Although he did not run in the Preakness, Golden Tempo is seeking to repeat the success of last year’s winner, Sovereignty. Last year, the William I. Mott-trained colt won both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, while skipping the Preakness. Golden Tempo has a chance to do the same after coming from way back in the pack to win last month’s Kentucky Derby. Golden Tempo is a 9-2 favorite, trailing only Renegade (2-1) and Chief Wallabee (3-1). Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with the promo code CBSSPORTS, more than what’s available to the general public:
Saturday’s 2026 Belmont Stakes is Saturday with a 7:04 p.m. ET post time. Due to renovations at Belmont Park, the race will be held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Other favorites to win the Belmont Stakes are Commandment and Emerging Market, both at 6-1. With so much to consider while making your 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
Post 1 has had lots of success over the years at the Belmont Stakes, having produced a record 24 winners and eight more than any other starting position. Post 3 has produced 16 winners, while Post 5 has had 15. Justify in 2018 was the last horse to win from Post 1. That bodes well for this year’s biggest longshot as coming out of Post 1 will be Vitruvian Man at 30-1. The colt has had some success since starting his racing career last August, earning a win at the Oct. 18 MSW dirt-fast race at Keeneland. Most recently, the Doug F. O’Neill-trained horse took third at the April 4 Santa Anita Derby.
Given all the history of the race, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Belmont Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2026 Belmont Stakes picks possible.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 22 Preakness winners and predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last eight years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes betting predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
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Top 2026 Belmont Stakes expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Belmont Stakes Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $13.20 at the 2025 Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty and Journalism.
Belmont Stakes Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $13.80 at the 2025 Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty, Journalism and Baeza.
Belmont Stakes Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $40.50 at the 2025 Belmont Stakes with Sovereignty, Journalism, Baeza and Rodriguez.
While Golden Tempo (9-2) is one of the favorites, Demling isn’t including the Kentucky Derby winner in his picks for the 2026 Belmont Stakes. “I still don’t believe he’s the best of this bunch and I don’t think he gets a perfect set up here like he did at Churchill,” Demling told SportsLine. He is building his tickets around an epic double-digit longshot who a legendary trainer is “very high on”, spicing up Demling’s 2026 Belmont Stakes exotics. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Belmont Stakes 2026. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take, and in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
