2026 Belmont Stakes Picks: Best Exotic Bets
The Triple Crown is not on the line, but that does not mean the 2026 Belmont Stakes are going to be any less exciting. However, the race will be a little different this year as Belmont Park is under construction, so it's being run at the Saratoga Race Course. It's a nine-horse field with many of the same horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby taking place. There are plenty of 2026 Belmont Stakes picks to choose from.
However, if you can't decide on one, you have options like horse racing's version of a parlay - exotics. I'm talking about an exacta (first and second), trifecta (first, second and third) or a superfecta (first, second, third and fourth). But you can also "box" each one. Instead of choosing first, second, third fourth, you are betting on the top finishers regardless of order. Below are our top 2026 Belmont Stakes exotic bets.
2026 Belmont Stakes Draw, Post Positions, & Betting Preview >>
2026 Belmont Stakes Picks: Exotic Bets
Exacta Box
- Commandment (6-1)/Renegade (2-1)
Choosing Commandment as one of the horses in my exacta box was a no-brainer. Yes, I know he didn't have a great race at the Kentucky Derby and finished seventh. But any horse that can go on a four-race winning streak (like him) knows how to win. Factor in one of the best trainers (Brad H. Cox) and jockeys (John R. Velazquez) in the business, and it's an easy choice.
As for my second choice, Renegade lost to Golden Tempo at the Kentucky Derby by a head. So, we know the skill and ability to win are there. While you don't have to pick the exact order for an exacta box, there isn't much room for error. But I feel good about including a horse that finished in the money in every race he's run (three seconds, two firsts and a third).
Trifecta Box
- Commandment (6-1)/Renegade (2-1)/Golden Tempo (9-2)
Since I am talking about my "best" bets here, I feel like I should include the horses from my exacta box. But why go with Golden Tempo as the third option?
Well, he just won the Kentucky Derby and took the Preakness Stakes off to prepare for this race. He has always finished in the money (three wins and two thirds). With a favorable post (Post No. 9), it would not be shocking to see him make another good run and be among the first to cross the line (if not the first).
Superfecta Box
- Emerging Market (6-1)/Chief Wallabee (3-1)/Commandment (6-1)/Renegade (2-1)
Emerging Market is short on experience, having run just three races, but he did win two of them. The other, of course, was the Kentucky Derby, where he finished 10th. But he's got a top-notch trainer (Chad Brown) and jockey (Flavien Prat) and some impressive speed.
Chief Wallabee was a popular choice to win the Kentucky Derby and did well, moving up from 10th to fourth. But he had a lot of trouble navigating the pack and got bumped around. Despite those setbacks, he finished in fourth. Now, with a smaller field, he is less likely to get stuck and more likely to run the race many expected of him at the Kentucky Derby.
2026 Belmont Stakes Post Positions & Odds
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| 1 | Vitruvian Man | Doug O’Neill | Antonio Fresu | 30-1 |
| 2 | Powershift | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez | 12-1 |
| 3 | Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 3-1 |
| 4 | Renegade | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 2-1 |
| 5 | Ottinho | Chad Brown | Dylan Davis | 20-1 |
| 6 | Growth Equity | Chad Brown | Manuel Franco | 12-1 |
| 7 | Commandment | Brad H. Cox | John R. Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 8 | Emerging Market | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 6-1 |
| 9 | Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux | Jose L. Ortiz | 9-2 |