The Breeders’ Cup takes over Keeneland on Friday and Saturday, but the racing doesn’t stop once the Classic is over. Instead, Belmont Park follows up on Sunday, November 1, with five stakes worth $925,000 on an 11-race card. The Forty Niner Stakes 2026 headlines the day at one mile, while the Bold Ruler opens the stakes action as early as Race 2.
First post is 11:30am ET, so the day starts early. Below, we cover every stakes field, post time and pick, so you can plan your Sunday tickets before the weekend gets busy.
Belmont Park Sunday Stakes Schedule
Overall, five stakes run between 11:59am and 3:51pm ET. Two Grade 3 races for older dirt horses anchor the card. On top of that, NYRA has lined up a Listed route for fillies and mares, a crowded turf sprint and a race for New York-bred juveniles on the grass.
One timing note matters here, because daylight saving time ends early on Sunday morning. So clocks fall back an hour overnight. Check that your phone has updated before you build a ticket around a post time.
Forty Niner Stakes 2026: Runners and Form
The Forty Niner goes as Race 9 at 3:22pm ET. It is a Grade 3, $200,000 race over one mile on dirt for 3-year-olds and up, run around one turn. NYRA ran it as the Kelso Handicap until 2023, when the race took its new name from the champion Forty Niner.
Eight horses go to post, so it’s a tidy field. Bishops Bay won this race last year but isn’t back, so the Forty Niner Stakes 2026 will crown a new winner. Meanwhile, Nelson Avenue returns after finishing second in each of the past two runnings.
| Horse (Post) | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| East Avenue (1) | Flavien Prat for Brendan Walsh |
| Bendoog (2) | Junior Alvarado for Bill Mott |
| Ignite the Light (3) | John Velazquez for Rick Dutrow Jr. |
| Nelson Avenue (4) | Edgard Zayas for Jorge Abreu |
| Crazy Mason (5) | Manny Franco for Gregg Sacco |
| Pentathlon (6) | Paco Lopez for Shug McGaughey |
| Gate to Wire (7) | Javier Castellano for Todd Pletcher |
| Warp Nine (8) | Frankie Pennington for Harold Wyner |
Race 9, 3:22pm ET, 1 mile dirt, $200,000. Morning line odds TBC, so check the MyWinners app racecard.
East Avenue Brings the Best Figure
On paper, East Avenue is the horse to beat. The Godolphin homebred earned a field-best 104 Beyer last time out for Brendan Walsh. He also owns Grade 1 form, since he won the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland as a juvenile.
He hasn’t won since the Grade 3 Salvator Mile at Monmouth in June, though. That run of three losses is the only real knock. Even so, Flavien Prat takes the call from post 1, and we like that inside draw for a one-turn mile.
Crazy Mason ran the race of his life in the Grade 3 Vosburgh on October 1. In fact, he lost by just a nose to T Kraft and earned a career-best 100 Beyer. Before that, he was beaten three quarters of a length by Hymn in the Grade 1 Forego. He also owns a Grade 2 win in the 2025 Carter.
Trainer Gregg Sacco thought about supplementing him to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint but chose this spot instead. He now races in glue-on shoes, and Sacco says they have made a clear difference. Also, since he likes to come from behind, the long Belmont stretch should suit him.
Pentathlon and the Rest
Pentathlon, by contrast, is the improver. Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey sends him out after a career-best 97 Beyer in an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles at Belmont on October 4. Then there is Ignite the Light, who makes his graded debut for Rick Dutrow Jr. He lost the Stable Recovery at Parx by a head to Buccherino, who runs in the Bold Ruler earlier on the card.
After that, Bill Mott’s Bendoog has Group 1 placings, while Todd Pletcher’s Gate to Wire has hit the board twice in graded company. Finally, Warp Nine completes the field for Harold Wyner.
Our Forty Niner Picks
Overall, we side with East Avenue to win. However, Crazy Mason is the obvious danger, so we box the pair in the exacta. For the trifecta, we put Pentathlon and Nelson Avenue underneath because both look solid for a share.
Bold Ruler Stakes 2026: Six Sprinters at Six Furlongs
The Bold Ruler runs as Race 2 at 11:59am ET, so it comes early. Six horses line up for the Grade 3, $200,000 sprint over six furlongs on dirt. The race takes its name from Bold Ruler, the 1957 Horse of the Year and a Hall of Famer.
Last year, Damon’s Mound beat Buccherino by half a length. Buccherino is back, though, and he has a real shot at revenge.
| Horse (Post) | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| Commuted (1) | Flavien Prat for Linda Rice |
| Paradise Valley (2) | Samuel Marin for Ilkay Kantarmaci |
| Buccherino (3) | Eliseo Ruiz for Alfredo Velazquez |
| Subrogate (4) | Paco Lopez for Jorge Duarte Jr. |
| Stickupwithoutagun (5) | Christopher Elliott for Ilkay Kantarmaci |
| Contrary Thinking (6) | Manny Franco for Amelia Green |
Race 2, 11:59am ET, 6f dirt, $200,000. Morning line odds TBC, so check the MyWinners app racecard.
