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The Belmont Stakes Betting Guide, Odds & Picks (2021)

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In our recovering world, some normality appears to have been restored with our beloved Belmont Stakes no longer occurring as the first leg of the Triple Crown. Phew. However, some elephants, not horses, showed up this year in the form of drug-positive blood tests — so, bye-bye Bob. I think we are all ready to move on from the noise not being generated from cheering crowds, so let’s dive right into some smart selections for this weekend’s Belmont Stakes. Grab yourself a Belmont Jewel, don’t forget the orange zest, and let’s review why these horses must absolutely be considered on your tickets this year. Happy racing!

Check out our guide to betting on horse racing here >> 

Likely Winner

[#7] Rock Your World 9/2
I liked this horse substantially better than most heading into the Kentucky Derby, but when a horse gets jostled as he did, there isn’t much that can be done to right the ship. Save yourself the headache of reviewing the 17th place finish, and think of it as a mulligan. Rock Your World has all the essential qualities to win this race, and the field is much smaller to aid in avoiding any such traffic complications. He’s bred for this, he’s fast, and he will be enabled for success from the combined contributions of Joel Rosario & John Sadler.

Top Contenders

[#2] Essential Quality 2/1
He’s had an interesting career so far, being the favorite in every race he’s been involved in. It would seem, for a good reason, as he is a consistent winner at long distances on dirt surfaces. Be sure to have him on your tickets. He will be knocking at the door without whether it’s 1st or 4th. There isn’t anything to be concerned about with this beauty of a specimen, as a landslide victory is just as likely as a nose-length finish. Either way, he’s got all the bells and whistles worth backing.

[#3] Rombauer 3/1
Although without Prat Flavien on his back, the Preakness champion returns, which is the only real red flag for me outside of his most recent poor workout showing. I prefer Flavien over Velazquez, especially for the closing type runner that Rombauer is — Flavien seems to position better in the stretch this year. You can expect to see this horse off the lead for the majority of the race, making a commanding charge in the final furlong.

[#6] Known Agenda 6/1
The only agenda we need to know with this horse is “upset.” Boy, what don’t I love about this horse to cause a commotion in the race? He’s fast, he’s trained by Pletcher, ridden by Ortiz, he’s got the genetics for this distance, and the Florida Derby was no fluke. If the pace is slow, and Ortiz keeps him off the lead for most of the race, he should have enough gas left in the tank to explode in the stretch.

Sneaky Considerations

[#1] Bourbonic 15/1
I don’t have high hopes for Bourbonic, only that he may have a slight edge over horses not on this list, with enough to manage a 4th place blip on your tickets. He’s a Pletcher horse, and he’s been doing well up until the Kentucky Derby. I think he has proved a lot as a racer in his career. However, new things scare him, such as a 19 horse field or switching from dirt to turf — this race, albeit lengthy, could be just what he needs to get back on a successful track.

Ticket Structures

Show

  • [#6] Known Agenda

Trifecta Box

  • [#7] Rock Your World
  • [#2] Essential Quality
  • [#3] Rombauer
  • [#6] Known Agenda

Superfecta Box

  • [#7] Rock Your World
  • [#2] Essential Quality
  • [#3] Rombauer
  • [#6] Known Agenda
  • [#1] Bourbonic

Check out our guide to betting on horse racing here >> 


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Spencer Weston is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Spencer, check out his archive and follow him @WestonPicks.