
JOURNALISM
RODRIGUEZ
BAEZA
SCENE SETTER: Last year’s Friday card at the Belmont Stakes Festival featured 4 stakes and will be bolstered to 6 for 2025. The Grade 1 Ogden Phipps and Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup join the Friday fun, but it’s still the Grade 1 Acorn for the 3-year-old fillies atop the marquee. Kentucky Oaks winners Thorpedo Anna and Pretty Mischievous have won the last 2 Acorn renewals and this year’s unbeaten Oaks heroine GOOD CHEER headlines the cast.
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SCENE SETTER: Business has been booming for the 2025 Triple Crown so far, and if last year was any indication, expect the final jewel at Saratoga to keep trending upward. The 2024 Belmont card handled $125 million, a NYRA record for a non-Triple Crown deciding raceday – topping the 2023 previous mark by more than 6 percent. This year, the Kentucky Derby posted its second straight record handle on the first Saturday in May when $234 million was bet, while the Preakness Stakes saw its second-largest handle ever 3 weeks ago when horseplayers sent in over $110 million – up 11 percent year-over-year.
NOTES:
SCENE SETTER: America’s oldest racetrack, Saratoga, plays host to one of the oldest terms in the sporting vernacular: the rubber match. The deciding showdown in a 3-game series, where combatants each own a victory, traces back to the 16th century card game whist, a precursor to the more widely known bridge. The Kentucky Derby winner has squared off with the Preakness winner just 8 times since 1990 in the Belmont Stakes. During that time, 3 Preakness winners have secured victories vs. none for the Derby winner – with 5 fresh faces adding a Belmont trophy to their cases. The Preakness winner has outfinished the Derby winner in 7 of 8 such matchups.
NOTES:
SCENE SETTER: If the 2025 Triple Crown has taught us anything it’s to stick around until the finish. Both races were decided in the final furlong as SOVEREIGNTY rallied to wear the roses 5 weeks ago, while JOURNALISM snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final jumps of the Preakness 21 days ago at Pimlico. Now we reach the end of the line for the series at Saratoga, where another mile and one-quarter test likely boils down to those all-important last 220 yards. Dornoch and Mindframe traded the lead back-and-forth in the final, eventful strides a year ago at the Spa.
NOTES:
Kentucky Derby winner to win: Justify (2018)
Preakness winner to win: Justify (2018)
Derby runner-up to win: Tiz the Law (2020), prior Empire Maker (2003)
Skipped Derby and Preakness to win: Arcangelo (2023)
Ran Derby, Skipped Preakness to win: Dornoch (2024)
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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