The Belmont stakes is a massive betting event in the USA and millions of people are looking for options to bet on one of the best races of the year. If you are one of them, you need to know the most important facts about the Belmont Stakes before you bet and you need to find a reputable site to bet on.
On this page we will explain the most important elements to look for when looking for a Belmont Stakes betting site and also give you some crucial information the race.
Best Canadian Sites for Belmont Stakes Betting
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What is the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes is the third race of the Triple Crown, a series of three races organized every year for the best 3-year-old horses.
The first race in the Triple Crown is of course the most famous of all, the Kentucky Derby, but the Belmont Stakes is not far in terms of anticipation. This is because the Belmont Stakes is the final stop that determines if we have a Triple Crown horse that year.
Winning the Triple Crown is the most impressive achievement in American horse racing, even if these races are no longer the richest organized in the USA.
Still, the Belmont Stakes and the other Triple Crown races have not lost their luster and every edition is closely watched by all horse racing fans in the country and the world.
Of course, apart from the glory, winning the Belmont Stakes is a serious money maker for the owner of the horse. The Belmont Stakes currently offers a total purse of $2,000,000, making it one of the most valuable races on the American horse racing calendar. In addition to the direct reward, having won the Belmont Stakes drastically improves the value of the horse as a stud and the owners stand to benefit greatly when the horse retires from racing and starts his siring career.
When is the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes is generally run at the beginning of June, approximately five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.
The 2026 Belmont Stakes was held at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park underwent redevelopment, with the race scheduled to return to Belmont Park in 2027.
What is the distance of the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes is the longest race of the Triple Crown and a real test of the young horses’ endurance.
The running distance is 1.5 miles, but the 2026 race at Saratoga Race Course was run over 1.25 miles because of the track’s configuration.
At its traditional distance, it is usually the longest race that the participating horses have contested at that stage of their careers.
Why is the Belmont Stakes so prestigious?
The horse winning the Belmont Stakes will receive a lot of glory, especially if he is the Triple Crown winner but even if the Belmont Stakes is the only race of the three that it wins.
Added to the distance challenge mentioned above is the fact that the Belmont Stakes is the third race of a gruesome schedule for the potential Triple Crown winner and his best rivals.
The Belmont Stakes is run only 5 weeks after the Kentucky Derby and 3 weeks after the Preakness Stakes. This is a very fast turnaround, especially for route races.
In the modern era of horse racing, horses generally pause 3 to 4 weeks between each race as they tend to be a bit more fragile than their ancestors. Therefore, running three highly competitive route races in a span of 5 weeks is a serious test of stamina and the reason why a horse able to win each of the races is so highly regarded.
How can I bet on the Belmont Stakes?
The Belmont Stakes being one of the biggest horse races in the world, there is no shortage of betting options for players.
Of course, the Belmont Stakes attracts the best young horses of year and the field is generally quite large. This adds to the difficulty of striking a winning bet but in parallel that increases the payouts when you choose wisely. As such, the Belmont Stakes is one of the best betting days for sports fans.
The most famous bet that you can place on the Belmont Stakes is of course the Win bet, where you are wagering on the horse which you think will win the race.
You can also choose to bet on a horse to finish first or second (does not matter which) and in this case you need to select the Place bet.
If you want to play it safer, you can bet on a horse to finish first, second or third and that’s called a Show bet.
A popular way to bet on the Belmont Stakes is to select a horse and bet it to Win/Place/Show. You get the best of both worlds this way with a nice payout if the horse wins but some consolation prizes if he falls short.
For the most adventurous bettors, the Belmont Stakes is a great even to place exotic bets. An Exotic Bet is one where you are betting on multiple horses at once.
The most famous such bet at the Belmont Stakes is the Exacta Bet where you select the horses that will finish first and second. Your horses need to finish in that order to win the bet but of course you can make multiple selections and bet the horses both ways.
Similar in logic, and a very popular bet, is the Trifecta where you need to select the horses to finish first, second and third. Obviously this is even more difficult but the payoff can be massive.
Even more difficult but cheaper to bet on is the Superfecta,where you select the horses finishing First to Fourth. This is a very difficult bet to win, especially in a large and competitive race like the Belmont stakes, but the price of the bet is lower and it is a good idea to have a superfecta bet on the Belmont Stakes, in case you get very lucky!
The Belmont Stakes day is one of New York’s biggest horse racing days and there are many other good races on the card. You can therefore also place interesting Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 6 bets. These are bets where you select the winners of 3, 4 or 6 consecutive races. These are very hard bets to win but the Pick 6 will pay thousands of dollars, guaranteed, so there is value in taking a chance on the Belmont Stakes day.
Where to watch the Belmont Stakes?
The 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was broadcast across FOX, FS1 and FS2, with coverage available throughout the race meeting. The 2026 Belmont Stakes took place on Saturday, June 6, with the main race scheduled for approximately 7:04 p.m. ET.
Where can I bet on the Belmont Stakes?
If you are in New York you can bet at the track or at the OTB of course but you can also bet on the Belmont Stakes online.
Depending on where you reside, some local betting sites might be available but it is not the case for most players. We therefore recommend betting on reputable international sites such as those that we recommend on this page.
The international betting sites not only offer all the main bets that you would find at the racetrack but they also propose prop bets that give you more options if you have a good read on the race.
Importantly, the Belmont Stakes betting sites we recommend on this website all offer sizeable bonuses to new players, so you can get more value when you bet online with them.
What are the main features of a good Belmont Stakes betting sites?
We have reviewed dozens of options for players who want to bet on the Belmont Stakes and the websites listed on this page are the best in our view.
We paid tremendous attention to the history and reputability of the betting sites. This is because a betting site is only as good as its fairness and quickness to pay winnings. You need to gamble only with reputable betting sites and those we suggest here have all demonstrated a long history of good service.
Second: we have looked at the bonus offers that the sites offer to bet on the Belmont Stakes. The betting sites listed here and recommended for players looking to bet on the Belmont Stakes are those who are reputable and also offer great bonuses.
Third, we have rated the betting sites based on their ease of use and especially on mobile. We expect horse racing players to be on the go, at the OTB or in front of their TV, not their computer. The betting sites recommended here all offer a great Belmont Stakes mobile betting experience.