All eyes will be on Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, June 6, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes set for 7:04 p.m. ET. The third and final leg of the Triple Crown will feature one of the two big winners of the year with Golden Tempo set to race. Golden Tempo and trainer Cherie DeVaux made history with the horse’s impressive comeback win at the Kentucky Derby, as that made DeVaux the first female trainer to win the Derby. The pair sat out the Preakness Stakes, though, which was won by Napoleon Solo, who won’t be racing at the Belmont Stakes. Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with promo code CBSSPORTS, which is higher than what’s available to the general public:
Golden Tempo is one of the biggest favorites in the 2026 Belmont Stakes odds at 9-2, but Renegade, who finished second to Golden Tempo at the Kentucky Derby, is the morning line favorite at 2-1. Chief Wallabee (3-1), Commandment (6-1) and Emerging Market (6-1) are also among the top Belmont Derby favorites in this nine-horse field. 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.
Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with promo code CBSSPORTS, which is higher than what’s available to the general public:
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One of Menez’s surprising 2026 Belmont Stakes picks: The expert says he’ll be avoiding the Derby champ Golden Tempo (9-2) when making any wagers. Golden Tempo had a lot go his way at the Kentucky Derby in a run from the back of the field to the very front, and Menez has a very hard time seeing that happen again.
Additionally, Golden Tempo is among the top Belmont Stakes favorites at 9-2, while he wound up winning the Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds. There’s less overall value than there was last month, Menez says, and he can’t see Golden Tempo having a clean run like he did at Churchill Downs. As such, 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 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.
