Preview for the 2021 Belmont Stakes
In the end, Medina Spirit was free to race at the Preakness Stakes in his bid for the Triple Crown. The Bob Baffert trainee broke well from the post and took the early lead, but was overtaken by Midnight Bourbon in the stretch. However, both horses were overtaken by an outsider in the final seconds of the race, as +1200 Rombauer soared past them right when it counted.
Rombauer certainly looked fresh—which could be chalked up to his owners choosing to skip the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness victory was his first graded win and provided trainer Michael McCarthy with his first taste of Triple Crown success.
Of course, there won’t be a Triple Crown on the line this year when the contenders line up at the starting gates for the next horse race on the Triple Crown calendar: the Belmont Stakes. Rombauer has opened as the +250 early favourite ahead of Essential Quality at +350. We’ll fill you in on the favourite, some value picks and a long shot to get you ready for The Run for the Carnations in Elmont.
2021 Belmont Stakes Favourite
All of the storylines surrounded Bob Baffert and Medina Spirit, so it’s not surprising that Rombauer was overlooked heading into the Preakness. The son of Twirling Candy was part of John and Diane Fradkin’s small breeding operation. They intended to sell him at auction at a year or two years old, but the pandemic caused a slowdown, which forced them to hold on to their colt. They eventually entered him into the Preakness Stakes, where he made a late surge from the middle of the pack to the front in the homestretch to deny Midnight Bourbon and Medina Spirit from victory.
2021 Belmont Stakes Value Odds
Midnight Bourbon is expected to take the field again at the Belmont Stakes and is available as a +600 option for horse race betting. The Steve Asmussen trainee took a big step forward at the Preakness, where he finished second following his sixth-place result at the Kentucky Derby. He’s being ridden by Irad Ortiz, who rode Creator, another Asmussen-trained colt, to victory at the 2016 Belmont Stakes.
Another intriguing option is Malathaat—a bay filly that’s available at +800 odds. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Malathaat is undefeated in five career starts, including the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes, the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes and the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. She has been bred with endurance in mind and comes from the same barn who produced 2007 Belmont Stakes filly winner Rags to Riches.
2021 Belmont Stakes Long Shot Odds
Those who like to bet horse racing long shots will be pleased to know that there are some fresh faces on the board, including Weyburn. This +1600 long shot will be joining the Triple Crown trail after winning the Gotham Stakes in March and finishing fourth at the Wood Memorial in April. His owner and trainer agreed that he would be best suited for the Belmont and have held him back from the Derby and Preakness as a result.
How to Bet on the Belmont Stakes
Anyone can look through a list of Belmont contenders and pick a horse to bet on, but there are plenty more ways than that to bet on the Belmont Stakes betting lines. We’ll explain everything from simple straight bets to complex exotics to ensure you are equipped with the knowledge needed to capitalize on the Belmont.
Belmont Stakes Straight Wagers (Win/Place/Show)
A straight wager involves betting on a single horse to finish in the money. You can bet on the horse to win the race by taking the “win” wager. This is the toughest bet out of the three straight bets, but it also pays the most if you win. As for the “place” bet, your horse can finish first or second, and your bet will pay out. The “show” bet requires your horse to finish first, second or third to pay out—the exact placement doesn’t matter. Place bets pay the least out of the three straight wagers, but they have the highest odds of winning.
Belmont Stakes Exotic Bets
Exotics are a little bit harder to win than straight wagers because you’re betting on multiple horses through a single wager.
Belmont Stakes Exacta Betting
Betting on the winner and second-place finisher, and getting them both in the right order, is what “exacta” betting is all about.
Belmont Stakes Trifecta Betting
To win the Belmont Stakes trifecta, you must predict the first three horses to cross the finish line—all in the right order.
Belmont Stakes Superfecta Betting
First, second, third and fourth must be predicted in the right order for your superfecta to pay out.
Belmont Stakes Quinella Betting
A quinella bet asks you to pick the first two horses to cross the finish line, and unlike with the exacta, you don’t have to get them in the right order to win.
What are Boxed Wagers in Belmont Stakes Betting?
To reduce risk in an exotic bet, you can box your wager. This effectively removes the requirement of getting the correct order for the finishing horses. If you box a trifecta, you need to accurately predict the first three horses to finish the race—but the order doesn’t count.
What are Wheeled Bets in Belmont Stakes Betting?
Wheeled bets make it so that you need to get the finishing order right for select horses in your exotic wager. The remaining spots can be filled by any horses in the field. For example, you could “wheel” your exacta bet by picking a certain horse for the winner and the field for the second-place finisher. Alternatively, you could pick a certain horse to finish second and the field for first.
Belmont Stakes Futures Betting
Before the Belmont Stakes takes place, you can get early bets in by using the futures market in the racebook. These bets aren’t part of the pari-mutuel betting system that most horse racing wagers are part of; instead, the odds that are posted when you make your futures bet are the odds that are used to pay out your ticket should you win.
What is a Coupled Entry in Belmont Stakes Betting?
When two horses are from the same stable or trained by the same trainer, the opportunity to couple your entry arises. That means both horses count for the win.
What is a Pick 3 and Pick 4 in Belmont Stakes Betting?
On Belmont Day, there is always more than one race on the docket. Pick the winner of three consecutive races in a Pick 3, or 4 consecutive races in a Pick 4.
What Is a Daily Double in Belmont Stakes Betting?
The Daily Double combines two big races happening on Belmont Day. You must pick the winners of both races.
Before June 8, the majority of the Belmont Stakes betting action will be in the futures section of the racebook. Come race day, the exotics and straight wagers included in this guide will open up for betting under Belmont Stakes 2019 odds board, so be ready to back your favourite horses.
*Odds as of May 28th, 2021