Belmont Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2021 Belmont Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2021 Manhattan Stakes is set for June 5 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Belmont Stakes Preview and Prediction
- Race: Belmont Stakes
- Purse: $1.5 million
- Track: Belmont Park
- Date: June 5
- Post Time: 6:49 PM (ET)
- Live: Belmont Stakes Odds: Click Here
2021 Belmont Stakes Handicapping
After last year’s topsy-turvy US Triple Crown season due to the impact of Covid-19, it was nice to get back to the traditional schedule of races for 2021. Of course, things have once again been thrown into some turmoil with the failed medication test of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, who at this point is likely to be disqualified from that win.
Nonetheless, there’s been some great racing through the first two legs of the TC, and on Saturday things will wrap up with a very good field of eight set to battle it out in the tough 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes. Included in the field are the post-time Derby favourite, the third-place (likely moved to second) finisher and the Preakness Stakes winner.
Odds listed here are provided by Bovada’s racebook.
2021 Belmont Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Essential Quality Race Odds: 2-1
After opening his career with five consecutive wins – including the 2020 (G1) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – Essential Quality was sent off as the deserving 3-1 favourite in the Derby.
Despite finishing fourth, he was beaten by only one length and ran a very good race. He drew a tough outside post and took some bumping out of the gate, but still managed to get into contention early.
He typically has very good finishing kick that was not quite there at Churchill Downs, but he had been running some tough races prior to that and was perhaps just a bit out of gas. He’s now had five weeks to rest and recuperate and should be primed to fire a big shot.
Trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez both go for their first Belmont win.
2021 Belmont Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Rombauer Race Odds: 3-1
The only horse in the field with a chance to capture two of the three legs of the Triple Crown, Rombauer punched his ticket to the Belmont with his win in the Preakness at odds of 12-1.
He was able to sit a very good trip in the Preakness where he raced mid-pack but always within striking distance of the leaders before powering through the stretch to win by a widening 3 1/2 lengths. He’s a steadily improving colt who has now won on a dirt surface, an all-weather surface and a turf surface.
He’s trained by Mike McCarthy and two-time race winner John Velazquez will be in the saddle.
2021 Belmont Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Hot Rod Charlie Race Odds: 7-2
Likely to be moved up one spot from his third-place finish in the Derby, Hot Rod Charlie was perhaps moving best of all the top contenders in that race before he ran out of track.
Like all others in here he’ll be going 1 1/2 miles for the first time and he might be one to benefit the most from the added distance. While he doesn’t have the highest speed figures in the race, he does have good tactical speed and can stalk the pace or go to the front if no one else wants to.
He’s trained by Doug O’Neill, jockey Flavien Prat will be in the irons.
2021 Belmont Stakes Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Known Agenda Race Odds: 6-1
There’s probably little question Known Agenda would have finished much better than ninth in the Derby if he hadn’t been compromised by bad luck in drawing the #1 post position and having half the field close down on him going into the first turn.
Despite that handicap he was one of the few horses in the Derby that was able to move up from the back half of the pack. He won’t have to deal with that issue here, and it’s notable he holds the highest speed rating in the race which he gained when wining the (G1) Florida Derby.
Three-time race winner Todd Pletcher is the trainer, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. won in 2016.
Here’s My 2021 Belmont Stakes Free Pick.
Personally, the Belmont is my favourite of the three Triple Crown races and I’m expecting another good one when they break from the gate on Saturday.
I had Hot Rod Charlie for the win in the Kentucky Derby and had him boxed in the exacta with Essential Quality, and they didn’t do anything in that race to make me have any serious doubts they will be right in the thick of things here.
Hot Rod Charlie will be my win pick once again and I’ll use both Essential Quality and Known Agenda underneath in the exacta.
Full Field: Belmont Stakes Betting Odds
(By post position)
- #1 – Bourbonic 15-1
- #2 – Essential Quality 2-1
- #3 – Rombaur 3-1
- #4 – Hot Rod Charlie 7-2
- #5 – France Go de Ina 30-1
- #6 – Known Agenda 6-1
- #7 – Rock Your World 9-2
- #8 – Overtook 20-1
What do you think of our 2021 Belmont Stakes Race Odds & Predictions? Weigh in below with a comment. We welcome your feedback.
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