Belmont Stakes Festival Race Day Guide 2026 - Full Card, Tips, and How to Bet Every Race
Race Day Is Here: Everything You Need for Belmont Stakes Day 2026
It is race day. The gates open at Saratoga at 9:00 AM ET, first post is 11:00 AM, and the 158th Belmont Stakes goes off at 7:04 PM ET. Seven graded stakes -- six of them Grade 1 -- are on the card before the night is done, and there is real money to be made at every level of the program.
This is your complete Belmont Stakes race day guide for 2026: every stakes race on the card, our picks, the key angles, and how to bet. We cover the whole day in post order so you can follow along race by race. For the Belmont Stakes itself, we go deeper on the nine-horse field and give you our final selections.
Let's get into it.
2026 Belmont Stakes Day: Full Stakes Card at a Glance
There are seven graded stakes on the Saturday card at Saratoga. Here is the full rundown with our headline picks:
| Race | Post Time (ET) | Stakes Race | Purse | Distance / Surface | Our Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 | ~1:45 PM | Just a Game Stakes (G1) — F&M 4+, 1 Mile, Turf | $500,000 | 1 Mile, Turf | Segesta |
| Race 8 | ~2:20 PM | True North Stakes (G3) — 4+, 6.5F, Dirt | $400,000 | 6.5 Furlongs, Dirt | Book'em Danno |
| Race 9 | ~3:05 PM | Jaipur Stakes (G1) — 3+, 5.5F, Turf | $500,000 | 5.5 Furlongs, Turf | TBD |
| Race 10 | ~4:52 PM | Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) — 3YO, 7F, Dirt | $500,000 | 7 Furlongs, Dirt | Crude Velocity |
| Race 11 | ~5:32 PM | Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) — 3+, 1 Mile, Dirt | $1,000,000 | 1 Mile, Dirt | Nysos |
| Race 12 | ~6:11 PM | Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes (G1) — 4+, 1 3/16M, Turf | $1,000,000 | 1 3/16 Miles, Turf | Bright Picture |
| Race 14 | 7:04 PM | Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) — 3YO, 1 1/4M, Dirt | $2,000,000 | 1 1/4 Miles, Dirt | See below ↓ |
Post times are approximate. Check MyWinners for live updates and any scratches on the day.
Race-by-Race Breakdown: How to Bet Every Stakes Race
Race 7 -- Just a Game Stakes (G1, $500k) -- Fillies and Mares, 1 Mile, Turf -- ~1:45 PM ET
Segesta is the one. Chad Brown's filly has won back-to-back Grade 1s going into this race, including a dead-heat victory in the Jenny Wiley on her seasonal return. She carries class form into a race where the distance and surface suit her perfectly. She is attempting to emulate her dam Antonoe, who won the Just a Game in 2017 -- the kind of storyline Brown loves. At likely short odds, she goes in as a banker on multi-race tickets rather than a standalone win bet.
We are using Segesta underneath in doubles and trifectas rather than betting her at a short price to win. The value is in using her in combination with the rest of the card.
Race 8 -- True North Stakes (G3, $400k) -- 4+, 6.5 Furlongs, Dirt -- ~2:20 PM ET
The True North is the only dirt sprint stakes on the day card and is a Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile 'Win and You're In' race. Book'em Danno drew attention with sharp recent form at Monmouth and represents the Sacco yard in a race that suits well-seasoned sprinters. This is the kind of race that rewards those who have done their form work. Check the final odds before betting -- sprints at this level can get lopsided with one horse getting heavily backed down.
Race 9 -- Jaipur Stakes (G1, $500k) -- 3+, 5.5 Furlongs, Turf -- ~3:05 PM ET
The Jaipur is the turf sprint 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup. Five and a half furlongs on turf at Saratoga draws a specialist field and a wide-open result. Full entries and morning-line odds will be confirmed before post -- check MyWinners for live prices as they settle. These turf sprints routinely produce value-price winners; we would rather single a genuine speed horse than overthink the exotics here.
Race 10 -- Woody Stephens Stakes (G1, $500k) -- 3-Year-Olds, 7 Furlongs, Dirt -- ~4:52 PM ET
This is one of the strongest editions of the Woody Stephens in years, and Bob Baffert-trained Crude Velocity is the one to beat. He entered this race with three wins from three starts and absolutely demolished the field in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on Derby Day. Englishman (Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortiz) was his victim there and lines up for a rematch at post 7, going off around 3-1.
