The 2026 Triple Crown season concludes on Saturday with the 2026 Belmont Stakes. For the third and final time, Saratoga Race Course will host while renovations at Belmont Park are concluded. As has been the case over the last two years, the shorter course at Saratoga means the Belmont will be run at 1 ¼ Mile instead of the traditional 1 ½ Mile trip.
While none of the nine horses in this year’s race have run in both prior legs of the Triple Crown, we will get to see the return of Kentucky Derby Champion Golden Tempo. After skipping the Preakness Stakes, Golden Tempo (9/2) will face off against the 2nd and 4th place Derby finishers once again in Renegade (2/1) and Chief Wallabee (3/1).
As with the first two legs of the Triple Crown this year, the Belmont looks to be a fairly open race. Of the 9 horses in the field only two have raced on the Saratoga surface (Renegade, Growth Equity) and only two have won at the 1 ¼ distance (Emerging Market, Golden Tempo).
2026 Belmont Stakes best bet, pick
My Selections:
Win/Place/Show – Growth Equity
Exactas & Trifectas – Growth Equity, Power Shift, Chief Wallabee & Renegade
Remember to OPT-IN Saturday on either DK Horse or DraftKings Racing and play the finest promotion you’ll find anywhere for this year’s Derby. It’s called” King of The Track” and here’s how it works: Opt-In and bet $5 to Win on any one horse in the Belmont Stakes field. If your horse wins The Belmont, not only do you get paid based on the pari-mutuel odds, but you also share in the $150,000 pool with others who also selected that winning horse. The Kentucky Derby King of the Track winner this year, Golden Tempo, went off at 23-1. The $5 pari-mutuel payout was $120.60 plus an additional $760 from King of The Track Promotion! Doesn’t this sound like an offer you can’t refuse? Best of luck to everyone!
Betting on horse racing online has never been easier or more fun than with DK Horse. Add to the excitement of watching a race live by placing a wager on your picks and cheer them on to victory! Check out the upcoming horse racing schedule and bet on horse racing events, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, the premier races that make up the Triple Crown.
Johnny Avello is an employee of DraftKings. Personal views on the races and strategies above do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in selecting their horses to wager upon. DraftKings employees may also deploy different strategies than what is recommended above. DraftKings employees do not have access to any non-public information.
