2020 Belmont Stakes Picks, Odds And Post Positions – April 2025
The eve of the 152nd edition of the Belmont Stakes comes under unusual circumstances, the least of which is racing in front of empty seats. Instead of concluding of the Triple Crown, the 2020 Belmont Stakes will commence horse racing’s most prestigious tests.
Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes have been pushed back and rearranged. Typically, the Triple Crown’s first shots are fired at the Kentucky Derby, followed by the Preakness and Belmont, respectively. In fact, the Triple Crown will run out of order for the first time since 1931.
- KY Derby Money Back Special
- Trusted Brand
- Legal in 32 States!
2020 Triple Crown Schedule and Dates
- Belmont Stakes, Elmont, New York – Saturday, June 20 at 3 p.m. ET
- Kentucky Derby, Louisville, Kentucky – Saturday, Sept. 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET
- Preakness Stakes, Baltimore, Maryland – Saturday, Oct. 3 4:30 p.m ET
Aside from the schedule changes, Belmont Stakes, known as the longest race of the three races, has been shortened from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/8 miles in 2020.
As New York Racing Association president and CEO Dave O’Rourke touched on in March, making the Belmont the first race of the three and shortening its distance makes the dynamics of the race a bit different.
“The way it fits in the calendar, it’s a completely different race than the traditional Belmont would be,” O’Rourke said.
Last year, horse racing wagers on the Belmont Stakes day exceeded $100 million, more than half of which was gambled on the Belmont Stakes race alone. Considering the current peculiarities, including sports bettors having very little to watch and gamble on in recent months, it’ll be interesting to see what the 2020 Belmont Stakes betting handle comes out to.
If you live in a state where you can legally bet on horse races, sign up at TVG and get up to a $300 risk-free bet for the Belmont. Even if you live in a state without legal horse racing betting, you can still get in on the action with FREE betting pools at DraftKings and FanDuel.
The 2020 Belmont Stakes can be seen on NBC with a post time around 5:42 p.m. ET Saturday. Now let’s take a look at the horses and odds.
2020 Belmont Stakes Post Positions, Trainers, Jockeys and Morning-Line Race Odds
1. Tap It To Win, Mark Casse, John Velazquez, 6/1
Trainer Mark Cassee looks to go back-to-back at the Belmont Stakes after winning with Sir Winston (15/1) in 2019. Doing so would make him the first trainer since 1996 to successfully defend his Belmont crown. Tap It To Win does have shorter odds than last year’s winner, so a title defense isn’t out of the question. The Colt also has two wins in two appearances this year, including a victory at Gulfstream Park in May and then a win in a 1 1/16-mile race here at Belmont in June. The No. 1 post position has won the Belmont Stakes a record 23 times.
2. Sole Volante, Patrick Biancone, Luca Panici, 9/2
Italian for “flying sun,” Sole Volante and jockey Luca Panici are picked to be favorite Tiz The Law’s biggest threat. Sole Volante is flying on a heater, staying on the board in all six of his outings, including a recent win at Gulfstream Park in June.
3. Max Player, Linda Rice, Joel Rosario, 15/1
Max Player’s owners must pay a double jockey’s fee after making a last-minute switch from Dylan Davis to Joel Rosario. The change came in pursuit of Rosario’s experience at the Belmont. Rosario jockeyed and won on Sir Winston last year. Will the switch be enough to get Max Player a solid finish?
4. Modernist, William Mott, Junior Alvarado, 15/1
Though you can’t blame the horse, it’s tough to root for trainer William Mott following his controversial objection in the most recent Kentucky Derby. But if you’re looking for reasonable underdog to bet on, Modernist might be the best choice.
5. Farmington Road, Todd Pletcher, Javier Castellano, 15/1
Pletcher and Castellano return to the Belmont with another horse battling 15-1 odds. Farmington Road has only one career victory and was last seen with a fourth-place finish at the Arkansas Derby. Conditioner Todd Pletcher is looking for his fourth Belmont Stakes victory, which would put him in esteemed company.
6. Fore Left, Doug O’Neill, Jose Ortiz, 30/1
While PGA Betting is back in action, we aren’t talking about a wild Phil Mickelson tee shot here. Fore Left hasn’t raced since February when the horse traveled to Dubai and won at the UAE 2000 Guineas. He has long odds but also a great rider in Jose Ortiz. Ortiz was named most outstanding jockey in 2017, but that’s unlikely to be enough to get Fore Left back on track after the long layoff.
7. Jungle Runner, Steve Asmussen, Reylu Gutierrez, 50/1
Jungle Runner has been putting in work at the Belmont since June. Reylu Gutierrez must be excited for his first Belmont Stakes start. It’s unfortunate that it is on a horse that lost its last two races by not 10, not 20, but a combined 40 lengths. That explains the 50-1 odds.
8. Tiz The Law, Barclay Tagg, Manny Franco, 6/5
Trainer Barclay Tagg and jockey Manny Franco look to lay down the law with Tiz The Law on Saturday. A strong favorite to win the first leg of the Triple Crown, Tiz The Law could be the odds-on favorite by Saturday’s 5:42 p.m. ET post time. Tiz The Law already has four victories in merely five career starts, including impressive wins at The Florida Derby and The Champagne Stakes, the latter taking place at this same venue. If Tiz The Law can close the deal, it’ll make history as the first horse bred in New York to win the Belmont since 1882. If you typically have an aversion to favorites, as I do, this might be the time to get over it.
9. Dr. Post, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 5/1
Pletcher’s second horse in this race, Dr. Post has little experience on the track. Still, in only three starts the doc did claim two victories, including one in April. Lined up next to the favorite, Dr. Post will try to keep up but Belmont’s distance might be too much.
10. Pneumatic, Steve Asmussen, Ricardo Santana Jr., 8-1
Pneumatic was on a two-race winning streak before tiring out in his last showing. The 2020 Belmont Stakes, even with its shorter-than-normal distance, is still too long for Pneumatic to pull off an upset.
- KY Derby Money Back Special
- Trusted Brand
- Legal in 32 States!
2020 Belmont Stakes Picks
1. Tiz The Law
Though betting favorites at the Belmont Stakes have won only three times in the last 15 years, I see no reason to get cute here.
2. Tap It To Win
Seems to have the best post position based on historical results. Tap It To Win definitely has the speed worthy of an upset pick.
3. Modernist
I’m between Sole Volante and Modernist with my third pick. Sole Volante is obviously the safer of the two but I’m going with the longer 15-1 odds.