2026 Belmont Stakes odds, predictions, contenders, horses
Growth Equity trains for the Belmont Stakes (Photo by Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)
The Belmont Stakes will be held over 1 1/4 miles for the third and final year at Saratoga and the last two Belmont winners, Sovereignty and Dornoch, returned from a five-week rest after competing in the Kentucky Derby.
Seven of the last 10 Belmont winners lost their last start, with 2018 Triple Crown hero Justify, 2026 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, and 2023 Peter Pan (G3) winner Arcangelo the exceptions. With the changes to distance and location for 2026, here are some tips and predictions by our expert racing analysts.
Considering Post Positions for the Belmont Stakes
Since the Belmont moved to its primary home of Belmont Park in 1905, the race has been contested 119 times. Reviewing the post position statistics, it appears post 1 is the most advantageous, as it has produced by far the most winners (24) while simultaneously yielding the highest win percentage (20.3%). This bodes well for Santa Anita Derby (G1) third-place finisher Vitruvian Man, who will start from post 1 in the 2026 Belmont.
Read the full post position analysis for this year's Belmont field of contenders here.
Considering BRISnet Speed Ratings for your handicapping and Belmont bets
| Runners | Last Speed | Top Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Tempo | 98 | 100 |
| Renegade | 98 | 98 |
| Chief Wallabee | 95 | 103 |
| Growth Equity | 94 | 94 |
| Powershift | 94 | 98 |
| Ottinho | 93 | 93 |
| Commandment | 92 | 103 |
| Vitruvian Man | 92 | 92 |
| Emerging Market | 92 | 102 |
Growth Equity owns the best credentials of the group, recording a two-length win as the favorite in the Peter Pan (G3) on May 9, but his Speed ratings (career-best 94 last time) remain a little light.
Golden Tempo got up in the final strides to edge Renegade by a neck in the Kentucky Derby, the fastest last-out race in this year’s Belmont field. But the Kentucky Derby did not come back particularly fast, with the top two finishers registering 98 Brisnet Speed ratings, and little separates the Kentucky Derby alumni from a Speed rating perspective.
Golden Tempo, Chief Wallabee, Commandment, and Emerging Market all registered triple-digit Speed ratings in early-season prep races.
Examining pedigree notes on several Belmont runners for handicapping insights
Longshot Vitruvian Man has a pedigree pattern resembling that of Golden Tempo. He’s by Curlin’s son Vino Rosso, the fourth-placer in Justify’s Belmont (2018) who went on to become a champion at four, and out of a Bernardini mare.
Vitruvian Man’s half-sister, Grade 3-placed stakes winner Miss Lizzy, is a sprinter. She takes after their maternal grandmother (second dam), millionaire Somethinaboutlaura, who was a two-time winner of the A Gleam H. (G2) at old Hollywood Park. In her first A Gleam, in 2006, Somethinaboutlaura nipped Maryfield, who would go on to win the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint for Doug O’Neill in 2007. O’Neill now trains Vitruvian Man!
Vitruvian Man traces to the 1-w family that produced Celtic Ash, the 1960 Belmont winner.
Read about the rest of the Belmont field here.
Belmont Stakes contender takeaways
Golden Tempo — The Kentucky Derby winner with a pedigree built for 1¼ miles and a blistering closing kick makes him the one to beat.
Renegade — A neck behind Golden Tempo in the Derby despite a troubled trip, he gets every chance to flip the result with a clean run under a two-time Belmont-winning jockey.
Commandment — Talented enough to win on his best day but declining speed figures and a poor Derby effort make him a risky proposition.
Emerging Market — A troubled pace setup hurt him in the Derby, and a more relaxed early tempo at Saratoga could see him bounce back sharply.
Chief Wallabee — Solid graded stakes experience through the Triple Crown trail but needs a step forward to beat Golden Tempo and Renegade.
Growth Equity — Back-to-back wins including the Peter Pan are encouraging, but his Nyquist pedigree raises a genuine question at 1¼ miles.
Ottinho — A decent Blue Grass runner-up whose form took a hit when the horse who beat him flopped in the Derby.
Powershift — Lightly raced with raw ability but a sixth in the Tampa Bay Derby and minimal graded experience makes the Belmont a steep ask.
Vitruvian Man — Grade 1 experience is a thin credential when you're getting beaten nearly 10 lengths, and the Belmont figures to be too tough.
Read more on each horse's stats heading into the Belmont Stakes here.
