Belmont Stakes Betting – Animal Kingdom Still Favored, But Nehro Will Come Out On Top
Online betting players are getting ready for the final leg in horse racing’s Triple Crown, and the Belmont Stakes is the toughest test for the best three-year-olds in the industry as it’s a mile and a half, so the fastest horse doesn’t always win: this is all about endurance. We’re sticking with our early pick in what could be the race of the year.
- What: Online Horse Betting
- When: Saturday, June 11th, 6:00 PM ET
- Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
- Pick: Nehro
The Favorites
Animal Kingdom (+200) remains the favorite for the Belmont Stakes, and the consensus is that you’re going to see another spectacular run from the Kentucky Derby winner. He isn’t a darkhorse anymore after winning at Churchill Downs, along with his second-place run at the Preakness, and a win in the Belmont would give Animal Kingdom one of the best years in recent thoroughbred racing history. But he has a trio of horses hot on his heels, as Nehro (+400) isn’t far behind, as is Preakness winner Shackleford (+450), who had the stamina to hold off Animal Kingdom’s late rally at Pimlico, but does he has the conditioning to hold up over 1.5 miles at Belmont Park? Nehro looks to have the stamina needed, and he’ll be well rested after sitting out the Preakness.
Don’t forget about Mucho Macho Man (+600) after his sixth-place run at the Preakness, but he has been having troubles with keeping his shoes on his feet. His handlers have decided to give him a new set that won’t come off in the middle of a race, and we’ll get a proper example of Mucho Macho Man’s full capabilities.
The Second Tier
Master of Hounds (+1200) is gaining momentum and catching up to the favorites in terms of online horse betting odds, and after the Irish horse’s fifth-place run at Churchill Downs, his handlers gave him some time off. European horses are bred for stamina and endurance rather than pure speed, so Master of Hounds could creep up on the leaders. Brilliant Speed (+1500), Santiva (+1500) and Stay Thirsty (+1800) are next, and this entire trio have been off since the Kentucky Derby. Brilliant Speed finished seventh in the Derby, while Stay Thirsty struggled to a 12th-place finish, so Santiva may be the smart play with his sixth-place finish at Churchill Downs. Santiva has run in five straight graded-stakes races and has gone up against some solid competition, and that makes him a danger to the horses in the top group. He has no fear when he is loaded into the starting gate, so Santiva could be a good call.
Prime Cut (+2000) brings up the rear in this group after coming in third in the Peter Pan Stakes, which is a 1-1/8 mile race at Belmont Park, so he’s improving over distance. However, the Belmont Stakes will be a huge jump in competition for Prime Cut, so it’s fair to be skeptical of his horse betting odds.
The Darkhorses
Harlan’s Hello (+4000), Isn’t He Perfect (+4000), Monzon (+4000) and Ruler On Ice (+4000) are the longshots, and even though darkhorses have been a threat in recent years at Triple Crown races, these horses would need the race of their lives to hang with the favorites. Isn’t He Perfect is intriguing, but Edgar Prado, who rode him to a ninth-place finish in the Preakness, may be picked to ride Prime Cut instead. Prado also rode Monzon a few times, while Harlan’s Hello won an allowance race at Belmont Park, but that clearly isn’t close to the level of competition he’ll face on Saturday.
How It Will Play Out
The early play was Nehro, and you should stick with him, with competition from Animal Kingdom and Mucho Macho Man. If the surface is fast, Shackleford will also be a factor, but that played into his plans at Pimlico; it may not at Belmont Park. Nehro has the combination of speed and stamina that is needed to win the grueling Belmont Stakes, and the rest that he received from skipping the Preakness will serve him well. Stick with Nehro to win the final leg of the Triple Crown in your sports betting book.
Belmont Stakes Betting Pick: Nehro
