The 2022 Belmont Stakes, coming up on Saturday, June 11, is the third jewel of the Triple Crown. Run at a mile and a half and drawing the best three-year-old colts in the country, the race offers a $1.5 million purse as well as a place in horse racing history for the winner. Known as the Test of the Champion, the race is one of the best betting races at Belmont Park all year long.
The Belmont Stakes drew a field of eight this year. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will try to prove his victory in Louisville was not a fluke. He will have to face a quality field that includes decisive Peter Pan (G3) winner We the People, smart Wood Memorial (G2) winner Mo Donegal, and Kentucky Oaks (G1) second-place finisher Nest.
Betting the Belmont Stakes is one of the highlights of the year for horseplayers, so read on to find out who to play!
Belmont Morning Line Odds
These are the official entrants for the 2022 Belmont Stakes, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
- We the People (Rodolphe Brisset/Flavien Prat) - 2/1
- Skippylongstocking (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Manuel Franco) - 20/1
- Nest (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz) - 8/1
- Rich Strike (Eric Reed/Sonny Leon) - 7/2
- Creative Minister (Ken McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 6/1
- Mo Donegal (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 5/2
- Golden Glider (Mark Casse/Dylan Davis) - 20/1
- Barber Road (John Ortiz/Joel Rosario) - 10/1
The morning lines are the trackās best guess of who will take money at the betting windows. However, you are not guaranteed these odds when you play the race on track, and they are bound to fluctuate until post time.
Your better bet is to play the Belmont Stakes online at an online sportsbook! They let you lock in your odds the moment you bet, meaning you get real Vegas odds and you can lock in the best price when you see it. The current odds at top online sportsbooks are below:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| We the People | +225 | +200 | +275 |
| Mo Donegal | +250 | +250 | +300 |
| Rich Strike | +400 | +350 | +475 |
| Creative Minister | +650 | +600 | +675 |
| Nest | +800 | +800 | +750 |
| Barber Road | +1200 | +1000 | +1300 |
Belmont Stakes Online Betting
Choosing where to bet the Belmont Stakes online can seem difficult, but we can help make it easy! Our expert reviews of the best online sports betting sites give you the trusted information you need from online betting experts. All of our sites offer trusted money management options, great odds, and smooth user interfaces.
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Belmont Handicapping
Now that you know where you can bet the Belmont, letās learn a little more about handicapping Belmont Park, and about who the contenders are in the Belmont Stakes.
Belmont Park Handicapping Tips
Belmont Park is different from a lot of American tracks. Instead of being a mile or a mile and an eighth around, the dirt at Belmont is a full mile and a half around, meaning jockeys who arenāt accustomed to riding it can sometimes move too early and not conserve enough for the long, sandy stretch.
Many of the jockeys riding in this yearās Belmont Stakes are quite experienced over the course. Belmontās three leading jockeys this meet all have calls in the race: Dylan Davis rides Golden Glider, Irad Ortiz has Mo Donegal, and Manuel Franco rides Skippylongstocking.
Many people fall into the trap of thinking that a closer will win because the race is longer. However, that proves not to be the case. Horses donāt have to be right on the front end, but to have the best chance of winning the Belmont a horse should be at least tactical enough to stay in touch with the leader through the early and middle stages of the race.
Belmont Stakes Contenders
The likely favorite in the race is We the People, winner of the local prep, the Peter Pan (G3). His early-speed running style helps his case, as he should get a cozy lead, and he is also well proven at Belmont. However, the class on the last couple generations of his damās side has come going much shorter, and he is not yet proven against horses of this quality.
This makes Mo Donegal an excellent upset chance. Bred for distance and proven at Belmont, his only real question is pace. However, Irad Ortiz has run good races with him from closer to the early pace, even in stakes company, as in the Remsen (G2) last year. If he can give Mo Donegal a tracking trip, it could be extremely hard to hold him off late in the lane.
Nest also appeals at a value price in the Belmont. Though she has to improve off of her second-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks, she is another who is well bred for the distance of the Belmont. Like her stablemate Mo Donegal, she also has some earlier-career form that puts her closer to the pace than she has been in recent starts. It also helps that her trainer, Todd Pletcher, has won the Belmont with a filly before.
Rich Strike will not be a longshot like he was in the Kentucky Derby, and will probably be pace compromised. It appears he is coming into the race nicely, and his pedigree sparkles for this step up in trip. However, he only appeals for the deepest exotic wagers given the pace scenario.
Belmont Stakes Longshot
As a longer shot to use for exotics in the Belmont, consider Barber Road. He consistently shows up in stakes company even though he has yet to win a stakes. Though he rallied from last to finish sixth in the Kentucky Derby, he has run some good races from closer to the pace, meaning that he can adapt to this slower pace scenario and nab his customary underneath share.
Free Belmont Picks
Here are the best bets for the 2022 Belmont Stakes:
- $20 to win - #6 Mo Donegal
- $1 exacta key - #6 Mo Donegal with #1 We the People, #3 Nest
- $1 trifecta key - #6 Mo Donegal with #1 We the People, #3 Nest, #8 Barber Road
- 20 cent superfecta key - #6 Mo Donegal with #1 We the People, #3 Nest, #4 Rich Strike, #8 Barber Road
