The 2026 Belmont Stakes may have quite a Kentucky Derby feel to it, on the course, anyway. With renovations under way at Belmont Park, the race has been moved upstate in New York to Saratoga Race Course. That means the Belmont Stakes 2026 is reducing its length from the traditional 1 ½ miles, down to 1 ¼ miles, which is the same distance as the Kentucky Derby.
The latest 2026 Belmont Stakes odds are favoring horses that raced at Churchill Downs on May 2 for the Derby. Three horses are at 9-2 or lower odds, including Renegade (2-1 odds), who took second in Louisville, Ky. Chief Wallabee, who was fourth back then, is at 3-1, while Derby champion Golden Tempo comes in at 9-2. The Triple Crown race winner drew the outside No. 9 post, while Vitruvian Man (30-1) will start on the rail. Before making any 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 22 Preakness winners and predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last eight years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes field set, Demling is sharing his 2026 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One notable surprise from Demling’s detailed writeup at SportsLine: Golden Tempo is not part of his Belmont Stakes picks. The Cherie DeVaux-trained colt has five career races and has never finished outside of the Top 3. That includes legitimated stakes races such as the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star Stakes.
But Demling believes the Derby was perfectly set up for a closer such as Golden Tempo. The 18 horses kept each other in check, and Tempo rallied for last in an impressive, if not improbable, surge for the victory. The Belmont Stakes will have half as many horses, and is far less likely to have a last-to-first push at the end. Additionally, the horse drew the No. 9 post, which has historically been a bad omen as that post has a 7.0% win rate, the lowest among the first nine posts. See which horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, bets
Demling is especially high on an epic longshot who “will make a big jump” to win it all. Anyone who backs this sleeper pick could hit it big. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2026, and which stunning longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who has nailed four of the last eight winners.
