Mo Donegal Has the Quality and Stamina for the Belmont
The final jewel of the Triple Crown is coming up on Saturday, June 11: the 154th running of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes! Known as the Test of the Champion because of its length and its position as the grueling last leg of the series, the race drew a field of eight leading three-year-olds to run for a $1.5 million purse and a place in horse racing history!
In the 2022 Belmont Stakes, 80-1 Kentucky Derby betting longshot Rich Strike will try to prove that his Louisville surprise was no fluke. However, he faces a talented cast of foes, including Wood Memorial (G2) winner Mo Donegal, Peter Pan (G3) winner We the People, and Kentucky Oaks (G1) second-place finisher Rich Strike, and Triple Crown race contenders Barber Road, Creative Minister, and Skippylongstocking.
Betting the Belmont Stakes Online
Standing at the rail to feel the Belmont Stakes field go by is a thrill unlike any other, but not everyone can make it to New York for the race. Fortunately, you can still be a part of the action by betting on the Belmont Stakes online! Our online betting experts have reviewed the best horse betting sites, making it easy for you to cut through the chaff and choose the site that will give you the best odds and wagering experience.
Our experts can also tell you which sites offer the best racebook bonuses! Different sites offer incentives that are best for different betting styles, including sign-up and deposit bonuses, horse racing rebates, and referral benefits. By comparing your options, you can select the site that will be most lucrative for you, and maximize your Belmont Stakes profits!
Belmont Stakes Contenders
The Belmont Stakes is one of the best betting races of the year, and the first step to picking a winner is getting to know the contenders.
The official field for the 2022 Belmont Stakes with post positions, jockeys and trainers, and morning lines is:
- We the People (Rodolphe Brisset/Flavien Prat) - 2/1
- Skippylongstocking (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Manuel Franco) - 20/1
- Nest (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz) - 8/1
- Rich Strike (Eric Reed/Sonny Leon) - 7/2
- Creative Minister (Ken McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 6/1
- Mo Donegal (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz, Jr.) - 5/2
- Golden Glider (Mark Casse/Dyland Davis) - 20/1
- Barber Road (John Ortiz/Joel Rosario) - 10/1
Keep in mind that these morning lines are only the racetrack’s best guess about what the odds will be come post time. The racetrack will not let you lock in your odds before post time. This is why it is better to bet the Belmont Stakes online! Since online racebooks let you lock in the best odds the moment you bet, you will be guaranteed a great price on your horse.
Belmont Stakes Favorites
Usually the Kentucky Derby winner is the favorite in the Belmont Stakes, though that will not be the case this year. Even so, Rich Strike will not be the massive longshot he was in Louisville — and at a shorter price, he will have a far less appealing pace setup for his closing style than he did after the blazing Kentucky Derby pace. Though he has distance pedigree and good form, the pace relegates Rich Strike to a marginal exotics chance.
The likely favorite in the Belmont Stakes is We the People. He has the pace advantage in the Belmont, as the only one in the eight-horse field who typically seizes the early lead. He is also already a local winner, having annexed the Peter Pan (G3) in his final Belmont prep. The question is the distance; his sire Constitution and damsire Tiznow bode well, but recent dam’s side class skews sprinter/miler.
Belmont Stakes Best Bets
Trainer Todd Pletcher has won three editions of the Belmont Stakes already, and he has two good chances to win a fourth in 2022. Both Mo Donegal and Nest have proven Belmont form and extremely good distance pedigrees, making them strong contenders in the Test of the Champion.
Mo Donegal is the best bet in the Belmont Stakes. Fifth behind Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby, he returns to a Belmont track where he is well proven. Even though he rallied from far off the pace in the Derby, back races like the Remsen (G2) show his ability to win from closer to the pace. If Irad Ortiz takes advantage of that running style again, Mo Donegal will be hard to beat.
Nest will have to improve from her second-place finish behind Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last out. However, her win in the Ashland two back suggests that she may have more to find. Given her pedigree this distance may help her find it, and she is another like her stablemate Mo Donegal who has shown enough tactical speed at times to suggest she can work a good Belmont trip.
Belmont Stakes Longshot
Although Barber Road has yet to win a stakes race, he has proven time and again that he fits at this level. And, though he closed from last to finish sixth in the Kentucky Derby, this hard-trying grey is not wedded to a closing style. He has run well from close to the pace as well, meaning that he should be able to sit closer than he did last out and chase on honestly for his customary underneath share.
Belmont Stakes Best Bets
Now that you know your betting options and have introduced yourself to the best horses in the field, there is just one thing left to do: get your wagers in! The best bets for the 2022 Belmont Stakes are:
- $20 to win - #6 Mo Donegal
- $1 exacta key - #6 Mo Donegal with #1 We the People, #3 Nest
- $1 trifecta key - #6 Mo Donegal with #1 We the People, #3 Nest, #8 Barber Road
- 20 cent superfecta key - #6 Mo Donegal with #1 We the People, #3 Nest, #4 Rich Strike, #8 Barber Road
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