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Adam Haynes

Our seasoned track specialists can help you make the right Belmont Stakes picks. More than simply pointing toward a few different horses to bet on, our expert handicappers have provided exclusive, free Belmont picks covering a wide range of markets.

Who are the Belmont Stakes Favorites in 2024?

Our experts have Belmont Stakes 2024 picks below. Before that, however, it’s important that you know who the favorites for the Belmont are. Two other horse races in particular, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, shape the market. This is because they are the other legs of the Triple Crown.

Mystik Dan

Took his form to a new level when just hanging on from Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the Kentucky Derby. Second to Seize The Grey in the Preakness Stakes latest but, this an obvious target. Never nearer third in the Arkansas Derby prior to Churchill Downs triumph, but has clearly improved since that Triple Crown prep race.

Seize The Grey

Couldn’t make the cut for the Kentucky Derby, so won Grade II Pay Day Mile at Churchill Downs instead. Followed-up on that success with Preakness Stakes victory at Pimlico latest. Victories on both muddy and fast ground, and tactically versatile. Serious contender looking for third consecutive win.

Sierra Leone

Missed out in the Kentucky Derby by a nose as three horses featured in a photo finish. Kept fresh for the Belmont ever since. Won Grade I Blue Grass Stakes prior to Churchill Downs second and fancied by oddsmakers to go one better here. A definite class act with almost nothing to find with Mystik Dan.

2024 Belmont Stakes Picks And Predictions From Our Handicappers

Rather than simply focusing on one horse when making their expert Belmont Stakes picks and analysis, our experts cast a net a little wider. In addition to futures or straight-up win wagers, here are some other markets at the best Belmont Stakes racebooks to consider.

Top Picks for Belmont Stakes to Win

The “to win” bet involves picking a horse to cross the line first and being declared the official race winner. It’s the easiest of all Belmont Stakes selections to understand. And one of the more popular bets from a selection of wagers available at online horse betting sites.

Wagering on this market is easy – simply make your pick among horses running this year, select your stake, and press bet before post time.

Bet To Win – Seize The Grey

Seize The Grey silks A low draw has produced the winner in four of the last seven years; so, if Seize The Grey gets another positive ride up the fence, he may prove difficult to peg back. His Preakness victory over Mystik Dan was pretty clear-cut. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ latest barn star still had more than a couple of lengths in hand on the Kentucky Derby hero.

The three-week break from Baltimore to the Belmont always gives horses hope of following-up. Seize The Grey hit form big time this spring with his Pat Day Mile win at Churchill Downs and then the Pimlico triumph under frontrunning tactics. With the Belmont at a mile-and-a-quarter this year, rather than its normally longer distance, he appeals as value for the hat-trick.

Belmont Expert Picks for a Top 3 Finish

Did you know you can wager on a horse to finish 2nd (place) and/or 3rd (show)? Our handicappers also provide Belmont Stakes picks 2024 for horses that may have the staying power necessary to finish anywhere in the top 3.

These wagers are available to you as pari-mutuel bets at our top recommended bookies. Look out for the option to get place or show bets down alongside Across the Board (ATB) wagers. The latter requires x3 your stake to cover all three possibilities. They are available among other Belmont Stakes odds and bets at offshore bookies.

Across the Board Bet – Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone silks Not an original pick by any means, but Sierra Leone should at the very least make the show again. He is the obvious Across the Board bet this year after his Blue Grass Stakes victory at Keeneland and going so close in the Kentucky Derby. Unlike Mystik Dan and Seize The Grey, Chad Brown’s colt has a five-week break from Churchill Downs to the Belmont.

For many bettors and handicappers, that freshness is the decisive factor. Sierra Leone is also from a local barn to Saratoga where the race has a temporary home for this year and next. There’s a change of jockey with Tyler Gaffalione losing the ride in favor of Flavien Prat. He needs a win in the last leg of the Triple Crown to complete the set.

Show Bet – Mindframe

Mindframe silks The talking horse among Belmont Stakes picks this year is undoubtedly Mindframe. One of three in the race for four-time winning trainer Todd Pletcher, he has two wide-margin wins in minor races. Those on their own aren’t enough for the hype, but it’s the way in which Mindframe reportedly worked alongside Fierceness at Saratoga that explains the hype.

He is a typical dark horse and fits into the “could be anything” category. This isn’t just a cliché that so many handicappers use when coming up against a difficult horse to analyze in this case. Oddsmakers clearly fear Pletcher pitching Mindframe in at the deep end in a race where his barn does well.

Belmont Stakes Longshot Picks

A longshot bet – in other words, a horse priced as a rank outsider by oddsmakers – may appear among our Belmont Stakes 2024 expert picks. These are not favorite horses by any means but can be picked, not necessarily to win the race, but perhaps to place or show.

Previous performances examined in Belmont Stakes results demonstrate that some longshot picks have done well in recent years. Skippylongstocking (+2000) and Joevia (+3000) finished third in 2022 and 2019, respectively. In 2014, Commissioner (2nd) and Medal Count (3rd) were both priced at +2000. This may indicate that outsiders can make for decent Belmont free picks.

Longshot Bet – Honor Marie

Honor Marie silks After no luck in-running in the Kentucky Derby, Honor Marie is a possible longshot that may perform better than the odds suggest. Although D Whitworth Beckman’s colt has twice finished behind Sierra Leone and Resilience in the Risen Star Stakes and Churchill Downs, that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Honor Marie found himself squeezed out early on in the first leg of the Triple Crown. He could never get into contention, but stayed on through beaten horses into eighth place. An outside draw, but on the inner of favored duo Sierra Leone and Mindframe might help Honor Marie get a better spot. A repeat of his Louisiana Derby second can at least put him in the conversation.

Exotic Belmont Stakes Picks 2024

Exotic bets, while slightly more complicated, are certainly not difficult to get the hang of. These wagers, which you may also find recommended alongside other Belmont Stakes expert picks, include Exactas, Trifectas, and Superfectas.

The most appealing aspect of exotic wagers is that they usually pay out handsomely when you get them right. The trade-off is that they are more difficult to nail. This is because your predictions are based on more than one horse finishing among the top two or three at the Belmont Stakes.

Belmont Exacta Picks

You’ll need to predict the horses that finish 1st and 2nd in the right order to win an Exacta bet. As always, our handicappers will provide their Belmont Stakes free picks for Exactas. These will help if you are uncertain about whom to bet on.

When learning how to bet on the Belmont Stakes, you may find a natural alternative to an Exacta is a Quinella wager. With this bet, you must predict the horses that finish 1st and 2nd. But it can be either way. The lower risk, however, means the payout will not be as high.

Exacta Bet as a Quinella – 1 & 9, 9 & 1

The two horses featuring in Belmont Stakes picks for the Exacta, or in this case Quinella, are Seize The Grey (1) and Sierra Leone (9). With the Preakness winner, who is not only flexible in the way he can be ridden but also in terms of handling different conditions, D. Wayne Lukas has a serious star in the making.

Chad Brown’s local barn at Saratoga feel the same about Blue Grass hero and Kentucky Derby second Sierra Leone. He likes to come from behind but, if Seize The Grey dictates up front again, the Coolmore horse may find him difficult to reel in.

Belmont Stakes Trifecta Picks

Our Belmont Stakes expert picks 2024 for Trifectas are also available completely gratis to our readers. With Trifectas, you must choose three or more horses to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in perfect order. This is an extremely tough proposition – the payouts, however, make it worthy of consideration.

In smaller fields, the probability of landing a Trifecta will be more favorable to those making Belmont race picks. However, this will also be reflected in any payouts.

Trifecta Bet – 1, 9 & 10

Joining Seize The Grey (1) and Sierra Leone (9) in the trifecta picks is talking horse Mindframe (10). If the work put in by Todd Pletcher’s under the radar runner is as good as reports suggest, then he can surprise a few and make the show in amongst the established Triple Crown contingent.

Belmont Stakes Superfecta Picks

To get paid out on Superfectas Belmont Stakes picks, you must accurately predict the horses that finish 1st to 4th in perfect order. It’s not an easy wager to land but again, the payouts will be pretty tasty if luck is on your side.

Another thing to consider before picking horses for a Superfecta is the field size. The more horses in the running for one of the biggest three-year-old races in the world, the tougher it will be to predict.

