🏇 2026 Belmont Stakes Long Shots & Sleeper Picks: 2 Horses to Bet at Saratoga

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo and runner-up Renegade - the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the 158th Belmont Stakes - headline the nine-horse field for the final jewel of the Triple Crown. But there is value to be found in our Belmont Stakes long shots and sleeper picks that can help you build those winning exotic tickets.

The 1 ¼-mile Belmont Stakes is Saturday from Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. A nine-horse field with five expats from the Kentucky Derby are entered in the third and final Belmont Stakes held at the upstate New York track. With renovations set to finish at Belmont Park this fall, the “Test of the Champion” will return to its customary 1 ½-mile distance in 2027.

The Belmont Stakes is the headline event at the Belmont Racing Festival: 14 races, including six Grade 1 stakes. FOX, FS1 and FS2 bring you nine hours of coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.

🐎 Belmont Stakes sleeper picks

Here are my favorite long-shot picks for the 2026 Belmont Stakes and their odds from FanDuel Racing as of Wednesday.

🚨 My best Belmont Stakes long-shot picks

Growth Equity (12-1)

We’ve already established that Belmont Stakes favorites aren’t exactly favored by fate, so let’s add a juicy statistic to plug our favorite long shot. Of the 26 Belmont Stakes winners this century, 11 have gone off at double-digit odds. That includes 17-1 Dornoch two years ago. It also includes Sir Winston (10.20-1 in 2019), Creator (16.40-1 in 2016), Palace Malice (13.40-1 in 2013), Ruler on Ice (24.75-1 in 2011), Drosselmeyer (20.10-1 in 2010) and Summer Bird (11.60-1 in 2009).

And we haven’t mentioned the two longest shots: 70-1 Sarava in 2002 and 38.60-1 Da’ Tara in 2008. Yes, the Aughts and early Teens were prime betting times for Belmont long shots.

Here, we have easily the best sleeper in the field. Yes, there’s that pesky fact the son of 2016 Derby winner Nyquist parachutes into the Triple Crown mix without stepping hoof on the Triple Crown trail. And yes, this second of three Chad Brown entries has beaten a grand total of seven horses in his last two outings – none of whom are anywhere near the caliber of what awaits him Saturday.

But Growth Equity’s tactical speed, combined with his upwardly mobile speed figures and running style set him up to be the one double-digit candidate on the best horse racing betting sites who could steal this race. Get him on your exotic tickets and splash some cash on him across the board (win-place-show).

Powershift (12-1)

With Renegade drawing attention as the morning-line favorite and the likely best horse in the field, you’ve probably forgotten that Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher – he of the 40.7% in-the-money record at the Belmont Stakes – has a second horse entered.

Meet Renegade’s barn mate: Powershift. The Constitution colt has been touted as an emerging star in Pletcher’s barn since finishing second to Belmont Stakes foe Emerging Market by less than a length in a mile-and-70-yard maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs. This led him to the Kentucky Derby trail and the Tampa Bay Derby, where Powershift downshifted to a miserable sixth by 9 ½ lengths. He impressively rebounded nearly two months later, capturing a maiden special weight race on the Derby undercard by 2 ¾ lengths as the even-money favorite.

Yes, there are several caveats here, starting with the fact Powershift is the only colt in the field without a stakes-placing, much less a win. Sir Winston seven years ago was the last colt turning that trick. Powershift also hasn’t run beyond 8.5 furlongs, so even with strong stamina bloodlines, this remains a riddle without an answer right now. And going from a maiden race to a Triple Crown jewel is quite the matzah ball to bite off – especially for a colt with only three starts.

But as the lone true pace-presser in the field, it’s not out of the realm that Powershift uses his speed to take the lead and, well, holds it long enough to get a piece here. Should that happen, anything can happen. Nor is it out of the realm for you to gear Powershift onto the bottom of your trifectas and superfectas.

🎟️ How to bet Belmont Stakes long shots

Yes, the standard win-place-show options are available for Belmont Stakes long shots. Again, keep in mind Belmont favorites are 0-for-2 at Saratoga and are 5-for-their-last 15. Also, keep in mind the average $2 win payout in the last 10 Belmont Stakes events is $15.10. But the best way to bet long shots is to liberally include them in your vertical exotic wagers: exactas, trifectas and superfectas.

There are two ways to bet exactas, trifectas and superfectas: straight and box. A straight wager requires a “key” horse or horses that sit atop your ticket, with other horses underneath in the second, third or fourth positions. A straight exacta means you pick the horse or horses you think will win, then the horse or horses you think will finish second underneath. For example, Chief Wallabee over Renegade, Commandment and Emerging Market. You win your bet if Chief Wallabee wins and either Renegade, Commandment or Emerging Market finish second. This is the right bet when you like a particular horse to win.

With a box, you can throw all four on a ticket and if any combination finish first or second – in any order – you win the bet. It works the same for a trifecta or superfecta. A box wager offers flexibility, but that comes at a price. Understand the more horses you throw in a box, the more expensive the wager. A box wager is good for beginners and good if you like several horses, but aren’t quite sure on the order of finish.

If you’re really bullish on a horse, bet them “across the board.” That is a wager where you bet a set amount – $2 for example – to finish first, second and third. We did this with Golden Tempo at the Derby and cashed a nice ticket. If your horse hits the board, you cash and if he wins, you cash three ways. A $2 across-the-board wager is $6 and you can increase it in any amount north of that. It will cost you three times your unit price to make this bet. Across the board wagers are better for horses with higher odds, say 6-1 or greater.

🐴 Belmont Stakes info

• When: Saturday, June 6
• Post time: 7:04 p.m. ET
• Where: Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
• How to watch: FOX/FS1/FS2

❓ Belmont Stakes FAQs

Who is the 2026 Belmont Stakes favorite?

Renegade (2-1) is the morning-line favorite.

How long is the Belmont Stakes track?

The race distance for the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga is 1 and 1/4 miles, or 10 furlongs.

When is the 2026 Belmont Stakes this year?

The 2026 edition of the Belmont Stakes will be held on Saturday, June 6.

Where is the 2026 Belmont Stakes held?

The Belmont Stakes is held this year at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.