Horse Racing Odds – 2021 Belmont Stakes Longshots

The third jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown takes place Saturday with a field of eight horses set to take their shot in the Belmont Stakes. Opening odds for the 153rd edition suggest a wide-open field, which in turn can lead to an upset special. The number of longshots is diminished by the small field, but like we saw in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, anything can happen. The field is the smallest in six years and for the first time since 2010 no horse will compete in all three Triple Crown races. What does that mean? Well, who knows, but having the race back in its original time slot is something to be happy about.  Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600).

With five wins in six career starts, including a pair of G1 triumphs, Essential Quality is the deserving favorite. He topped the odds board in the Kentucky Derby and finished fourth. Five of the eight thoroughbreds set to run have odds shorter than 6/1, which means there are just three longshots on the board. The longest shot is France Go de Ina with opening odds of +3300. He pushed the pace early in the Preakness before fading to a seventh-place finish. Let’s take a closer look at a few longshots who could emerge victorious on Saturday.

2021 Belmont Stakes
Date and Time: Saturday, June 5, 2021, 6:49 p.m. ET
Location: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Length: 1 1/2 miles, dirt track
Belmont Stakes TV Coverage: NBC

The biggest X-factor in the Belmont Stakes is the distance. At 1 ½ miles it’s a grueling test of endurance, I guess that’s why they call the race The Test of the Champion; that and being run on the Champion Track at Belmont Park. Either way it’s a distance none of the horses have run before and probably will never again.

For betting purposes the field is broken down into two levels. Five of the eight competitors are listed with shorter than 6/1 odds while the other three would definitely qualify as longshots. Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer closed at 12/1 winning the race by nearly four lengths. Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby by a half-length closing as a 15/1 longshot. There are no horses in that price range in the Belmont Stakes. It’s not like we haven’t seen upsets in this race giving longshots some hope. In 2002 Sarava was +7000 and Da’Tara triumphed in 2008 as a 38/1 longshot. Below is a list of the current odds with the longshots listed first.

Longshot Odds to win 2021 Preakness Stakes

France Go de Ina +3300
Overtook +2500
Bourbonic +2200
Rock Your World +575
Known Agenda +575
Hot Rod Charlie +400
Rombauer +350
Essential Quality +210

There’s always an appeal with longshots in any sport since everyone loves an underdog. And rolling around in your winnings after nailing that pick is a vision we all have when betting the ponies. Oddsmakers and handicappers usually get it right though, that’s why they do what they do. And there is plenty of money involved so they better get it right. They don’t always and that’s the beauty of gambling. Here are a few horses that can upset the oddsmakers and make you some coin in the process.

If you’re not the favorite you’re an underdog, so technically speaking Rombauer (+350) and Hot Rod Charlie (+400) are longshots. But a true longshot is one that has a very slim chance of winning. That distinction falls to France Go de Ina in the Belmont Stakes. Since he is racing there’s always a chance, as slim as it might be. There is added incentive for the colt, who went off at 24/1 in the Preakness and finished seventh. The New York Racing Association is offering a $1 million bonus for any Japan-based horse to win this race. That’s a nice chunk of change for handlers. However, he hasn’t finished better than fourth in any of his last three races and his performance in the Preakness doesn’t inspire confidence.

Overtook has a better chance of pulling off the upset. He’s a highly regarded horse with great breeding and gets his first crack at a Triple Crown race. He’s looking to follow in the footsteps of Sir Winston, who ran in the Peter Pan Stakes as a tuneup before toppling the field in the 2019 Belmont Stakes. Overtook place third in that G3 race and ran second in the G3 Withers. His lack of experience could be a drawback, but otherwise he has potential.

The third longshot on the board is Bourbonic. He pulled off an upset in the G2 Wood Memorial at 72/1, his fourth win in five races. However, he plummeted back to earth at the Kentucky Derby finishing 13th. Three horses in the field beat him in the Kentucky Derby, so there is work to do. But the smaller field should play to his advantage and trainer Todd Pletcher said the distance isn’t a problem. He will have to improve enough to beat the horses that finished ahead of him in Louisville, though.

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com