Although it’s one of the newest races at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Belmont Gold Cup always adds international intrigue to the meet. This Flat stayers contest puts stamina to the test at Belmont Park after its introduction in 2014. Read all about this year’s race, plus its brief history and more info below.

What is the Belmont Gold Cup?

A Grade II turf race for thoroughbred horses aged four and up, the Gold Cup run over a distance of two miles (3,200m) attracts overseas runners. Although contested at Belmont Park exclusively since its inception, the Belmont Gold Cup 2024 will instead be held at Saratoga. There is a very good reason why.

Belmont Park is currently undergoing extensive renovation work at this time. This won’t be complete until 2026, so the entire Belmont Stakes Racing Festival moves upstate to Saratoga Race Course in 2024 and 2025. Per race organizers, the NYRA, the Gold Cup takes place on Thursday, June 6 2024. This is the main event of the first day of this four-day meet.

Belmont Gold Cup History

In 2024, this race celebrates a decade since it was added to the Belmont Stakes schedule and wider program. Originally known as the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes, it has since dropped the invite aspect of its conditions from 2021 onwards.

In 2017, this became a Grade III race and a year later, it was upgraded to Grade II. The race was not run in 2020 when the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was pared down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With two wins, John Velazquez is the most successful jockey in the short history of the event, triumphing in 2014 and 2021. No trainer or owner has enjoyed more than one win as yet.

The race is notable for the success of European horses, with recent winners hailing from the UK, Ireland and Germany. Speaking of German horses, Loft set the speed record in 2022, clocking a time of 3:16.68.

Belmont Gold Cup Winners

These are all the winners of this race since it was first run.

Belmont Gold Cup Picks

With this year’s edition set for Thursday, June 6, Saratoga has attracted a final field of 14 runners. There were four scratchings.

Our expert picks on the Gold Cup saw the Belmont Stakes Betting Sites handicappers find the winner, The Grey Wizard as an Across the Board bet. One of the show wagers, Limited Liability, also finished in the top 3.

Belmont Gold Cup Belmont Stakes Double

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival offers bettors a number of double opportunities on different races. One of these is a double bet on the Gold Cup and the Belmont Stakes.

You bet a horse to win the Gold Cup and then pick the Belmont Stakes winner too. Both picks must win for your wager to payout.

Once the Gold Cup has been run, you can see the possible payout values for every horse that is running in the Belmont Stakes, based on a $2 bet. Check back later for the picks from our experts in the  Gold Cup and Belmont Stakes double.

Belmont Gold Cup 2024 Post Position Draw

The draw for post positions in this race took place on Saturday, 1 June this year with 14 declared. Four late scratchings reduce the field to 10 runners, however. Here is the full Gold Cup post position draw for this latest edition complete with Morning Line odds:

1. Limited Liability (118lbs) – 8-1
2. So High (118lbs) – 30-1
3. Really Good (118lbs) – 15-1
4. Cibolian (118lbs) – 50-1
5. Starting Over (122lbs) – 9-2 SCRATCHED
6. Champagne Juan (118lb) – 15-1
7. Lucky Curlin (118lbs) – 30-1
8. Sports Editor (118lbs) – 50-1 SCRATCHED
9. Six Minus (118lbs) – 15-1
10. Pioneering Spirit (118lbs) – 10-1
11. The Grey Wizard (118lbs) – 8-1
12. Siskany (122lbs) – Evs
13. Costa Terra (118lbs)* – 5-2 SCRATCHED
14. Dai Vernon (118lbs)* – 9-5 SCRATCHED

*Entered for the main track only.

Key Race Trends for the Belmont Gold Cup

Before making your Belmont Gold Cup picks, it is worth looking back over key trends and stats of past races. There is only a short history with nine editions to look at here.

Very often when analysing races, there is one jockey or trainer more successful than most. That’s not really the case with the Gold Cup, however.

John Velazquez is the most successful jockey in the race with two wins. He won on Charming Kitten in the inaugural Gold Cup back in 2014 and then again on Baron Samedi (2021). Aside from Velazquez, no jockey has won the race more than once.

Each edition of this Gold Cup has gone to a different trainer, meanwhile. In the first few years, major domestic barns like Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown produced the winner.

Respect Overseas Runners

In more recent times, however, there have been a sequence of transatlantic raiders crossing the pond from Europe and going back with first prize. Since 2017, the last six winners of the Gold Cup have crossed the ocean.

Of these, half hailed from the British Isles (2018, 2021 and 2023). Two came from Germany (2017 and 2022), and the other from Italy (2019).

During these years, European jockeys such as William Buick (2023) and Andrasch Starke (2022) have ridden the winners. Yet there have also been winning riders from the other side of the Atlantic, such as Velazquez (2021), Flavien Prat (2019) and Javier Castellano (2018).

No connections have won the Gold Cup more than once, but some big owner-breeders feature on the roll of honor. Notable owners of winning horses include the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 with Call To Mind and Godolphin in 2023 with Siskany.

The age of the winners is pretty evenly split between four and five-year-olds. Favorites have a strong record in the Gold Cup. Of the nine times it has been run, the favorite has won on five occasions and finished second twice.

FAQs

When is the Belmont Gold Cup?

This race will take place on Thursday, June 6 2024. It is the main event on the first day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which this year will take place at Saratoga, due to redevelopment work that is being undertaken at Belmont Park.

What are Belmont Gold Cup Belmont Stakes double will pays like?

You can be assured that the Gold Cup Belmont double will pays a decent return, even if the two favorites win the two races. Should you get one or more outsider win at relatively big odds, then the payouts can be huge.

Where can I bet on the Belmont Gold Cup online?

Any online bookmaker that covers US racing will provide odds for this race. Check out our recommended racebooks here at Belmont Stakes Betting Sites and find the bookie that suits you best. Sign up and place a bet on the Gold Cup.

Who is the top jockey in the Belmont Gold Cup?

John Velazquez is the most successful jockey in this race with two victories. He won on Charming Kitten in 2014 and Baron Samedi in 2021.