Horse racing will take center stage in the sports world on Saturday with the final leg of the 2021 Triple Crown. The $1.5 million Belmont Stakes is a wide-open field of eight, which will offer a great investment opportunity for sports bettors.
Along with the post positions being drawn, bettors now have their first look at the opening odds.
Before you bet any 2021 Belmont Stakes wagers, you need to read the Best Bets from Sports Illustrated’s horse racing handicapper Frankie Taddeo.
Our Senior Gambling Analyst and Vegas Insider nailed Medina Spirit ($26.20) as his top choice in the Kentucky Derby which also served up the exacta at odds of 251/1! His top longshot Rombauer ($26.50) won the Preakness Stakes helping all SI PRO members hit the exacta (49/1) and the ‘bomb’ trifecta play (162/1)!
Become a member below and start beating the books with us!
The Belmont Stakes is often referred to as the “Test of the Champion,” since it is the longest of the three Triple Crown races at one and one-half miles. Can Rombauer win the last leg of the Triple Crown after taking down the Preakness? Will Essential Quality rebound after faltering as the post-time favorite in the Kentucky Derby? With a clean break, could Rock Your World display his top front-end speed and respond in the Belmont Stakes? Let’s break down how this year’s event stacks up.
2021 Belmont Stakes: Time, Location & Odds
Date: June 5, 2021
Start Time: 6:47 PM EST
Where to Watch: NBC Sports
Location: Belmont Park – Elmont, New York
Odds courtesy of NYRA Bets
Let’s take a look at the field and the opening odds following the post position draw earlier today for the illustrious race.
2021 Belmont Stakes Field
Essential Quality (2/1)
POST NUMBER: No. 2
JOCKEY: Luis Saez / TRAINER: Brad Cox
RECORD: 6 starts: 5-0-0
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 109
Essential Quality, the post-time favorite for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, ran a disappointing fourth for all chalk players. This son of Tapit, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as a two-year-old, earned wins in the Southwest Stakes and Blue Grass Stakes earlier this year. Brad Cox will have a strong chance with a horse who has won five of six career races.
Rombauer (3/1)
POST NUMBER: No. 3
JOCKEY: John Velaquez / TRAINER: Michael McCarthy
RECORD: 7 starts: 3-1-1
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 103
Rombauer posted his best speed figure when he won the 2021 Preakness Stakes coming through as my formula’s top longshot play. He finished third at odds of 24/1 behind Essential Quality and Highly Motivated in the Blue Grass Stakes back in April. I expect another big effort from this son of Twirling Candy who should relish the added distance. Winning the Preakness and Belmont will not be easy as only 42 horses have historically accomplished the feat.
Hot Rod Charlie (7/2)
POST NUMBER: No. 4
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat / TRAINER: Doug O’Neill
RECORD: 8 starts: 2-1-3
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 109
Trainer Doug O’Neill had Hot Rod Charlie primed and ready for the Run for the Roses and it showed with a third-place finish. The son of Oxbow won the Louisiana Derby on March 20. He shocked many people when he finished second to Essential Quality in the Breeders Cup Juvenile at odds of 94/1, but you will not find anywhere near those kinds of odds on Saturday after posting a career-best speed figure of 109 in the Derby.
Rock Your World (9/2)
POST NUMBER: No. 7
JOCKEY: Joel Rosario / TRAINER: John Sadler
RECORD: 4 starts: 3-0-0
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 103
John Sadler had done a great job with this colt – who was an impressive 3-for-3 prior to placing a tremendously disappointing 17th in the Kentucky Derby. After being bounced around badly at the start Rock Your World never recovered. This son of Candy Ride, with a clean break, is expected to be among the early pacesetters as he will likely look to take the field wire-to-wire as he did in the Santa Anita Derby.
Known Agenda (6/1)
POST NUMBER: No. 6
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr. / TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
RECORD: 7 starts: 3-1-1
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 112
The top connections of jockey Irad Ortiz Jr and trainer Todd Pletcher drew the dreaded rail for the Kentucky Derby and it resulted in a ninth-place finish. After adding blinkers, this son of Curlin responded with two impressive wins capped off by his victory in the Florida Derby back on March 27. Known Agenda actually holds the best speed figure of any Preakness Stakes hopeful and is a horse that likely will be targeted by bettors.
Overtook (20/1)
POST NUMBER: No. 8
JOCKEY: Manny Franco / TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
RECORD: 5 starts: 1-1-2
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 99
Finished third in the Peter Pan Stakes over this Belmont Park surface and has hit the board in four of five career races. This colt has one of the best distance pedigrees in the Belmont Stakes field as a son of Curlin and longshot odds could be appealing for exotics players.
France Go de Ina (30/1)
POST NUMBER: No. 5
JOCKEY: Joel Rosario / TRAINER: Hideyuki Mori
RECORD: 5 starts: 2-0-0
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 78
Upon initial glance this is a horse I will be looking to toss on Saturday after his seventh-place effort in the Preakness Stakes. Previously, this import placed a less than a desirable sixth-place finish in the UAE Derby overseas in March.
Bourbonic (33/1)
POST NUMBER: No. 1
JOCKEY: Kendrick Carmouche / TRAINER: Todd Pletcher
RECORD: 7 starts: 3-1-0
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 100
After shocking the racing world when he won the Wood Memorial at odds of 72/1 – defeating both Dynamic One and Brooklyn Strong- Bourbonic crashed back down to reality placing 13th in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Bernardini will be closing from the clouds on Saturday but his best may still not help hit the board versus this field.
Be sure to check back on Friday here at SI Gambling as I will put my formula to paper looking to cash in all three legs of the Triple Crown.
Over the course of 2020 and into 2021, our Senior Gambling Analyst and Vegas Insider- Frankie Taddeo – has shared his horse racing handicapping formula which has correctly predicted the following winners at SI Gambling:
BY THE NUMBERS: EQUIBASE TOP SPEED FIGURES
