2024 Belmont Stakes Contenders
by TVG Staff
Last Updated: June 7, 2024
The Triple Crown trail started last September at Churchill Downs and it all comes down to this: the Belmont Stakes, the third and final jewel of the Triple Crown, Saturday, June 8. The purse has been raised to $2 million, up from the $1.5 million in the 2023 running. With that, the iconic blanket of carnations, and a place in Triple Crown history on the line, it is no wonder that 10 of the classiest sophomore dirt horses in the country are lining up for the race.
Other than the purse increase, two other major changes in 2024 include the location and distance of the race. While major construction continues at Belmont Park, the Belmont Stakes racing festival will be run at Saratoga. Due to the different track configuration at Saratoga compared to Belmont, the race will only cover 1 ¼ miles and not the customary 1 ½ miles. Even over the shorter distance, though, the race will be enough of a test of stamina to befit its nickname as the test of the champion.
The race is a handicapping puzzle like no other. Picking a winner requires knowing the horses’ form, running styles, and distance pedigrees. It will also be worth it to look up how jockeys perform at Saratoga – after all, many of the top jockeys in the world ride there during the summer, and many will return for this Triple Crown race. Such a competitive race, however, can lead to excellent prices at the betting windows. So, this is the perfect time to get to know the Belmont Stakes contenders and get ready to place your bets!
Belmont Stakes Horse Odds and Entries
The field for the 2024 Belmont Stakes was drawn on Monday, June 3, the day after entries were taken. The field is as deep and exciting as any of the three-year-old races so far this year. Both winners of the previous Triple Crown races are lining up in the starting gate: Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey. The favorite for the Belmont Stakes is a different horse from the Kentucky Derby: Sierra Leone, who was second beaten by only a nose in the run for the roses.
The field also features some new faces to the Triple Crown trail. Mindframe makes his stakes debut in the Belmont, but trainer Todd Pletcher has won this race four times and knows how to get a horse ready. Other interesting new faces include Peter Pan (G3) winner Antiquarian, another from the Pletcher shedrow, as well as the consistent placegetter The Wine Steward.
These are the runners in the 2024 Belmont Stakes including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each horse:
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seize the Grey | D. Wayne Lukas | Jaime Torres | 8-1 |
| 2 | Resilience | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 10-1 |
| 3 | Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 5-1 |
| 4 | The Wine Steward | Mike Maker | Manny Franco | 15-1 |
| 5 | Antiquarian | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 12-1 |
| 6 | Dornoch | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez | 15-1 |
| 7 | Protective | Todd Pletcher | Tyler Gaffalione | 20-1 |
| 8 | Honor Marie | Whit Beckman | Florent Geroux | 12-1 |
| 9 | Sierra Leone | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 9-5 |
| 10 | Mindframe | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 7-2 |
Belmont Contenders and Horse Profiles
The 2024 Belmont Stakes has been drawn. These are the 10 contenders, ordered by their post positions:
Post 1 - Seize the Grey (Arrogate x Smart Shopping - Smart Strike) - 8-1
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Jaime Torres
On paper, his pedigree always read for distance, but on the track, he was very much looking like a miler, especially after winning the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby day. However, whether it’s a blooming ability to stay or just a nice pace setup in the slop, Seize the Grey led them on a merry chase to seize the Woodlawn Vase at Pimlico. The pace may be a bit tougher in the Belmont depending on who draws in, but he is in good form, and D. Wayne Lukas is never shy to run horses when they’re doing well. He also has proven form at Saratoga, breaking his maiden there over a debuting Dornoch last summer.
Pros: His form is red-hot, and his pedigree is all distance, at least on paper. He has tactical speed, and he is a local winner.
Cons: He still has to prove that he actually wants ten furlongs, and the pace situation may be more demanding than it was in the Preakness.
