The final leg of the Triple Crown is set for Saturday, when the 2026 Belmont Stakes makes what is expected to be its final turn at Saratoga Race Course. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is scheduled to be back on the track this weekend at Saratoga, which is filling in as host during renovations at Belmont Park. Those are expected to be completed in time for next year’s race. Fellow Derby runners Renegade and Chief Wallabee join Golden Tempo among the favorites in the Belmont Stakes 2026 field. Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with promo code CBSSPORTS, which is higher than what’s available to the general public:
Post time is set for 7:04 p.m. ET in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Renegade is the 2-1 favorite in the 2026 Belmont Stakes odds, followed by Chief Wallabee at 3-1 and Golden Tempo at 9-2. Fellow Derby runners Commandment (6-1) and Emerging Market (6-1) round out the top five on the Belmont odds board. Before making any 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Gene Menez.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In last year’s Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed his horse racing betting advice could be way up.
Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Belmont Stakes field and revealed his picks. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One of Menez’s surprising 2026 Belmont Stakes picks: Golden Tempo’s victory at Churchill Downs set him up as a 9-2 third favorite this weekend, but he went into the Derby at 30-1 odds, and while he won, Menez wasn’t impressed. Renegade and Ocelli matched him late in the race but couldn’t close, and Menez can’t see him getting the clean run he had in Louisville.
Golden Tempo’s resume entering the Derby was less than impressive. He won his maiden and the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes but then finished third in his two Grade 2 major prep races – the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby, won by fellow Belmont contender Emerging Market. Menez says it’s “unlikely” that Golden Tempo will get the “sweet pace setup” that led to his victory at Churchill Downs, and the expert says he’ll “completely toss” the Derby champ when making any wagers. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, bets
Instead, Menez’s top pick is a horse who “should sit a perfect trip.” He also is high on a double-digit longshot who can “upset this field at a nice price.” Menez is including these horses in his 2026 Belmont Stakes bets, and so should you. Menez is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2026, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who had a $1,045 payout at last year’s Kentucky Derby.
