The 2026 Belmont Stakes is shaping up to have a familiar feel for anyone who watched the Kentucky Derby back in May. With Belmont Park still undergoing major renovations, the race is being held for a third straight year at Saratoga Race Course in Upstate New York, and the distance has been trimmed from the classic 1 1/2 miles down to 1 1/4 miles. That gives the Belmont Stakes 2026 the same distance that was run on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs.
The current 2026 Belmont Stakes odds have Derby runner-up Renegade on top at 2-1, with Chief Wallabee right behind him at 3-1. Derby winner Golden Tempo is at 9-2 and will start at the far outside No. 9 post, while Commandment and Emerging Market both check in at 6-1. Before making any 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 22 Preakness winners and predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last eight years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes field set, Demling is sharing his 2026 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One notable surprise from Demling's detailed writeup at SportsLine: Golden Tempo is not part of his Belmont Stakes picks. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the Curlin colt has five career starts and has never finished outside the top three, with solid stakes credentials including the Louisiana Derby and the Risen Star Stakes. On paper, he looks like a horse that belongs here.
According to Demling, the issue is that the Derby set up perfectly for a deep closer like Golden Tempo. An 18-horse field created plenty of chaos, and Golden Tempo came from last to win in a run that was as improbable as it was impressive. The Belmont field figures to be roughly half that size, and the pace scenario looks much different, with very few early speed horses in the mix. See which horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, bets
Demling is especially high on an epic longshot who "will make a big jump" to win it all. Anyone who backs this sleeper pick could hit it big. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2026, and which stunning longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who has nailed four of the last eight winners.
