The 2024 Belmont Stakes is coming up Saturday, June 8! The race will be a little different this year: instead of covering its traditional 1 ½ miles at Belmont Park, which is currently under construction, it will instead cover 1 ¼ miles on the Saratoga dirt.
Even with the different course and distance, the race still drew an exciting field of top three-year-olds. The spoils are rich: the purse has been raised to $2 million, a $500,000 increase over 2023. As always, the winner gets the blanket of carnations and a place in horse racing history in addition to the lion’s share of the purse.
Horseplayers both experienced and new are looking forward to the challenge of betting this horse race. Finding out who can work the right pace and stay the entire distance is an exciting and lucrative puzzle. You’ve come to the right place for expert insight about the horses in the race, and the best places to bet the Belmont Stakes online.
Betting the Belmont Stakes Online
You can be part of the Belmont Stakes action from anywhere with an internet connection ply playing at a great online sportsbook! Our expert online sportsbook reviews will help you choose the best place to bet the race. All of our recommended sites have the basics: trusted payouts and deposits, smooth user interfaces, and market-leading betting odds.
Every site we recommend also offers incentives like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates. Taking a few minutes to read our reviews and choose the best bonuses for your betting style can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash or free bets. This helps you boost your bankroll all year long!
The Triple Crown So Far
There is no Triple Crown at stakes in the Belmont Stakes, as Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby but then had to settle for second in the Preakness after chasing comfortable frontrunner Seize the Grey in the Preakness. Both Seize the Grey and Mystik Dan return to the fray for the final jewel of the Triple Crown.
The field of ten also includes Sierra Leone, the narrow second-place winner in the Kentucky Derby. Three others from the Run for the Roses will attempt to overcome difficult trips on Derby day: Honor Marie, Resilience, and Dornoch. The Triple Crown newcomers include stakes debutant Mindframe as well as the top three from the Peter Pan: Antiquarian, The Wine Steward, and Protective.
Belmont Stakes Field and Odds
These are the official entrants for the 2024 Belmont Stakes, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
- Seize the Grey (D. Wayne Lukas/Jaime Torres) - 8/1
- Resilience (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado) - 10/1
- Mystik Dan (Kenny McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 5/1
- The Wine Steward (Mike Maker/Manny Franco) - 15/1
- Antiquarian (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) - 12/1
- Dornoch (Danny Gargan/Luis Saez) - 15/1
- Protective (Todd Pletcher/Tyler Gaffalione) - 20/1
- Honor Marie (Whit Beckman/Florent Geroux) - 12/1
- Sierra Leone (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat) - 9/5
- Mindframe (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 7/2
Keep in mind that the morning line is the track’s estimate for what the tote board will look like come post time, not an odds guarantee. Your best bet in the Belmont Stakes is to watch the odds at leading online sportsbooks. Since they offer fixed-odds betting on major events, you can lock in the best price when you see an overlay on your selection in the race.
These are the Belmont Stakes odds on leading contenders in the race:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | +175 | +180 | +135 |
| Mindframe | +250 | +350 | +330 |
| Seize the Grey | +500 | +800 | +800 |
| Mystik Dan | +650 | +500 | +800 |
| Resilience | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Belmont Best Bet
The best bet for the 2024 Belmont Stakes is Mystik Dan. Not only is this the same distance at which he won the Kentucky Derby, but it will set up far better for him than the Preakness, with Dornoch, Seize the Grey, The Wine Steward, and possibly even Mindframe battling on the front end.
That contested pace should help Brian Hernandez, Jr. get that trademark Mystik Dan trip from the 3-hole: settle midfield inside, make that fearless rail run, and take command. And, if the rain in the forecast comes to fruition, Mystik Dan is well proven under those conditions and should be able to stay on his best.
More Belmont Contenders
Both the morning line and sportsbook betting markets have Sierra Leone tabbed as a hot favorite, but he is too consistent and proven to leave out. The sharp pace helps his closing style, and the near-outside draw should allow him to make his usual sustained outside run. He showed true Classic stamina in the Kentucky Derby, and the fact that he has fired in every single race makes it likely he will run another good effort.
Another who will be running well into the contested pace is the stoutly-bred Honor Marie. Out of contention in the Kentucky Derby after a rough start and a too-early move, he should have a cleaner beginning in this small field and may get a better-timed move under Florent Geroux, who has more experience in big American dirt races than Ben Curtis.
Especially if horses with more forward trips are doing well at Saratoga during the festival, Resilience has upside. He was stuck near the outside in the Kentucky Derby, but now he drew near the inside. This could help him get a similar trip that he did in the Wood (G2), where he stalked the pace despite a rail draw and ran on.
Belmont Longshot
For a serious longshot on trifecta or superfecta tickets, consider Protective. He is the third-stringer from four-time Belmont winner Todd Pletcher - and, in fact, still a maiden. But, he has hit the board in two graded stakes. He rallied from far off the pace for third in the Wood after a troubled start, then stalked and kept chasing in the Peter Pan (G3). He has upside with more distance and experience, and that could get him in the frame at a huge price.
Free Belmont Bets
You have your online betting account set up and you’ve gotten to know the field. Now, it’s time to bet the race! Here are your best bets for the 2024 Belmont Stakes!
- $20 to win - #3 Mystik Dan
- $1 exacta key - #3 Mystik Dan with #2 Resilience, #8 Honor Marie, #9 Sierra Leone
- $1 trifecta key - #3 Mystik Dan with #2 Resilience, #7 Protective, #8 Honor Marie, #9 Sierra Leone
- 20 cent superfecta key - #3 Mystik Dan with #2 Resilience, #7 Protective, #8 Honor Marie, #9 Sierra Leone
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