Monmouth Cup Picks – Horse Racing Odds, Betting Preview, and Predictions (Jul 18)
- When: Saturday, July 18, 2026 @ 1:22 PM ET
- Where: Monmouth Park, New Jersey
- How to Watch: FanDuel TV, Peacock
The first of the graded races on a big day of horse racing action at Monmouth Park comes in the form of the G3 Monmouth Cup Stakes. This race is run over 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, and a purse of $350,000 will be up for grabs. Find our picks here.
Monmouth Cup Odds
| Horse (Draw) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Money Game (1) | |
| Kinetic (2) | |
| Alexander Helios (3) | |
| Knightsbridge (4) | |
| Skippylongstocking (5) | |
| Sergeant Capps (6) |
Latest odds taken from an Offshore Sportsbook. BetOnline markets open on the day of the race.
Race Information & Records
| Stat | Information |
|---|---|
| Race Distance | 1 1/8 Miles |
| Purse | $350,000 |
| Most Successful Trainer | Todd Pletcher (5) |
| Most Successful Jockey | Angel Cordero Jr, John Velazquez (4) |
ALSO SEE: Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Finals Betting Preview, Odds, Predictions (Jul 19)
Monmouth Cup: Recent Winners
- 2025– Surface to Air (Samuel Marin/Panagiotis Synnefias)
- 2024– Tapit Trice (Irad Ortiz/Todd Pletcher)
- 2023– Proxy (Joel Rosario/Michael Stidham)
- 2022– Highly Motivated (Flavien Prat/Chad Brown)
- 2021– Dr Post (Joel Rosario/Todd Pletcher)
Monmouth Cup: Betting Preview
A busy afternoon of high-quality stakes races at Monmouth Park gets underway with the G3 Monmouth Cup on Saturday. There have been some smart winners of this race in recent years, including Tapit Trice, Proxy, and Pants On Fire.
The experienced Skippylongstocking will be a likely contender after previously winning the G1 Pegasus World Cup and G3 Essex Handicap this season. Likely found the distance too short in the G2 Alysheba Stakes last time, so this step back up in trip is a notable plus.
Alexander Helios makes his long-awaited return to the track for the same connections. However, the six-year-old could act as a pacemaker for his stablemate. Sergeant Capps will also look to make the pace, but the wide draw isn’t ideal for his chances.
Kinetic will make his stable debut for Ilkay Kantarmaci after leaving the Brad Cox yard. Has previously failed to fire in three stakes starts, and was a disappointing sixth in an allowance race in late May. Up against it on these terms.
Money Game is a hugely progressive runner for Brad Cox this weekend, having won on all four starts under rules. Was striking on his return to action in March when winning an allowance race at Fair Grounds. Could be a lot more to come from this son of Candy Ride.
Knightsbridge rounds off the field for William Mott. The five-year-old was a distant second behind Nysos in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap last time, but he has already won the G3 Fred Hooper and the G3 Gulfstream Park Mile. Distance is the biggest question, as he is yet to prove his ability in graded company over further than a mile.
Monmouth Cup Picks
While Knightsbridge is interesting this weekend, Skippylongstocking looks like the safest play. The seven-year-old has looked better than ever this season, and he will have the benefit of a strong pace to run at on Saturday. Proven over further, and that will see him outstay the Mott horse.
Free Pick:
