How to Bet on the Belmont Stakes

If you’re new to horse racing betting, you’re probably wondering where to begin. We’ve got you covered with Stakes odds and tutorials. Plus, Odds Shark’s equine racing guru, Mike Dempsey, will turn you into a racing wagering phenom – or at least someone who understands Belmont betting and can hopefully make a few bucks.

To get started, check out our Horse Racing 101 pages for in-depth explanations of the types of horse bets you can make:

• Win, Place, Show Betting
• Exacta Betting
• Trifecta Betting
• Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 6 Betting
• Best Racebooks

Handicapping the Belmont Stakes requires you to check out our Stakes Odds page too.

A horse’s pace plays a big role in this racing event. The Kentucky Derby is known as the “Run for the Roses.” The Belmont Stakes is known as “The Test of the Champion” because the longer track distance has historically put faster horses at a disadvantage. Endurance is key during a race of this length and horses that start slow shouldn’t be dismissed. A slow starter could gain momentum and gallop its way to the finish line for the win.

Horse pace breakdown:

• Pressers/Stalkers – come from behind
• Front-runners – start strong and keep a steady pace throughout the race
• Closers – start slow but gain momentum as the race comes to an end

As with pace, knowing a horse’s position on the track can also help you make smart bets. Horses that start the race closer to the inside of the track have a shorter distance to run. In a 1.5-mile race like this one, a shorter run distance could make all the difference for a presser.

Belmont Stakes Racing Details

This Grade I race must meet the criteria determined by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). This association ensures that the race is fair and all horses are three years old.

• The Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the Triple Crown horse races with the first race taking place in 1867.
• Belmont Park is in Elmont, New York, about an hour’s drive from Manhattan. Unless there’s traffic. (There’s always traffic.)
• The winner of the race is draped with a blanket of white carnations. The pure white carnations used stand for love and luck. The blanket takes about 700 Columbian carnations and weighs approximately 40 pounds.
• Secretariat holds the best Belmont Stakes time at 2:24. His 1973 run time also set the world record for a 1.5-mile dirt track race and he won by 31 lengths, the largest margin of victory of any Grade 1 Stakes race in the United States. A statue of Secretariat likewise receives a carnation blanket.
• Prior to the 1921 race, horses ran clockwise like they would in an English race. Since then, most races run on U.S. soil are run counterclockwise.
• Trainer James G. Rowe Sr. has the most Belmont Stakes wins with eight.
• Sarava is the biggest underdog to have won the Stakes. In 2002, at +7000 (70/1) odds, this horse ended the front-runner’s bid for the Triple Crown.
• The 1867 purse – what the winner receives – was $2,500, equivalent to about $43,166.89 today. The current prize is $1.5 million.
• The favorite won this horse racing event 11 consecutive times from 1878 to 1888.
• The racetrack is named after investor and politician August Belmont I.
• The Tiffany and Co. designed trophy features three horses supporting a silver bowl with a single horse standing on top. The three bottom horses represent Eclipse, Herod and Matchem, foundational sire thoroughbreds. The top horse represents Fenian, the winner of the third Belmont Stakes. Winners are given the option of keeping the trophy for a year or leaving it to be displayed on the grounds.
• The race with the biggest crowd took place in 2004 with 120,130 people attending.
• Before 2016, bay horses were the most victorious with 56 wins. Chestnuts had 54 wins and dark/bay browns had 33.
• 2018 saw Justify become the 13th Triple Crown winner.
• Julie Krone is the first and only female jockey to win a Triple Crown. In 1993 she captured the prestigious honor with Colonial Affair who was a +1300 (13/1) long shot.
• Until 1996, the official song of the Belmont Stakes was “The Sidewalks of New York” by Charles B. Lawlor and James W. Black. However, in an attempt to appeal to a younger demographic, “Theme from New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra was used. When that didn’t increase interest in the race, Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” sung by pop singer Jasmin V was tried. In 2011, Frank Sinatra’s tune was reinstated as the official anthem of the race.

Equipped with our Belmont Stakes handicapping pages and the facts found here, you’re ready to bet on horse racing. It’s time to take the reins and wager!