Some familiar competitors will be back in the mix in the final leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday when the 2026 Belmont Stakes is run at Saratoga Race Course. Five of the nine horses in the Belmont Stakes 2026 field ran in the Kentucky Derby, including winner Golden Tempo. Meanwhile, no horses from the Preakness Stakes will be at Saratoga, which is hosting the race while renovations are completed at Belmont Park. This is the first time since 1917 that no Preakness starters will run in the Belmont Stakes. Because of the smaller venue, the race will again be shortened to 1 1/4 miles from the traditional 1 1/2 miles. Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with promo code CBSSPORTS, which is higher than what’s available to the general public:
Post time is set for 7:04 p.m. ET in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Renegade, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds. Chief Wallabee, the fourth-place finisher at Churchill Downs, is the 3-1 second choice. 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 Gene Menez.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In last year’s Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed his horse racing betting advice could be way up.
Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Belmont Stakes field and revealed his picks. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One of Menez’s surprising 2026 Belmont Stakes picks: The expert says he’ll be avoiding the Derby champ Golden Tempo (9-2) when making any wagers, citing his lack of a strong resume and how the Derby played out to put him in position to win it. Renegade and Ocelli were with him stride for stride at the end but just couldn’t make up ground. Menez doesn’t expect Golden Tempo to get the clean run that put him in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs.
Golden Tempo “is unlikely to get the sweet pace setup that greatly helped him win the Derby,” the expert told SportsLine. Golden Tempo went into the Derby as a 30-1 longshot, and there was a reason for that. The horse was impressive to start his run to the Derby, winning his maiden and the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes. But he finished third in his final two Derby prep races — the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby. The latter was won by Emerging Market, also a contender in the Belmont. Menez sees several other options with better value for his 2026 Belmont Stakes bets. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, bets
Instead, Menez’s top pick is a horse who “should sit a perfect trip.” He also is high on a double-digit longshot who can “upset this field at a nice price.” Menez 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 longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who had a $1,045 payout at last year’s Kentucky Derby.
