2019 Belmont Stakes Odds & Betting Trends
An expected 10-horse field will run in the 151st Belmont Stakes this weekend, with neither winner from the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes listed as the favorite.
The Derby winner, Country House, isn’t in this weekend’s field, but Preakness winner War of Will is. In fact, War of Will is the only horse that will run in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year.
On the latest Belmont Stakes futures at Bovada Sportsbook, War of Will is listed at +225, behind race favorite Tacitus at +200.
Tacitus skipped the Preakness after placing third in the Derby. Before the Derby, he had won back-to-back races, with wins in the Wood Memorial and the Tampa Bay Derby. Those wins both came in Grade 2 races and he faced only one horse that will also be racing this weekend.
Preakness winner War of Will second in Belmont odds
War of Will was well back in the Derby, finishing seventh behind Tacitus, before breaking through with a win in the Preakness as a +350 underdog. In his other three starts this season, War of Will placed ninth in the Louisiana Derby and won the Risen Star Stakes and the Lecomte Stakes.
Following Tacitus and War of Will on the Belmont odds are Master Fencer at +700 and Intrepid Heart at +800.
Master Fencer trying to make history
Master Fencer finished sixth in the Derby in his North American debut. Sired in Japan and trained by Koichi Tsunoda, Master Fencer will attempt to become the first horse from Japan to win an American Triple Crown race.
Intrepid Heart is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has previously sent three horses to the winner’s circle in the Belmont. The last winner for Pletcher was Tapwrit in 2017 as a +600 underdog. Intrepid Heart did not race in the Derby or the Preakness and finished third in his last race, the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes.
Pletcher also has Spinoff in this weekend’s field as a +1200 underdog. He raced in the Derby and finished well back in 18th place.
Everfast, Bourbon War also ran in Preakness
Other than War of Will, only two horses that ran in the Preakness are returning for the Belmont. They are Everfast and Bourbon War. Everfast finished second and is listed at +1000 in the Belmont, while Bourbon War was eighth and is also receiving +1000 odds.