The field also includes Triple Crown runners Six Speed (Kentucky Derby, now with George Weaver) and Taj Mahal (Preakness favorite, tenth), both stepping back to sprinting. Gilded Bandit (Bill Mott) makes his stakes debut after winning an allowance on Derby Day and is a 8-1 shot worth using in exotics.
Our pick: Crude Velocity to win. Englishman and Gilded Bandit in the exotics.
Race 11 -- Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1, $1M) -- 3+, 1 Mile, Dirt -- ~5:32 PM ET
The Met Mile is the premier older-horse sprint-to-middle-distance race in the country and this year's field is loaded. Bob Baffert's Nysos is the morning-line favorite at around -125 to -150. He won the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last fall and ran second to reigning champion Forever Young in the $20 million Saudi Cup in February. His record is 9-7-2-0 with over $4.7 million earned.
Journalism is the sentimental entry. A Grade 1 winner and beloved runner, he finished third in the Oaklawn Handicap on his 4-year-old debut but has the class and Saratoga form to run well here. Todd Pletcher sends out two runners: Antiquarian (post 3, John Velazquez) -- who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup here last August and just destroyed his field by 5.75 lengths in the Grade 3 Westchester -- and lightly regarded Vibe (post 2, Luis Saez).
Antiquarian at 6-1 represents the best value on the board. He is proven over the course, handles one turn, and Pletcher wins this race. Nysos is the form pick but Antiquarian is the bet.
Our pick: Nysos to win, Antiquarian each-way value at +600.
Race 12 -- Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes (G1, $1M) -- 4+, 1 3/16 Miles, Turf -- ~6:11 PM ET
The Manhattan runs just before the Belmont Stakes and serves as a buffer race for multi-race sequences. Rhetorical (Will Walden) is the 2-1 morning-line favorite off a dominant front-running win in the Turf Classic (G1) on Derby Day. Defending champion Deterministic (Miguel Clement) goes again from out front.
The European angle is compelling. Bright Picture (Andre Fabre / Flavien Prat) ran second behind Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz in the Prix Ganay (G1) at Longchamp -- form that blows the domestic competition away on paper. Fabre rarely ships horses to Saratoga. When he does, pay attention. At 3-1 to 4-1, Bright Picture is our value play.
Our pick: Bright Picture each-way at 3-1. Rhetorical is the form pick for safety.
158th Belmont Stakes (G1, $2M) -- 3-Year-Olds, 1 1/4 Miles, Dirt -- 7:04 PM ET
This is what the day has been building toward. Nine runners, $2 million on the line, and a rematch at the heart of it all.
Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby by a neck over Renegade, coming from last to first under Jose Ortiz in one of the most electric finishes Churchill Downs has seen in years. Trainer Cherie DeVaux then bypassed the Preakness -- Napoleon Solo won that at Laurel Park on May 16 -- and aimed directly here. The blueprint is Sovereignty's route from 2025, and it worked then. The question is whether it works again.
Renegade got beaten by the shortest margin possible at Churchill Downs. Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz Jr. have had five weeks to stew on that neck defeat. He drew post 4, the best gate in the field, and his Saratoga preparation has been exceptional. He is the best horse in the race on current form and has the draw to prove it today.
2026 Belmont Stakes: Full Field and Odds
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds (ML) | Our Call |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitruvian Man | Antonio Fresu | Doug O'Neill | 30/1 | Skip |
| 2 | Powershift | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 12/1 | Skip |
| 3 | Chief Wallabee | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 3/1 | WIN ★ |
| 4 | Renegade | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher | 2/1 | WIN ★★ |
| 5 | Ottinho | Dylan Davis | Chad Brown | 20/1 | Skip |
| 6 | Growth Equity | Manuel Franco | Chad Brown | 12/1 | Exotic only |
| 7 | Commandment | John Velazquez | Brad Cox | 6/1 | Place |
| 8 | Emerging Market | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | 6/1 | Place |
| 9 | Golden Tempo | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | 9/2 | WIN ★ |
Morning-line odds. Check MyWinners for live odds before betting.
Belmont Stakes 2026: Horse-by-Horse Verdicts
Renegade (Post 4, 2/1)
The form pick. He ran the best number in the Kentucky Derby field and got beaten by a nose. Post 4 is clean, Irad Ortiz Jr. is the best jockey in the country, and Todd Pletcher has trained horses for this exact scenario many times. We think he wins.
