Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will look to win his second leg of the Triple Crown and become just the 13th non-Triple Crown winner to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in the same year. Last year, Sovereignty became the first horse in 30 years to accomplish the feat since Thunder Gulch did it in 1995. If Golden Tempo wins on Saturday, it will be the first time the Derby and Belmont have been won by the same horse in consecutive years, not including Triple Crown winners. Bet the Belmont Stakes with the TwinSpires promo code CBSSPORTS and get an exclusive $400 bonus, double the regular offer:
Renegade enters as the 2-1 favorite, followed by Chief Wallabee (3-1) and Golden Tempo (9-2). Other favorites include Commandment and Emerging Market, both at 6-1. Saturday’s race from Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has a post time set for 7:04 p.m. ET. Before making any 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, you’ll want to see the 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions from SportsLine’s Michelle Yu.
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young’s win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism’s win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman’s win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
Now, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Yu is sharing her 2026 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Chief Wallabee (3-1) this week. Despite skipping the Preakness to rest up for the Belmont, the William I. Mott-trained colt is still looking for his signature win. He placed fourth at the Kentucky Derby and was third at the Florida Derby. Chief Wallabee has three career graded stakes starts, and he’s failed to win any of them.
“The wise guy horse is back,” Yu told SportsLine. “He had a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby but persevered to finish fourth. I feel like we are always making excuses for him. He has had a few opportunities to run a big one, but he might not quite measure up to the best of this crop.” See which other 2026 Belmont Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
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How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks
Instead, Yu’s top pick is a horse who should be “effective” regardless of the pace. She’s also high on a massive double-digit longshot who “should sit a lovely trip.” She’s sharing which 2026 Belmont Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Belmont Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Belmont Stakes, and find out.
