2026 Belmont Stakes Contenders & Odds
158th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga | June 6
The 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7. Highlighted by the 158th edition of Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6, the 2026 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will include 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes across five days of world class competition.
With a new and re-imagined Belmont Park to open for live racing on September 18, 2026, the Belmont Stakes will return to its Long Island Home beginning in 2027.
Belmont Stakes Pre-Draw News
Golden Tempo skipping Preakness, will target Belmont Stakes
May 6 - Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (Curlin) will bypass the Preakness Stakes.
The news was announced Wednesday by the colt's trainer, Cherie DeVaux.
The statement reads: "After much thoughtful discussion as a team, we have decided that Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes. We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run. The enthusiasm from racing fans, our owners, and our entire team has meant more to us than we can properly express. Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness, and long-term future will always remain our top priority. We are looking forward to pointing him toward the Belmont Stakes and are excited for what lies ahead with this very special horse. Thank you again to everyone who has supported and believed in this journey alongside us."
This is the second straight year in which the Kentucky Derby winner has not gone on towards the Preakness after Sovereignty (Into Mischief) opted to skip it last year en route to a Horse of the Year campaign.
Rich Strike (Keen Ice) also skipped the Preakness in 2022.
2026 Belmont Stakes Info
Use the links below to learn more about the third leg of the `Triple Crown of Horse Racing'
- 2026 Belmont Stakes Contenders - List of the 2026 Belmont Stakes contenders.
- Belmont Stakes Past Winners - Listing of previous Belmont Stakes winners from 1867 until present.
- 2025 Belmont Stakes Video Replay - Sovereignty Wins Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
- Belmont Stakes History - Notable Moments In Belmont Stakes History.
- Belmont Stakes Traditions - Listing of the long lasting honored traditions of the Belmont Stakes.
- Belmont Park - is the annual host racetrack of the Belmont Stakes.
- Belmont Stakes Song Lyrics - Lyrics for New York, New York sung by Frank Sinatra
- Betting the Belmont Stakes - There are several concepts unique to the race that have to be taken into account when handicapping the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.
- Horse Betting News - Get up-to-date (Horse Racing News RSS Feeds) for the Belmont Stakes.
OffTrackBetting.com - US Legal Belmont Stakes OTB is a quick and easy way to bet the Belmont Stakes from home. Available to customers across the United States, OTB allows horseplayers to watch and wager on racing from tracks around the world at any time form their desktop computers or mobile phone.