Superfecta Bet – 1, 9, 10 & 8

Always a tricky task, but completing the Superfecta selections this year alongside Seize The Grey (1), Sierra Leone (9) and Mindframe (10) is Honor Marie (8). From hopefully a better post position, this longshot can avoid the bad luck that caused him to lose his spot in the Kentucky Derby. The thinking is that Mystik Dan may find contesting a third Triple Crown race just too much, so Honor Marie gets in this exotic bet ahead of the Kentucky Derby winner.

Key Stats for Belmont Stakes Picks And Analysis

We’re only interested in providing Belmont Stakes picks that consider the bigger picture. Rather than focusing only on question marks over speed or post positions, we take everything that could potentially affect the course of the race into account. Then, and only then, do we deliver our picks for race day.

Speed & Form

Our experts study the performance of horses in previous races – such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and prep races – to paint a picture of their standing before the Belmont. Speed and form are two of the key areas our horse racing experts consider when looking over this year’s betting favorites and other contenders.

Jockeys & Trainers

Handicappers look to establish the jockey and trainer combination before delivering their take on whether horses qualify as suitable Belmont Stakes picks. Horses with a better standard of trainer and jockey enjoy better Belmont Stakes results over time than horses without. Horse owners are being further incentivized by record-breaking bonuses in 2024’s edition.

Post Positions

The Belmont Stakes post positions draw determines where a horse starts from and, by nature, can affect who wins the race when it comes to the crunch. It is something you do not want to sleep on when handicapping this race.

Fitness & Suitability

Some horses may have looked peerless in races heading to the Belmont Stakes. But they may be carrying injuries. The demands of the Test of the Champion won’t suit every horse. Our picks you can place at horse racing betting sites consider the shape of a horse before they make their way to the post.

Track & Conditions

In addition to weather and other uncontrollable external factors, the race being moved from Belmont Park to Saratoga Race Course means handicappers must also consider new variables – other than how to buy Belmont Stakes tickets – when making Belmont picks.

Where You Can Find Other Pro Handicappers’ Belmont Stakes Predictions

While we are proud of our Belmont Stakes 2024 picks and predictions, we would never dissuade you from looking at others elsewhere. You can find some credible, alternative sources covering advice and tips for the Belmont online. This may also help you in your endeavors!

Checking out media outlets is also a good idea. For example, NBC Sports and ESPN for news, stats, and data about the Belmont Stakes race. The official NYRA site covers Belmont meet data, for example, which is handy to have by your side. Timeform US is another source worthy of looking at, too.

News articles on the famous American Horse Racing Triple Crown race are available. They increase in volume a little closer to June. Everything from key contenders to other Belmont Stakes picks and predictions are covered. More than this, there are plenty of reputable publications offering this data without charge.

What Goes into Our Free Belmont Stakes Picks

We provide thoroughly researched Belmont Stakes predictions and picks. To achieve that, our experts study every horse in great detail. Alongside that, we analyze various other factors and figures – all of these contribute to our betting recommendations for the race.

Post Draw

Experienced horse bettors know that the draw can make or break a horse’s chance of winning the Belmont Stakes. Or any other race, for that matter. If the gate draw puts even the strongest candidate in an unfavorable position, they have it all to do to stay on the right side of bettors when Belmont Stakes payouts are confirmed.

Positive Pedigree

Studying the pedigree of a candidate is essential for any handicapper who wants to cover all angles. This is done before making Thoroughbred horse picks. A horse’s lineage can tell us a lot about their chances. Our Belmont Stakes analysis may show that horses from dams and sires that have performed well in this race may be capable of repeating the feat.

Pre-Race Performances

From prep races to the Preakness Stakes, our handicappers spend time assessing the best performers heading to Belmont Park (or Saratoga Race Course). While there will naturally be a lot of attention paid to previous Belmont winners, we also like to see horses that progressively improve over time.

These are just some of the considerations that go toward making selections for the correct horses. This is where to find well-researched picks.

FAQs

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Adam Haynes

Reviewing all the offshore racebooks and betting sites is Adam. If you want to know something about one of our gambling partners, then he's got the lowdown.