Belmont Stakes Horse Betting For 2015

A very famous horse race, the Belmont Stakes is held each year between June 5th and June 11th, five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. Held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, the Belmont Stakes is the third and final race in what is known as Triple Crown series, a conglomeration of horse races made up of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the topic of this article, the illustrious Belmont Stakes. The most recent Belmont Stakes took place on Saturday June 7th, 2014.

As is common with prestigious American horse races, the Belmont has a long and full-storied history. The first Belmont Stakes race was held way way back in 1867, making it not only the last race of each year in the three Triple Crown events, but also historically the oldest of the races. The race has moved around a bit, having been held at different facilities in the early years until settling in at Belmont Park when it opened in 1905, and with the exception of 1963 to 1967, has been held there to this day.

Results of the 2014 Belmont Stakes Race

The 2014 Belmont stakes saw a very exciting finish, but the favorite of the nation did not pull out the victory. California Chrome was attempting to become the first horse since 1978 to win the vaunted Triple Crown. Adding a Belmont victory to the Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins was all that was needed, but the spirited California colt was outclassed by fresher horses. Tonalist surged at the last second at the wire, to win by a head over Commissioner. One length back in third was Medal Count, with all three of those horses passing on the Preakness Stakes and ensuring that they would be fresh and ready for the 146th Belmont Stakes. Ride on Curlin was one of the top pre-race favorites, but finished 87 lengths back in eleventh.

The Triple Crown

The Triple Crown races were held in varying orders until 1931 when the current order was established, and the Belmont cemented its place as the anchor event. With a distance of one and half miles, this race is a significant challenge for the three year old thoroughbreds that are allowed to enter. The distance of this race, and the difficulty of running three premier events in a five week span contributes significantly to the existence of only 11 Triple Crown winners.

There have been 29 horses eligible to win the Triple Crown, which is to win all three of the events mentioned above that make up the three event series. These eligible horses were entered in the Belmont after having won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. When this happens, there’s a particularly electric element of excitement in the air, and the horse bettors go wild, betting both that the eligible horse will, and will not successfully become a Triple Crown winner.

Betting on the Race As with all of the three events included in the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes race is only open for entry by horses born three years prior to the event. This large field of fresh horses presents many excellent betting opportunities to both new and experienced horse bettors alike. The winners of the Derby and Preakness, if entered in the Belmont, are nearly always considered to be favorites in the betting lines; and more often than not, actually about 2/3 of the time, the favorite does place. However, given the number of Triple Crown winners in history it’s easy to see that even though these winners are favorites, it’s rare for them to win the Belmont as well.

That in itself gives betters a lot to think about. Add that to all of the usual horse handicapping knowledge that can come into play and the amount of excitement that the race garners is really no surprise.

Gambling and horse racing have been linked together since the very beginning of the sport. In fact, actually, without the betting, and all of the intense excitement generated by the hobby, there’s likely to be no horse racing.

Betting Prohibition of 1911 and 1912

This happened to the Belmont in 1911 and 1912 when the state of New York outlawed gambling and the race was cancelled. Gambling in early events was provided through a bookmaker that would set odds and back all bets made. This is the way sports betting in Las Vegas works today. In 1908, a new form of wagering was introduced that essentially saved the horse racing industry. Known as pari-mutuel betting, it is the form of wagering still used today.

With a pari-mutuel betting setup, all bets are collected together into a common pool. The odds change constantly while bets are made, and the final odds are calculated when the betting windows close. The odds for a horse to win are essentially calculated as a percentage of money wagered on that horse, compared to the total money wagered in the race. The organizations that run the race and provide betting platforms take a percentage of the total prize pool as the house take, and all other monies are returned to the bettors through the winning tickets.

Betting on the Triple Crown Winner

For years where there is a Triple Crown contender in the field of the Belmont, betting and attendance can get especially elevated. The opportunities of paring a strong, proven horse, with other great horses that have long odds, will produce big ticket payouts if they win. The last winner of the Triple Crown was affirmed in 1978. Secretariat set the track record in 1973 while winning the race, and Triple Crown, by a record 31 lengths. In 2004, Smarty Jones finished second in the race, just missing the Triple Crown and drawing the largest attendance and television viewership on record to the Belmont. Learn how to legally bet on Triple Crown.

How To Legally Bet On Belmont Stakes Race

One of the best parts of betting on horse racing is that it is completely legal to do so, either in person at the track, at an off track betting facility or through an online gambling site. Sites, such as Bovada, offer the convenience of placing your bets from home without fighting the crowds at the track. Another significant benefit to the online horse bettor is found in the rebates offered by the site. Customers receive three to five percent cash back for all Racebook play every Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. ET. To sign up, simply go to Bovada Horse Racing and click on the "Join Now" link on the top right corner of the page. After submitting your information through a simple form, you can make a real money deposit into your Bovada horse betting account for live betting.

The site also offers racing forms and betting guides to assist a horse bettor with pre-bet analysis. Being the premier horse races in America, the Triple Crown and Belmont Stakes have sections totally devoted them on the site. Gambling on the Belmont offers many unique opportunities for the casual bettor and professional alike.

Top Websites Offering Legal Belmont Stakes Horse Betting Action

Past 5 Winners Of Belmont Stakes Horse Race

2014 - Tonalist

2013 - Palace Malice

2012 - Union Rags

2011 - Ruler On Ice

2010 - Drosselmeyer

2009 - Summer Bird

Belmont Stakes Race Schedule 2014 Dates

The Belmont Stakes horse race will take place on Saturday June 7th, 2014 with races starting late morning and the actual Belmont race beginning around 6:30. We will have entries and free picks as we move closer to that date.

Resources

Belmont Stakes Official Website: http://www.belmontstakes.com/