What Is the ‘Belmont Stakes’ in Sports?
It’s the name of a specific, world-famous horse race.
When you see “Belmont Stakes” on a betting app, it’s just the event you’re betting on. It’s one of the biggest betting days of the year for horse racing, held every June in New York.
Why It’s a Big Deal
The Belmont Stakes is the third and final leg of the legendary American Triple Crown, which also includes:
- The Kentucky Derby (the first race)
- The Preakness Stakes (the second race)
- The Belmont Stakes (the final race)
This is what makes it so exciting. If a horse wins both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, then everyone tunes in to the Belmont to see if that horse can win the third and final race to capture the elusive Triple Crown.
It’s nicknamed “The Test of the Champion” because, at 1.5 miles, it’s the longest of the three races, testing the horse’s ultimate stamina.
What Betting on the Belmont Stakes Looks Like
When you go to the “Belmont Stakes” section of a sportsbook, you’ll see a menu of all the different ways you can bet on that one race. The most popular bets are:
- Straight Bets (The Basics):
- Win: You’re betting on your horse to finish 1st.
- Place: You’re betting on your horse to finish 1st or 2nd.
- Show: You’re betting on your horse to finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
- Across the Board: A three-in-one bet that covers all of the above (Win, Place, AND Show).
- Exotic Bets (For Bigger Payouts):
- Exacta: You pick the horses that will finish 1st and 2nd in the exact order.
- Trifecta: You pick the horses that will finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the exact order.
- Superfecta: You pick the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers in the exact order.