The third and final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, happens Saturday, June 8 at Saratoga Race Course! The race happens for the first time ever at Saratoga: since Belmont Park is under construction, the Belmont moves north for 2024 and 2025! Due to the configuration of Saratoga, the race will be run at 1 ¼ miles there, the same distance as the Kentucky Derby.
Betting on the Belmont Stakes is a handicapping challenge like no other, and the payouts can be huge for anyone who figures out that puzzle correctly. Keep reading to find out the best horses to bet in the 2024 Belmont Stakes, as well as the best places to bet the race online.
2024 Belmont Stakes Contenders
These are the contenders for the 2024 Belmont Stakes including their trainers, jockeys, post positions, and morning lines:
- Seize the Grey (D. Wayne Lukas/Jaime Torres) - 8/1
- Resilience (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado) - 10/1
- Mystik Dan (Kenny McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 5/1
- The Wine Steward (Mike Maker/Manny Franco) - 15/1
- Antiquarian (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) - 12/1
- Dornoch (Danny Gargan/Luis Saez) - 15/1
- Protective (Todd Pletcher/Tyler Gaffalione) - 20/1
- Honor Marie (Whit Beckman/Florent Geroux) - 12/1
- Sierra Leone (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat) - 9/5
- Mindframe (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 7/2
The morning line is no guarantee of what price you will get on race day. Instead, it is the track’s estimate of action. It can be a good handicapping tool, but actually betting on track means odds will swing all the way until post time and leave you vulnerable to late shifts.
Maximize your profit by betting the Belmont Stakes online. Online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major horse races and sports betting events, meaning you can lock in your odds just by placing a bet. That way, you can be confident from the moment you bet that you are getting the overlay you expect!
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | +175 | +180 | +135 |
| Mindframe | +250 | +325 | +330 |
| Seize the Grey | +500 | +750 | +800 |
| Mystik Dan | +650 | +750 | +800 |
| Resilience | +1000 | +1100 | +1000 |
Betting the Belmont Stakes Online
You have many choices of online sportsbooks. Fortunately, our expert betting site reviews will make it easy for you to make a confident choice that will maximize your Belmont Stakes profit. All of our recommended betting sites have the basics you need for a good betting experience: trusted payouts and deposits, great user interfaces, and real Las Vegas odds on racing and sports.
We also help you choose best online betting bonuses for your preferred stakes and wagering style. Selecting the right bonuses can boost your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash or free bets thanks to deposit and sign-up bonuses, rebates, and referral incentives.
These are the best places to bet the Belmont Stakes online!
Belmont Stakes Handicapping
With your online betting account at the ready, it is time to get to know the key betting horses for the Belmont Stakes:
Belmont Stakes Favorite
Sierra Leone is the favorite in the Belmont Stakes, and he is too consistent to dismiss. In five starts, he is two noses away from being perfect – an impressive feat for a closer, since he has shown he can run well into a hot pace or a modest one. He has the stamina to launch a run on the far turn and keep gaining ground down the lane, and his Kentucky Derby proved he can get the mile and a quarter.
Belmont Stakes Best Bet
The best bet in the Belmont Stakes is Mystik Dan. The Kentucky Derby winner has tables to turn on the Preakness winner, but this race sets up much better for Mystik Dan than the second jewel of the Triple Crown did. Seize the Grey, on the other hand, will have a tougher time than in Baltimore, with the likes of Dornoch, The Wine Steward, and possibly Mindframe to deal with.
This should give Mystik Dan a target to run at. The relatively inside draw is great, too: Brian Hernandez, Jr. should be able to tuck in inside, make that trademark inside run, and hold off the late runners much like he did in the Derby. And, if the rain in the forecast falls? All the better for this well-proven off-track runner.
Belmont Stakes Price Horses
Honor Marie had a troubled start in the Kentucky Derby, but should have less early chaos in a field of 10 as opposed to 20. With a contested pace unfolding in front of him, Honor Marie should be able to settle and make his one run. The jockey change is also a positive, as new rider Florent Geroux has more major American dirt race experience than previous rider Ben Curtis.
Resilience is another who can bounce back from a troubled Kentucky Derby. In his case, he drew a far-outside gate, wasn’t as close to the pace as he likes to be, made an early move, and flattened. Here, he drew toward the inside, and should be able to get a similar trip to his winning one in the Wood (G2). Especially if speed is playing well, he could get just the right trip.
For deeper exotics, consider Todd Pletcher’s third-stringer Protective. He may be a maiden, but he has a pair of third-place finishes in graded stakes as well. He rallied for third in the Wood after a bad start, then stalked and kept on for third in the Peter Pan (G3), showing some adaptability. With that experience, and a nice distance pedigree, this longshot can get a piece on his best.
Belmont Stakes Best Bets
You’ve done all the legwork: you’ve met the contenders and set up your Belmont Stakes online wagering account. Now it is time for the best part of all: placing your bet for the Belmont Stakes.
These are your expert wagers for the test of the champion:
- $20 to win - #3 Mystik Dan
- $1 exacta key - #3 Mystik Dan with #2 Resilience, #8 Honor Marie, #9 Sierra Leone
- $1 trifecta key - #3 Mystik Dan with #2 Resilience, #7 Protective, #8 Honor Marie, #9 Sierra Leone
- 20 cent superfecta key - #3 Mystik Dan with #2 Resilience, #7 Protective, #8 Honor Marie, #9 Sierra Leone
