This will mark the eighth consecutive year that there will not be a Triple Crown winner in horse racing. The last horse to accomplish that feat was Justify in 2018. Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby, but skipped the Preakness, just as Sovereignty did in 2025. Saturday's Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Post time will be at approximately 7:04 p.m. ET. Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with the promo code CBSSPORTS, more than what's available to the general public:
Renegade is the 2-1 morning line favorite, followed by Chief Wallabee at 3-1 and Golden Tempo at 9-2. Also expected to be in the mix are Commandment and Emerging Market, both at 6-1 odds. With so much to consider while making your 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux looks to continue making horse racing history this weekend. She could become just the second female trainer to win the Belmont Stakes with Golden Tempo. She would join Jena Antonucci as the only women to have trained a Belmont Stakes winner. Antonucci accomplished that in 2023 with Arcangelo.
Last month, DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner with Golden Tempo. A win Saturday would also allow her to become the first female trainer to win multiple Triple Crown races in the same year. Golden Tempo will be at the No. 9 post position. Although having the third-shortest odds at 9-2, it has been 20 years since a horse has won from that post position. Afleet Alex did it in 2005.
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.