Post 2 - Resilience (Into Mischief x Meadowsweet - Smart Strike) - 10-1
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Instead of sending the inexperienced Batten Down to the Belmont, Mott instead sends the more experienced Resilience into the fray. Resilience took four starts to break his maiden, but then ran a credible third behind Sierra Leone in the Risen Star (G2) before stepping up to win the Wood Memorial (G2). He made a menacing early bid in the Kentucky Derby, looming on the far turn, before flattening to sixth, 7 ¾ lengths behind Mystik Dan. He has yet to prove he can stay the 1 ¼ miles, and his pedigree offers mixed signals about whether he wants to go that long: his dam is a Smart Strike half-sister to After Market, a Grade 1 winner at 1 ¼ miles on turf, though there are also a lot of milers in the family. He also debuted poorly at Saratoga, though there are excuses: it was his debut, he had some late trouble, and he was running against horses like Locked and Drum Roll Please.
Pros: He can improve third off the lay, and he can improve off of a suboptimal trip in the Kentucky Derby.
Cons: His pedigree is a mixed bag for the distance, and his one race at Saratoga as a juvenile was poor.
Post 3 - Mystik Dan (Goldencents x Ma’am - Colonel John) - 5-1
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Mystik Dan bounced back from a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G1) to win the Kentucky Derby. He then ran an extremely credible second in the Preakness Stakes behind a pace-advantaged Seize the Grey. The Preakness winner will not have that same kind of pace advantage in this race with several other speed horses likely to face the starter. A Kentucky Derby-like trip is possible to be the winning one once again, and he showed in the Derby that 1 ¼ miles was not beyond his ability.
Pros: He won the Kentucky Derby at this distance and should get the right pace setup if most of the speedy possibles go in the race.
Cons: He will be one of the shorter prices in the field.
Post 4 - The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso x Call to Service - To Honor and Serve) - 15-1
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Manuel Franco
This New York-bred is consistent, never worse than second in six starts. Previously a bridesmaid in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Lexington (G3), and Peter Pan (G3), he still needs to put it together at the graded level but he has been able to run good horses like Locked, Encino, and Antiquarian to close finishes this year. He has a solid distance pedigree on both sides, and his sire The Wine Steward won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 ¼ miles, giving him some upside to finish in the money.
Pros: He is a consistent horse with tactical speed and a classy route pedigree. He is also relatively fresh, having skipped the Derby trail.
Cons: He has yet to win at the graded-stakes level and has not faced horses of this class yet this year.
Post 5: Antiquarian (Preservationist x Lifetime Memory - Istan) - 12-1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
He made his stakes breakthrough in the Peter Pan (G3) in stalk-and-pounce fashion, bouncing back well after a sixth-place try in the Louisiana Derby (G2) back in March. He broke through the gate before that race in Louisiana as well. The fact that Todd Pletcher trains him is a plus, since Pletcher has won four editions of the Belmont Stakes. Sire Preservationist was a Grade 2 winner at 1 ¼ miles, and there is enough stamina on the dam’s side as well to make the stretch out worth a try.
Pros: The stalking style can help him get a trip, and he is trained by Belmont ace Todd Pletcher. The Peter Pan also produced 2023 Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo.
Cons: He has yet to face Grade 1 company before, and his behavior before the Louisiana Derby suggests he may still have some mental coming-along to do.
Post 6: Dornoch (Good Magic x Puca - Big Brown) - 15-1
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Luis Saez
A full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Dornoch was a well-beaten tenth in the Run for the Roses after a rough start kept him away from the lead. A clean start should get him a better trip on the pace, but it won’t be an easy run if some of the other possible runners who also have speed—most namely Fierceness and Seize the Grey—actually do enter the race. He should have no trouble handling Saratoga; on debut, he finished a credible second behind Seize the Grey in a maiden race last year.
Pros: He is bred to get this distance, and he also ran well over the course last year.
Cons: He needs the lead, and will not likely get a soft trip on the pace.
Post 7 - Protective (Medaglia d’Oro x Grace Hall - Empire Maker) - 20-1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Protective, the third-stringer from the Todd Pletcher barn, is still a maiden. However, he has some stakes experience: he was third in the Wood Memorial and then third again in the Peter Pan. He never looked a winner in either of those races, but he ran credible thirds with two different running styles. He rallied from well off the pace in the Wood, while he sat closer up in the Peter Pan. His pedigree is interesting for the stretch out to 1 ¼ miles, and his recent speed figures are competitive, giving him some exotics upside.
