The Belmont Stakes is one of the top three most prestigious horse racing betting events of the year. It also holds a special place in the hearts of New York sports bettors and horse racing fans as it takes place in their home state in Elmont, New York.
This year’s Belmont Stakes will be held on June 5 and will be run at its traditional distance of 1 ½ miles. The post time for this race is 6:47 p.m. ET.
Essential Quality Favored To Win the Belmont Stakes
Essential Quality failed to convert as the betting favorite in the Kentucky Derby last month. The three-year-old settled for a fourth-place finish after being bumped at the start.
The Kentucky Derby’s massive field makes it difficult to win that race without a perfect run, especially out of the 14th post position that Essential Quality was running out of. A much more manageable field of only eight horses should bode well for the favorite.
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit would have been among the favorites in this race if the colt had been allowed to race. The NYRA decided to suspend Bob Baffert and disallow Medina Spirit’s entry into the Belmont Stakes however after the horse failed a drug test following the Kentucky Derby.
Belmont Stakes Post Positions and Betting Odds
1. Bourbonic (15-1) – Post No. 1 has produced the most Belmont Stakes wins in the race’s history with 23 winners racing out of this spot. Bourbonic will have a tough time becoming the 24th winner out of Post No. 1 with subpar speed and a 14th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
2. Essential Quality (2-1) – Essential Quality was a perfect 6-0 before losing in the Kentucky Derby. Most view him as the one to beat in this race.
3. Rombauer (3-1) – Rombauer recorded the best speed rating of his career to win the Preakness Stakes as an 11-1 underdog. The three-year-old is looking to become the 32nd horse in history to win both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.
4. Hot Rod Charlie (7-2) – Hot Rod Charlie had a respectable third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie finished in first and second place respectively in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last November.
5. France Go Ina (30-1) – France Go Ina has finished outside of the top three in three of his five career races including a seventh place finish in the Preakness Stakes.
6. Known Agenda (6-1) – Known Agenda won the Florida Derby in March before finishing in ninth place in the Kentucky Derby last month. The colt has the best morning odds of the three horses trained by Todd Pletcher (along with Bourbonic and Overtook) in this race.
7. Rock Your World (9-2) – Rock Your World finished in 17th place in the Kentucky Derby after a disastrous start out of the No. 15 post. This San Antonio Derby winner was a perfect 3-0 before that tough trip in the Kentucky Derby.
8. Overtook (20-1) – Overtook is the only horse in this race that didn’t race in one of the other two jewels of the Triple Crown.
COVID-19 Vaccine Promotion Offers Free Tickets To 2022 Belmont Stakes
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a new pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at Belmont Park on Friday. Individuals who get vaccinated at this location will receive one free general admission ticket to the 2022 Belmont Stakes.
This year’s Belmont Stakes will be held without spectators. The vaccination site will be open on June 4 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET and on June 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
New York has been searching for creative ways to incentivize locals who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination shot yet to do so. The state had a similar promotion in May when individuals who received the vaccination earned a free lottery ticket.
