2026 Belmont Stakes horses, odds, date: Picks by expert ...
Jody Demling, who has called four of the last eight Belmont winners, reveals his 2026 Belmont Stakes picks and horse racing predictions
www.cbssports.comHere’s the latest you can act on right now about the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
Direct answer
- The Belmont Stakes Festival was planned to be held at Saratoga Race Course in June 2026, with the race on June 6, 2026, due to ongoing construction at Belmont Park. This marked the third consecutive year the race was staged at Saratoga while Belmont Park underwent a major redevelopment. The race distance for 2026 was 1 1/4 miles, consistent with the Belmont Stakes at this alternate venue.[1][2]
Key details and what to watch
- Venue and schedule: 2026 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival; post time and full day schedule typically released by NYRA closer to race day.[2][5][1]
- Contenders and odds: Early contenders included Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo and other top finishers from major preps; odds and field firming up in the weeks leading to race day, with official entries and post positions announced around June 1.[4][9]
- Context on Belmont Park reopening: Belmont Park’s reimagined facilities were targeted to open later in 2026, with the Saratoga stop serving as the Belmont Stakes’ stage for that year.[2]
What I can do next
- If you want, I can pull the latest official field, post positions, and odds as of today and summarize the top contenders, along with a quick probabilistic outlook based on recent workouts and trainer quotes.
- I can also fetch and present a concise, cited timeline of the Belmont Stakes Festival events at Saratoga for 2026.