The second leg of the iconic ‘Triple Crown’ in US horse racing, the Belmont Stakes, was first run on June 19th, 1867.
This Grade 1 stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbreds is now run each summer at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, with the 2024 iteration scheduled for Saturday, 8th June. However, it should be noted that this year’s race will be held at the Saratoga Racecourse due to ongoing renovations at Belmont Park.
Which runners have won the most recent iterations of this race, and what key insights can we draw from the last ten renewals of the Belmont Stakes?
A Brief History of the Belmont Stakes
The first Belmont Stakes was held at the Jerome Park Racetrack on June 19th, 1867. This venue had only been built the previous year by stock market speculator Leonard Jerome and financier August Belmont Sr.
‘Ruthless’ won the first iteration of the race, with ‘General Duke’ prevailing in 1868. The Belmont Stakes were held at the same track until 1890, when they moved to the Morris Park Racecourse in Westchester County, New York.
While the vague laws surrounding bookmaking almost prevented the Big Apple from hosting the race in 1895, it remained in the state and eventually moved to the purpose-built Belmont Park in Elmont in 1905. While further legal issues saw the race cancelled in 1911 and 1912, it has been contested at Belmont Park every year since.
Of course, this trend will be bucked in 2024, with Saratoga Racecourse awarded hosting duties due to the extensive construction and renovation works being carried out at Belmont Park.
The term ‘Triple Crown’ was first coined in 1930, when Gallant Fox won the Belmont Stakes, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. By 1935 (when Gallant Fox’s son Omaha repeated the feat), the term had entered widespread use and winning the Triple Crown is now considered one of the sport’s best achievements.
Previous Winners of the Belmont Stakes
Like the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes is only open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. This means that no single runner has ever won consecutive iterations of the race, so it can be slightly harder to draw accurate latest betting insights from previous events.
However, two jockeys have earned the distinction of winning six Belmont Stakes: Jim McLaughlin (between 1882 and 1888) and Eddie Arcaro (between 1941 and 1955).
Since the turn of the century, Todd A. Pletcher has been the event’s most successful trainer, fielding four winners in 2007, 2013, 2017 and most recently in 2022. However, he has some way to go to catch the great James G. Rowe Sr., who trained an astonishing eight Belmont Stakes winners between 1883 and 1913.
It’s interesting to note that Pletcher has trained one of the three fillies to win the Belmont Stakes (Rags to Riches in 2007) from 24 historic entries. This means that fillies also have a 13%-win rate when they’re entered, so it’s important to keep this in mind when picking your 2024 victor. Here’s a summary of the most recent race winners:
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
| 2023 | Arcangelo | Javier Castellano | Jena M. Antonucci | 2:29:23 |
| 2022 | Mo Donegal | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | 2:28:28 |
| 2021 | Essential Quality | Luis Saez | Brad H. Cox | 2:27:11 |
| 2020 | Tiz the Law | Manny Franco | Barclay Tagg | 1:46:53* |
| 2019 | Sir Winston | Joel Rosario | Mark E. Casse | 2:28:30 |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert | 2:28:18 |
| 2017 | Tapwrit | Jose Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | 2:30:02 |
| 2016 | Creator | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Steven M. Asmussen | 2:28:51 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 2:26:65 |
| 2014 | Tonalist | Joel Rosario | Christophe Clement | 2:28:52 |
*The race was run over 1-1/8 miles instead of 1 ½ miles
Key Betting Insights Ahead of the 2024 Race
Here at talkSPORT BET, we have yet to publish our odds for the 2024 renewal of the Belmont Stakes. The starting field has yet to be confirmed too, but it remains possible to draw key betting insights from the most recent races and historic performances. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:
- Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert are the Dominant Trainers: Not only has trainer Todd Pletcher produced four Belmont Stakes winners since 2007, but two of these have come in the last 10 iterations. The brilliant Bob Baffert (who has 17 career Triple Crown wins to his name) also won with American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018, so they’ve claimed four of the last nine Belmont Stakes between them. Since 2014, these two trainers have fielded 25 Belmont Stakes runners, claiming a combined four wins and 11 placed finishes.
- Backing Regular Starters Over the Distance: In terms of trend factors, eight of the last 10 Belmont Stakes winners had run over at least one mile and one furlong during their previous outing. The same number had also made between three and seven career starts prior to the Belmont Stakes and won within their last three races. You should also give priority to horses that have performed frequently in G1 races, as no recent runner has triumphed in the Belmont Stakes having won in a Grade 2 event last time out.
- Should You Back the Starting Favourite?: During the previous 10 Belmont Stakes renewals, a total of five favourites have emerged victorious. Interestingly, only once has the starting favourite placed outside the top four, which is a telling insight from the perspective of each-way betting. The highest-priced winner since 2014 was Steve Asmussen’s ‘Creator’ in 2016, with the colt powering to success despite a prohibitive starting price of 164/10. This was the race that also saw the favourite finish 11th, so it’s a clear anomaly in an event where fancied runners typically do well.
Plenty of betting insights may inform your 2024 picks, and you can rest assured that talkSPORT BET will provide highly competitive ante-post odds for you to choose from. The key is to always gamble responsibly, and our Safer Gambling Portal can be used to help you bet within your means online.
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