Best Long Shot Horses to Bet at 2019 Belmont Stakes
- The Belmont Stakes will be run at 6:37 PM EST Saturday
- Favorites Tacitus and War of Will are vulnerable
- Longshots are worth a serious look in your handicapping
For the first time in years, the Kentucky Derby was won by a longshot. Sure, there was controversy, but you still made over $100 on a $2 bet if you had Country House.
Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, is pretty open. Tacitus is likely to be the favorite at post time, but he wasn’t great in Louisville. Preakness-champ War of Will is trying to win his second race in five weeks, a tough task even for the best of the best.
Looking at our handy Belmont Stakes odds tracker you can see how the prices have fluctuated. Now, let’s find a live longshot … or three.
2019 Belmont Stakes Odds
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Master Fencer | +700 |
*Odds taken 06/07/19
Master Fencer
Often times the biggest problem for horses globetrotting is that it takes time to get acclimated to new surroundings. Master Fencer ran in the Kentucky Derby after his first six races took place in Japan. He handled Churchill Downs well, finishing seventh and moving up to sixth when Maximum Security was disqualified. Despite veering out at the start, he calmed down, and made a strong run down the stretch.
Master Fencer’s races in Japan are hard to handicap. He won two of six starts, finishing fourth and second in two stakes races. In all of his races he does his best running in the lane, and the long stretch at Belmont Park should be perfect for that style.
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bourbon War | +800 |
*Odds taken 06/07/19
Bourbon War
He was bet heavily as a sharp newcomer to the Preakness field after not running in the Kentucky Derby. It didn’t go well. Bourbon War finished eighth, but went wide on the first turn, and now trainer Mark Hennig is taking blinkers off.
That likely means he will save energy and try to make a big push as they turn for home. If he can get strategic racing room, Belmont Park has the longest stretch in horse racing, and Bourbon War is angling to chase the field down.
Prior to the Preakness, Bourbon War finished a competitive fourth behind Maximum Security in a good field at the Florida Derby. He lost by less than a length against Code of Honor in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Intrepid Heart | +800 |
*Odds taken 06/07/19
Intrepid Heart
There is an argument to be made that this year’s Kentucky Derby horses just weren’t very good. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won the two most recent Triple Crowns, had three of the favorites, and all ran poorly. That leads to the question if maybe a newcomer, a late bloomer, is well positioned for success at the Belmont.
Intrepid Heart’s first career race took place this February. He won impressively against maidens. Then in early April he beat optional claiming horses. In last month’s Peter Pan Stakes he stumbled at the beginning, then was bumped, and later ran wide. He still finished third. New York based trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Belmont Stakes three times. There are worse options out there.
Dave Friedman has covered professional and college sports for two decades. From ESPN to the Associated Press, Regional Sports Networks, Metro Networks, and many local outlets, he has written about and broadcast major and minor events throughout the country.
