Belmont Stakes Odds and Online Betting
Preview for the 2021 Belmont Stakes
There won’t be a Triple Crown winner this year – and maybe it’s just as well. Medina Spirit finished third at the 2021 Preakness Stakes this past Saturday, over five lengths behind Rombauer, who was priced at +1200 on the morning line. Those were the same horse race odds that Medina Spirit had at Bovada Racebook when he won the Kentucky Derby; the storyline couldn’t be much different, though, given the circumstances surrounding the two thoroughbreds in question.
With Medina Spirit now taken off the Triple Crown trail, Rombauer has a clearer path toward victory at the 2021 Belmont Stakes, coming up Saturday, June 5 at Belmont Park. Here’s how the horse race betting board looks at Bovada as we go to press.
2021 Belmont Stakes Favorites
Rombauer’s victory at the Preakness was the first win for trainer Michael McCarthy at any of the three Triple Crown events – and for owners Diane and John Fradkin, small breeders from Kentucky who were going to sell Rombauer at auction last year before COVID-19 changed their plans. It’s a far cry from Medina Spirit (trained by Bob Baffert, owned by Zedan Racing Stables), and exactly the kind of feel-good story people who bet horse racing can appreciate. Rombauer is the early +250 favorite for the Belmont; he also won the ungraded El Camino Real Derby back in February before taking third at the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes.
The winner of that race: Essential Quality (trained by Brad Cox), who checks in as the +350 second-favorite on Bovada’s horse race odds for the Belmont Stakes. This beautiful gray colt skipped the Preakness after finishing a disappointing but close fourth at the Kentucky Derby – where he went in as the favorite. Essential Quality was 5-0 before the Derby, including another win over Rombauer at last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Rombauer was fifth).
2021 Belmont Stakes Value Odds
As usual, the prospective field for the 2021 Belmont features several more betting options than the Preakness did – including a stacked second tier, with Hot Rod Charlie (trained by Doug O’Neill), Midnight Bourbon (trained by Steve Asmussen) and Rock Your World (trained by John Sadler) tied at +600, followed closely by Malathaat (trained by Todd Pletcher) at +800. Midnight Bourbon came in second behind Rombauer at the Preakness; none of the other three horses competed at Pimlico, but they were all at Churchill Downs, where Malathaat won the Kentucky Oaks to extend her unbeaten record to 5-0. Hot Rod Charlie was third at the Kentucky Derby, with Rock Your World settling for 17th after getting bumped at the start.
2021 Belmont Stakes Long Shot Odds
The competitive field on this year’s Triple Crown trail – and the results thus far – will make betting on a longer shot very tempting indeed. Known Agenda (trained by Pletcher) in particular should pull in plenty of action at +1000 after taking the Grade 1 Florida Derby and being talked up as a potential Kentucky Derby winner; he’s been idle since placing ninth at Churchill Downs. The Belmont field is still in flux, so keep an eye on the horse racing futures market at Bovada Racebook for the latest odds.
*Odds as of June 4, 2021How to Bet on the Belmont Stakes
Keeping up to date on the latest news is key if you want to bet on Belmont Stakes horses like a pro. But you also need to take advantage of all the different bets you can make. Here’s a quick look at what’s on the menu at Bovada, including straight wagers and exotics.
Belmont Stakes Straight Wagers (Win/Place/Show)
Most of the betting action you’ll find at the track will come in the form of straight wagers, especially the Win bet. This is where you bet on who will win the Belmont Stakes – it’s that simple. You can also bet on a horse to finish anywhere in the top two (the Place bet) or the top three (the Show bet).
Except for “futures” bets, which we’ll look at in a moment, Thoroughbred racing uses the pari-mutuel system for betting. With this system, all the bets of a specific type – Win, for example – are pooled together as the money comes in. Once the race is over and the results are final, the racebook will deduct its take (aka “vigorish”) from the pool; this is the pre-set commission the book charges to process everyone’s wagers. Then the winning bettors share the remaining money in the pool.
The important thing to remember about pair-mutuel betting is this: The odds you see at any one time before the race are approximate and get updated frequently, based on the betting action up to that point. This will give you a rough idea what the payouts are likely to be. A horse might be listed at 7/1 when you make your bet, but could pay out at 6/1, or 8/1, or some other odds once the results have been finalized.
Belmont Stakes Exotic Bets
As with other sports, any horse racing bet that doesn’t fall into the Straight Wager category can be considered an exotic bet, including the following:
Belmont Stakes Exacta Betting
Bet on which two horses will finish 1-2, in that order.
Belmont Stakes Trifecta Betting
Bet on which three horses will finish 1-2-3, in that order.
Belmont Stakes Superfecta Betting
Bet on which four horses will finish 1-2-3-4, in that order.
Belmont Stakes Quinella Betting
Bet on which two horses will finish in the top two, either 1-2 or 2-1.
What are Boxed Wagers in Belmont Stakes Betting?
Boxed wagers remove the requirement of getting your picks in the correct order; it essentially has you bet on all the different combinations possible in your wager. A quinella, for example, is the equivalent of a boxed exacta, as your two picks can finish in any order and still pay out.
What are Wheeled Bets in Belmont Stakes Betting?
Wheeled bets are similar to boxed wagers, but you choose one of the horses to finish in a specific position (first is common), while the other horses can finish in any order.
Belmont Stakes Futures Betting
Odds for Belmont Stakes betting can be found at Bovada Racebook well before the official “morning line” is released. You can bet on which of the potential participants listed on the futures market will win the Belmont, and the odds you get at the time of your wager will be the odds used to determine your payout. If your selection doesn’t end up competing at the Belmont, you lose your bet.
What Is a Coupled Entry in Belmont Stakes Betting?
Coupled entries allow you to take horses from the same stable (owner and/or trainer) and bet on them as if they were a single horse. For example, War of Will and Sir Winston are both trained by Mark Casse, so if you coupled them on your ticket, you’d win if either finished first.
What Is a Pick 3 and Pick 4 in Belmont Stakes Betting?
With these bets, simply pick the winners of three (for the Pick 3) or four (Pick 4) specific races on the Belmont Stakes card, as chosen by the book.
What Is a Daily Double in Belmont Stakes Betting?
The Daily Double asks you to pick the winners of both the Belmont Stakes and a second race on the card, as chosen by the book.
Fresh odds on the Belmont Stakes will be made available all the way up to race day, so keep checking in at Bovada for the latest lines and analysis as the Triple Crown trail nears its end.
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