Buccherino Wants Revenge
Buccherino set the pace in this race 12 months ago and only gave way late. This year, he won the Stable Recovery at Parx on September 19 with a career-best 98 Beyer. Six furlongs is his trip too, because his record at the distance reads 10 starts, two wins, three seconds and three thirds.
Commuted Is the Form Horse
In February, Linda Rice claimed Commuted for $30,000, and he has paid her back many times over. After that claim, he won three races in a row. Later, he ran a career-best 102 Beyer at Saratoga in September, the top figure in this field.
Last time out, he won a six-furlong starter allowance on a muddy track at Belmont on October 17. Rice says he is four for four on wet tracks, so rain would only help him.
Contrary Thinking and the Pace
Contrary Thinking beat Commuted by 2 1/2 lengths at Saratoga in August. However, he broke slowly in the Vosburgh and finished eighth. Trainer Amelia Green says he needs a clean start because he likes to sit on or near the lead.
As a result, we expect a speed duel with Buccherino. Elsewhere, Paradise Valley and Stickupwithoutagun run for Ilkay Kantarmaci, while Subrogate completes the field for Jorge Duarte Jr.
Our Bold Ruler Picks
If Buccherino and Contrary Thinking take each other on early, Commuted gets the perfect stalking trip under Prat. So he is our pick, and we would bet him with even more confidence on a wet track. Then, in the exacta, we play Commuted and Buccherino both ways.
Turnback the Alarm: Donor Advised Sets the Standard
Race 8 at 2:53pm ET is the Listed $175,000 Turnback the Alarm. Seven fillies and mares go nine furlongs on dirt, so stamina counts.
For now, Chad Brown’s Donor Advised brings the best recent run. She finished second by 2 3/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Beldame on September 25 at 12/1. Before that, she won an optional claimer at Saratoga in August after a long layoff.
Still, Scalable is a real danger for Todd Pletcher and Repole Stable. She won the Ladies Stakes at Aqueduct in February, then beat Snowyte by 1 3/4 lengths in the Listed Top Flight. Also keep an eye on Pink Ruby, because she has hit the board in her last six starts with three wins.
| Horse (Post) | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| Snowyte (1) | Junior Alvarado for Danny Gargan |
| Boutwell Time (2) | Antonio Fresu for Juan Carlos Guerrero |
| Pink Ruby (3) | Paco Lopez for Lindsay Schultz |
| Donor Advised (4) | Manny Franco for Chad Brown |
| Yes It Tiz (5) | Flavien Prat for Brad Cox |
| Standoutsensation (6) | Kendrick Carmouche for Kinnon LaRose |
| Scalable (7) | John Velazquez for Todd Pletcher |
Race 8, 2:53pm ET, 1 1/8 miles dirt, $175,000, fillies and mares 3yo+. Morning line odds TBC, so check the MyWinners app racecard.
The field in post order: Snowyte (Junior Alvarado, Danny Gargan), Boutwell Time (Antonio Fresu, Juan Carlos Guerrero), Pink Ruby (Paco Lopez, Lindsay Schultz), Donor Advised (Manny Franco, Chad Brown), Yes It Tiz (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox), Standoutsensation (Kendrick Carmouche, Kinnon LaRose) and Scalable (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher).
In short, our pick is Donor Advised. But Scalable is the one we fear most, so she goes second on our exacta tickets.
Casa Creed: A 14-Horse Turf Sprint Puzzle
The Casa Creed closes the stakes action as Race 10 at 3:51pm ET. Fourteen runners go seven furlongs on the turf for $175,000, plus two more on the also-eligible list.
For one thing, Gas Me Up was the 2025 Canadian Champion Male Turf Horse. Since then, he finished third in the Woodbine Mile this fall, and he once won the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez at Santa Anita.
Fond Farewell chases a third straight win for Will Walden after a 5 1/4 length romp over seven furlongs on September 19. That day, he also earned a 98 Beyer. Then there is Silius, who won the Group 3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly in July. Graham Motion now trains him, though post 14 is a tough draw.
Alogon won this race last year and finished fourth in the Belmont Turf Sprint on October 1. By contrast, Giocoso has earned more than any horse in the field at $1,321,423.
