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The list of jockeys in the 2026 Belmont Stakes is an impressive one, as six of the nine count themselves as Belmont champions. Half of those six — John Velazquez (Commandment), Luis Saez (Powershift) and Irad Ortiz Jr. (Renegade) — have two Belmont victories under their belts. Each has a shot at the Belmont Stakes 2026 of becoming the 11th jockey to win The Third Jewel of the Triple Crown at least three times and get halfway to the record of six wins by James McLaughlin and Eddie Arcaro. Bet the Belmont Stakes with the TwinSpires promo code CBSSPORTS and get an exclusive $400 bonus, double the regular offer:
Ortiz will be aboard the favorite in Renegade (2-1) as the Kentucky Derby runner-up looks to place one spot better at The Run for the Carnations at 7:04 p.m. ET on Saturday. The 2026 Belmont Stakes odds have Chief Wallabee (3-1) and Golden Tempo (9-2) rounding out the top three, while Saez’ Powershift (12-1) is a longshot. Before making any 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, you’ll want to see the 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions from SportsLine’s Michelle Yu.
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young’s win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism’s win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman’s win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
Now, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes post positions set and odds on the board, Yu is sharing her 2026 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Chief Wallabee at 3-1, one of the premier Belmont Stakes 2026 contenders. The horse has one victory across four starts which came when he broke maiden back in January. Since then, he’s competed in three graded stakes races, placing second, third and fourth. History is against Chief Wallabee on Saturday as 11 of the last 12 Belmont champions all had a graded stakes victory prior, which is something Chief Wallabee does not possess.
Yu is someone who’s felt underwhelmed with Chief Wallabee over his career, and a worse finish in each successive race does not breed much confidence in the colt. “I feel like we are always making excuses for him,” Yu said of Chief Wallabee. “He has had a few opportunities to run a big one, but he might not quite measure up to the best of this crop.” See which other 2026 Belmont Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
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How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks
Instead, Yu’s top pick is a horse who should be “effective” regardless of the pace. She’s also high on a massive double-digit longshot who “should sit a lovely trip.” She’s sharing which 2026 Belmont Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Belmont Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Belmont Stakes, and find out.