Golden Tempo (Post 9, 9/2)
She is the Kentucky Derby winner and she earned it. Coming from last to win requires everything to go right on the day, and skipping the Preakness means she arrives fresh. Jose Ortiz takes the outside post and will have her rolling late. The risk is the wide gate and the tendency for Saratoga to favor stalkers over deep closers, but she has the class to overcome it. 9/2 is a fair price.
Chief Wallabee (Post 3, 3/1)
Bill Mott won this race last year with Sovereignty. Chief Wallabee has been trained to the minute -- five weeks of preparation, blinkers added, two sharp works at Saratoga Oklahoma. Junior Alvarado is back looking to become the first back-to-back Belmont jockey since 1983. The post and the form both suit. He is our each-way alternative.
Commandment (Post 7, 6/1)
Brad Cox and John Velazquez team up with a horse who beat Chief Wallabee twice this spring -- in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and the Florida Derby (G1). His Derby was a flop but Saratoga at 1 1/4 miles is a different surface and setup. At 6-1, he is a reasonable place bet or trifecta addition.
Emerging Market (Post 8, 6/1)
Chad Brown's best chance. Flavien Prat has been given the mount and Brown has this horse showing strong workouts coming into the race. He came out of the Derby in good shape and Brown thinks the Saratoga surface suits. At the same price as Commandment with arguably better upside, he fills the trifecta.
Powershift (Post 2, 12/1)
Pletcher's second string. Luis Saez is a capable jockey but this runner is well behind Renegade in the barn pecking order. Skip for win purposes, use underneath at big prices in superfectas.
Growth Equity (Post 6, 12/1)
Brown's second runner. Franco takes the mount. Has ability but needs pace help. Use in deep exotics only.
Ottinho (Post 5, 20/1)
Brown's third runner. Finished second in the Blue Grass but has missed a lot of time with a foot issue. Skip.
Vitruvian Man (Post 1, 30/1)
The people's horse. Lil Wayne and Lil Yachty own a piece of him and he has genuine credentials, but post 1 at Saratoga is tough and 30-1 reflects the handicapping reality. Fun to use deep in a superfecta at the right price.
Our Belmont Stakes Picks
Win: Renegade (2/1). Best horse, best draw, best jockey.
Each-Way: Chief Wallabee (3/1). Trainer's angle, course form, blinker effect.
Value: Golden Tempo (9/2). Derby winner, fresh, Jose Ortiz.
Exacta: Renegade over Chief Wallabee. Box if you want insurance.
Trifecta: 4 / 3-9 / 3-7-8-9. Renegade on top, the rest open.
Multi-Race Betting: Our Saturday Ticket
The Late Pick 4 (Races 11-14) is the headline sequence. We anchor it like this:
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds (ML) | Our Call |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitruvian Man | Antonio Fresu | Doug O'Neill | 30/1 | Skip |
| 2 | Powershift | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 12/1 | Skip |
| 3 | Chief Wallabee | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 3/1 | WIN ★ |
| 4 | Renegade | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher | 2/1 | WIN ★★ |
| 5 | Ottinho | Dylan Davis | Chad Brown | 20/1 | Skip |
| 6 | Growth Equity | Manuel Franco | Chad Brown | 12/1 | Exotic only |
| 7 | Commandment | John Velazquez | Brad Cox | 6/1 | Place |
| 8 | Emerging Market | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | 6/1 | Place |
| 9 | Golden Tempo | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | 9/2 | WIN ★ |
Multi-race bets are available at MyWinners. Build your ticket before the sequence kicks off.
How to Watch and Bet the 2026 Belmont Stakes
TV: Live on FOX from 4:00 PM ET. Extended coverage from 2:30 PM ET on FS2. UK viewers: Sky Sports Racing.
Stream: FOX One. SiriusXM for radio.
Betting: Bet the full Saratoga card at MyWInners.
In person: MyWinners venues in Connecticut are open on race day for simulcast wagering.
Bet the 2026 Belmont Stakes at MyWinners
The full Saratoga card -- all seven stakes races and every other race on the program -- is available to bet at MyWinners right now. We cover win, place, show, exactas, trifectas, superfectas, Pick 3s, Pick 4s, Pick 5s, and the Daily Double throughout the card.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Good luck today. Renegade in the Belmont.
