This article is part of our Horse Racing series.
Belmont Odds & Betting Preview
The third and final leg of the Triple Crown heads to New York for the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Traditionally the longest leg of the Triple Crown, the race has been moved from Belmont Park for a second straight year due to continued renovations and once again has been shortened two furlongs from 1.5 miles to 1.25 miles to match the length of the Kentucky Derby. Derby winner Sovereignty and Preakness champion Journalism headline a field that consists of eight horses.
Let's break down everything you need to know for the race, set for Saturday at 6:04 p.m. EST.
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Horses and Morning-Line Odds
| Horse | Starts, W-P-S | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1. Hill Road | 5, 2-0-2 | 10-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Chad Brown |
| 2. Sovereignty | 6, 3-2-0 | 2-1 | Junior Alvarado | William Mott |
| 3. Rodriguez | 5, 2-2-1 | 6-1 | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
| 4. Uncaged | 4, 2-0-0 | 30-1 | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher |
| 5. Crudo | 3, 2-0-0 | 15-1 | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher |
| 6. Baeza | 5, 2-1-1 | 4-1 | Flavien Prat | John Shirreffs |
| 7. Journalism | 8, 6-1-1 | 8-5 | Umberto Rispoli | Michael McCarthy |
| 8. Heart of Honor | 5, 1-3-0 | 30-1 | Saffie Osborne | Jamie Osborne |
Belmont Stakes Favorites
Fresh off a win at the Preakness three weeks ago, Journalism was given the slight-edge as the morning-line favorite at 8-5 odds. Trailing by five lengths heading into the stretch run, he surged in the final furlong to win by a half-length for his sixth win in eight races. The lone horse participating in every leg of the Triple Crown, Journalism's endurance will be tested here.
Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty is back in action after deciding not to rush back for the Preakness and content to aim for two legs of the Triple Crown. The third favorite in the Derby battled with Journalism down the stretch at Churchill Downs and ultimately bested him by a length and a half.
Check the best sports betting apps to find out how to bet on the Preakness Stakes if you're in an eligible state.
Early Pace
Rodriguez was scratched before the Kentucky Derby due to a minor foot bruise but will be back in action for the first time since winning the Grade 2 Wood Memorial in April. The 63 day layoff makes him the most rested horse in the race, and he went gate-to-wire in his win two months ago and will be a likely candidate to take the early lead.
One of the longer shots on the board, Crudo is the least tested horse in this field having only raced three times, most recently winning a $100k stakes race at 1 1/16 miles, three races prior to the Preakness at Pimlico. It was a dominant gate-to-wire victory by 7.5 lengths, but this will be a big step up in class and at a longer distance.
Closers
Speaking of longshots, Heart of Honor would be a surprise winner at morning-line odds of 30-1, but his late speed gives bettors an angle to hang their hats on. Coming into the stretch run last at the Preakness, he made up several lengths to finish fifth and should benefit from the longer distance in his second start stateside.
Baeza went the route of Sovereignty of skipping the Preakness after taking third at the Derby in which he made up ground throughout the race and ended up only finishing two lengths back. At 4-1 odds, he's certainly being given plenty of respect considering there are two strong horses at the top. Baeza was beaten by less than a length by Journalism two starts back, so he clearly deserves to be the the third favorite in the field.
Longshots
Uncaged is the one horse in this field I struggle to get excited about, as he's only raced in one Grade 3, placing sixth, since moving up from the allowance level. The other longshot I've yet to mention is Hill Road, who won the Grade 3 Peter Pan (which included Uncaged) after previously taking third in a Grade 1 and a Grade 3 previously. There's some upside with him and a potential target for your exotic wagers.
How to Bet on Belmont Stakes
Win Bet: This is the most common horse racing bet. You're wagering on a horse strictly to win. Second or dead last both pays zero. Bet on as many horses to win as you like!
Place Bet: Betting on a horse to place means you'll win if the horse(s) you bet on finishes first or second, giving you a better chance of cashing a ticket.
Show Bet: If you bet on a horse to show, you'll win if your horse finishes in the top three. Best saved for horses with longer odds.
Across the Board: If you bet on a horse across the board, you're betting them to win, place and show. If your horse wins, you cash all three! A $2 across the board bet will cost $6. My dad's favorite bet!
Exacta: An exacta wager is betting on the two horses that come in first and second. You can bet on multiple horses to finish first and multiple to finish second to give yourself more chances. Often times, handicappers will do an exacta box with several horses in which they'll win no matter which of their horses comes in first or second. A $1 exacta wager tends to be the most common.
Trifecta: Selecting the top-3 finishers is called a trifecta, and often comes with a big payout due to the degree of difficulty - especially in a 20 horse race. Just like the exacta, you can box the trifecta, although the additional combinations make a lot of bettors choose $.50 trifecta wager.
Superfecta: If you really like to gamble, the superfecta pays out for correctly picking the top-4 finishers in order. Don't be afraid to throw some longshots in your selections, as you'll often see a 50-1 shot or longer sneak into the top-4. A $.10 superfecta wager allows for a wealth of combinations.
Daily Double: If you like to have action on multiple races, the Daily Double pays out for correctly picking horses in two consecutive races. Feel free to pick multiple horses in each race to give yourself more combinations, albeit at a higher cost. You can pair the Kentucky Derby Daily Double with the race before or the race after.
Predictions
Last year we saw the third longest shot on the board, Dornoch, pull off the surprising victory at 17-1 odds after also going the route of racing the Kentucky Derby and skipping the Preakness. I have a hard time seeing any of the darkhorses being good enough to do that this year, however. I think Journalism is the best horse in the field, but it's also tough to stomach taking a horse to win at possibly even money. Rodriguez is a horse that you don't want to overlook - a Derby qualified horse with excellent connections (Mike Smitha and Bob Baffert) that has finished on the board three times in graded stakes races including a win last time out. I think he'll be up to the task Saturday. Good luck with your wagers!
My Bets
Win: 3
Exacta: 6/3, 7 ($5 wager costs $10)
Trifecta: 7/3, 6, 8/2, 3, 6, 8 ($1 wager costs $9)