The Full Casa Creed Field
| Horse (Post) | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| Bonus Move (1) | Paco Lopez for Mark Hennig |
| We're in Trouble (2) | Javier Castellano for Michael McCarthy |
| Piper's Factor (3) | Rajiv Maragh for Katerina Vassilieva |
| Capitol Hill (4) | Junior Alvarado for Bill Mott |
| Alogon (5) | Forest Boyce for Ned Allard |
| Fond Farewell (6) | Flavien Prat for Will Walden |
| Giocoso (7) | Jose Lezcano for Keith Desormeaux |
| Gas Me Up (8) | Antonio Fresu for Kevin Attard |
| Runnin' Rocket (9) | Samuel Marin for Joe Sharp |
| Spiced Up (10) | Edgard Zayas for Bill Mott |
| Rose Ruler (11) | Dylan Davis for Mike Maker |
| Intellect (12) | Manny Franco for Chad Brown |
| Chasing Liberty (13) | Kendrick Carmouche for Rob Atras |
| Silius (14) | John Velazquez for Graham Motion |
| Stars and Strides (AE 15) | Junior Alvarado for Bill Mott |
| Mission Improbable (AE 16) | Edgard Zayas for Rodolphe Brisset |
Race 10, 3:51pm ET, 7f turf, $175,000. Also-eligible (AE) runners only start if horses scratch from the main field. Morning line odds TBC, so check the MyWinners app racecard.
Here is the full field in post order: Bonus Move (Paco Lopez, Mark Hennig), We’re in Trouble (Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy), Piper’s Factor (Rajiv Maragh, Katerina Vassilieva), Capitol Hill (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), Alogon (Forest Boyce, Ned Allard), Fond Farewell (Flavien Prat, Will Walden) and Giocoso (Jose Lezcano, Keith Desormeaux) fill posts 1 to 7.
After them come Gas Me Up (Antonio Fresu, Kevin Attard), Runnin’ Rocket (Samuel Marin, Joe Sharp), Spiced Up (Edgard Zayas, Bill Mott), Rose Ruler (Dylan Davis, Mike Maker), Intellect (Manny Franco, Chad Brown), Chasing Liberty (Kendrick Carmouche, Rob Atras) and Silius (John Velazquez, Graham Motion). Stars and Strides and Mission Improbable wait on the also-eligible list, so they only run if horses scratch.
Of course, big fields mean bigger prices. So we like Fond Farewell on top, with Gas Me Up second and Silius as a value play in third.
Notebook Stakes: New York-Bred Juveniles on Grass
The Notebook goes as Race 4 at 12:57pm ET. This time, nine New York-bred 2-year-olds run one mile on the turf for $175,000.
Captain George won his last start by 1 1/2 lengths on September 19 with a 66 Beyer for Amelia Green. Green also saddles Epic Prayer, who won a state-bred maiden claimer on October 15.
Howard’s Hope won his Saratoga debut in August and then went off the 2/1 favorite in the Laurel Futurity. That run went wrong after a bump, so we can forgive it. Likewise, House of War won on debut before he ran fifth in the Grade 2 Pilgrim after a troubled start.
| Horse (Post) | Jockey and Trainer |
|---|---|
| House of War (1) | Manny Franco for Jorge Abreu |
| Howard's Hope (2) | Jose Lezcano for Horacio De Paz |
| Soldier's Glory (3) | Kendrick Carmouche for Jena Antonucci |
| Epic Prayer (4) | Javier Castellano for Amelia Green |
| Miracle Morrow (5) | Flavien Prat for Rodolphe Brisset |
| Billy Bucchero (6) | Edgard Zayas for Mark Casse |
| Road Show (7) | Dylan Davis for Mark Casse |
| Captain George (8) | John Velazquez for Amelia Green |
| Cuylle (9) | Ruben Silvera for Rachael Keithan |
Race 4, 12:57pm ET, 1 mile turf, $175,000, New York-breds only. Morning line odds TBC, so check the MyWinners app racecard.
In post order, the field is House of War (Manny Franco, Jorge Abreu), Howard’s Hope (Jose Lezcano, Horacio De Paz), Soldier’s Glory (Kendrick Carmouche, Jena Antonucci), Epic Prayer (Javier Castellano, Amelia Green), Miracle Morrow (Flavien Prat, Rodolphe Brisset), Billy Bucchero (Edgard Zayas, Mark Casse), Road Show (Dylan Davis, Mark Casse), Captain George (John Velazquez, Amelia Green) and Cuylle (Ruben Silvera, Rachael Keithan).
Overall, we take Captain George to win. Meanwhile, House of War is our value play because his Pilgrim run was better than it looks.
How to Bet Belmont Park’s Sunday Card
Morning line odds weren’t out when we wrote this guide. So check the live racecards in the MyWinners app on Sunday morning before you bet. Prices will also move after the Breeders’ Cup, since plenty of players reload for Sunday.
Every race on this card runs as a pari-mutuel pool, and the final dividend settles your ticket. For bigger payouts, the 14-horse Casa Creed is the race to spread in. Then, in the short fields, single the horses you trust most.
Bet Belmont Sunday With MyWinners
After two huge days at Keeneland, Belmont Park gives us five more stakes and a strong Forty Niner Stakes 2026 field to close the weekend. In short, East Avenue and Commuted are our top picks, and we’ll keep watching the weather for Commuted all week.
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.
Image by Brandon Hite. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.
