The Belmont Stakes 2026 will be meaningful to every jockey in the field, but especially for Dylan Davis. He will ride Ottinho, and not only is Davis the only American jockey in the 2026 Belmont Stakes field, but he also hails from New York. The Empire State is hosting the 2026 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, which is the temporary home for 'The Test of Champion' while Belmont Park undergoes construction. Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with the promo code CBSSPORTS, more than what's available to the general public:
Davis will be aboard a 20-1 longshot for Saturday's race, with only Vitruvian Man (30-1) having longer Belmont Stakes odds than Ottinho. The favorite is Renegade at 2-1, followed by Chief Wallabee (3-1) and Golden Tempo (9-2). Post time is 7:04 p.m. ET. With so much to consider while making your 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
Over 50 years have passed since Secretariat's historical win at the 1973 Belmont Stakes, and his margin of victory remains a record. The Hall of Fame horse won by 31 lengths over the competition en route to claiming the 1973 Triple Crown. The next-largest margin of victory comes via Count Fleet 30 years prior to Secretariat. The former had a 25-length margin of victory at the 1943 Belmont Stakes. Just like Secretariat, Count Fleet also claimed that year's Triple Crown, as they are two of the 13 Triple Crown champions.
Given all the history of the race, there's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Belmont Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2026 Belmont Stakes picks possible.
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 post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes betting predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes expert picks
Here's a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine's Jody Demling:
Belmont Stakes Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $13.20 at the 2025 Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty and Journalism.
Belmont Stakes Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $13.80 at the 2025 Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza.
Belmont Stakes Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $40.50 at the 2025 Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty, Journalism, Baeza and Rodriguez.
While Golden Tempo (9-2) is one of the favorites, Demling isn't including the Kentucky Derby winner in his picks for the 2026 Belmont Stakes. "I still don't believe he's the best of this bunch and I don't think he gets a perfect set up here like he did at Churchill," Demling told SportsLine. He is building his tickets around an epic double-digit longshot who a legendary trainer is "very high on", spicing up Demling's 2026 Belmont Stakes exotics. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Belmont Stakes 2026. He's sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take, and in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling's picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
