The Belmont Stakes will be run for the 156th time on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Though the race is traditionally run at 1 ½ miles at Belmont Park, there is construction at the race’s usual home so the course and distance are changed for 2024 and 2025. This year, the race will be run at Saratoga, and it will cover 1 ¼ miles on the dirt.
The purse for the Belmont has been raised for 2024: the Test of the Champion now offers $2 million. But, not only is it lucrative for owners, betting the Belmont Stakes is also one of the best opportunities of the year for horseplayers! With a deep field and a challenging test of both class and stamina, anyone who solves the puzzle will be paid handsomely!
These are the odds on leading 2024 Belmont Stakes contenders at major sports betting sites:
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | +175 | +180 | +180 |
| Mindframe | +250 | +350 | +325 |
| Seize the Grey | +500 | +800 | +750 |
| Mystik Dan | +650 | +500 | +750 |
| Resilience | +1000 | +1000 | +1100 |
Not everyone can make it up to Saratoga to enjoy the Belmont Stakes this year. Fortunately, you can be part of the action from anywhere with an internet connection. The best online sportsbooks let you play the Belmont, as well as racing and sports events all year long, from your smartphone, tablet, or computer without waiting in line!
Every sportsbook we recommend has the foundations: real Vegas odds, great user interfaces, and trusted payouts. They also offer excellent betting bonuses like deposit and sign-up bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates all year long! Take a minute to read our reviews and pick the right site for you: we are here to help you maximize your Belmont Stakes betting profits.
This is the official field for the 2024 Belmont Stakes including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
Remember that the morning line is not a guarantee of Belmont Stakes odds, but rather an estimate of the possible action. On track, odds fluctuate until post time. Your best bet for the 2024 Belmont Stakes is to bet online. Since online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major events, you can lock in the best odds right when you place your bet.
With the Belmont Stakes moving to Saratoga, handicapping will be a bit different. Most of the horses still have not tried the distance, since they didn’t all run in the Kentucky Derby. However, anyone who ran in the Derby will come in with some 1 ¼-mile form. Even so, it’s just one race, and trips can be messy due to the large Derby field. So, distance pedigree still matters.
It’s also worth it to look at who has local form. Many horses with high expectations race in maiden races and even stakes at Saratoga as juveniles, so some may have local form. It is not a perfect indicator since these horses have had so much time to mature since last summer, but if a horse ran uncommonly well or uncommonly poorly there, it can be useful.
Mystik Dan is the best bet in the Belmont Stakes. He can turn the tables on Seize the Grey from the Preakness: in Baltimore Seize the Grey got an easy trip on the lead, but in the Belmont he’ll have the likes of Dornoch, The Wine Steward, and possibly even Mindframe to deal with. This means Mystik Dan will get an honest pace to run at from midpack.
The 3 gate is also perfect for Mystik Dan. Something toward the inside can help him save ground and make that nice rail run that Brian Hernandez, Jr. used to such good effect in the Southwest (G3) and the Kentucky Derby, and his position should help him get the jump on Sierra Leone again. There is also rain in the forecast; if it falls, Mystik Dan is as proven an off-track horse as can be.
Although Sierra Leone is expected to be a well-defined favorite, he is too consistent to discount. Despite his closing style, he has never not run a great race: in fact, he is two nose photos away from being perfect in five starts. With at least an honest pace likely, he should have something to run at, and he has the stamina to launch a big move on the second turn and keep motoring home.
Two others to consider include Honor Marie and Resilience. Honor Marie had early trouble in the Kentucky Derby, but with a smaller field he should have a less chaotic start and be able to draw on his strong stamina breeding late. Resilience had to deal with a parking lot post in the Kentucky Derby, but can work a similar inside stalking trip that he did when winning the Wood (G2).
Even though Protective has yet to win a race, there is a good argument that this third-stringer from the Todd Pletcher barn can hit the board at a big price. He already has two races of stakes experience, and hit the board both times. In the Wood he rallied from the rear after early trouble, while he stalked and ran on in the Peter Pan (G3). With a bit more distance and experience, he can take a step up and get a piece of the purse again.
Your Belmont Stakes betting account is all set up, and you’ve gotten to know the top contenders in the final jewel of the Triple Crown. There is only one thing left to do, and it’s the most fun thing: placing your bet!
These are the expert bets for the 2024 Belmont Stakes.
About the Author
For a decade, Rowan Ward has been making horse race predictions and wagers in Chicago, and has been writing about horse racing for nearly just as long. Understanding the various factors that influence a race's outcome, they often find that the age-old saying "the pace makes the race" can uncover worthwhile betting opportunities. When it comes to handicapping, their favorite races are those held locally in Chicago, major stake races across the country, and two-year-old maiden races with intriguing bloodlines.
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