Pros: He is versatile from a pace perspective, his trainer is strong in the Belmont, and he has an interesting pedigree for the trip.
Cons: He has yet to win any race, much less a stakes race, and the waters are only getting deeper in this classic.
Post 8: Honor Marie (Honor Code x Dame Marie - Smart Strike) - 12-1
Trainer: Whit Beckman
Jockey: Florent Geroux
The Kentucky Derby started poorly for him, as he was bumped between horses and also steadied into the first turn. He eventually advanced from dead last into midfield, but leveled out to maintain eighth place down the lane. He will need to improve off of that to be a factor in the Belmont, but also had enough trouble early that this may not be a fair and accurate representation of his ability to handle a mile and a quarter.
Pros: He comes off a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby and he may get a sharp pace to close into on Belmont day.
Cons: He has yet to prove himself at a mile and a quarter, and was losing ground on the leaders late in the Kentucky Derby.
Post 9 - Sierra Leone (Gun Runner x Heavenly Love - Malibu Moon) - 9-5
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
If it weren’t for Dornoch’s nose in the Remsen (G2) and Mystik Dan’s nose in the Kentucky Derby, he would be perfect in five starts. That’s a big deal, especially for a late runner, suggesting he is less likely to be pace-compromised than others who share his running style. He has run well in every single start, including an ultra-impressive victory in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, and he has shown the ability to launch his run fairly early and just keep running on.
Pros: He has mile-and-a-quarter stamina, he can take his race to multiple tracks, and he has the stamina to make a truly long and sustained rally.
Cons: The price will be short in a competitive race.
Post 10 - Mindframe (Constitution x Walk of Stars - Street Sense) - 7-2
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
In two starts Mindframe has been impressive: he won a seven-furlong maiden special weight by 13 ¾ lengths on the Florida Derby undercard and wired a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the Kentucky Derby undercard. That shows he has talent, and shows he can either set the pace or pass horses and run a winning race. Of course, if he steps up to the Triple Crown series he will face a serious class test. But, between the Todd Pletcher factor and a solid pedigree for stretching out, he is an interesting new face.
Pros: He is trained by Todd Pletcher, he has tactical speed, and he has won both of his races impressively enough to try tough company.
Cons: He would be making just his third career start, and he has yet to face stakes horses.
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Last Updated: June 7, 2024
The Triple Crown trail started last September at Churchill Downs and it all comes down to this: the Belmont Stakes, the third and final jewel of the Triple Crown, Saturday, June 8. The purse has been raised to $2 million, up from the $1.5 million in the 2023 running. With that, the iconic blanket of carnations, and a place in Triple Crown history on the line, it is no wonder that 10 of the classiest sophomore dirt horses in the country are lining up for the race.
Other than the purse increase, two other major changes in 2024 include the location and distance of the race. While major construction continues at Belmont Park, the Belmont Stakes racing festival will be run at Saratoga. Due to the different track configuration at Saratoga compared to Belmont, the race will only cover 1 ¼ miles and not the customary 1 ½ miles. Even over the shorter distance, though, the race will be enough of a test of stamina to befit its nickname as the test of the champion.
The race is a handicapping puzzle like no other. Picking a winner requires knowing the horses’ form, running styles, and distance pedigrees. It will also be worth it to look up how jockeys perform at Saratoga – after all, many of the top jockeys in the world ride there during the summer, and many will return for this Triple Crown race. Such a competitive race, however, can lead to excellent prices at the betting windows. So, this is the perfect time to get to know the Belmont Stakes contenders and get ready to place your bets!
Belmont Stakes Horse Odds and Entries
The field for the 2024 Belmont Stakes was drawn on Monday, June 3, the day after entries were taken. The field is as deep and exciting as any of the three-year-old races so far this year. Both winners of the previous Triple Crown races are lining up in the starting gate: Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey. The favorite for the Belmont Stakes is a different horse from the Kentucky Derby: Sierra Leone, who was second beaten by only a nose in the run for the roses.
The field also features some new faces to the Triple Crown trail. Mindframe makes his stakes debut in the Belmont, but trainer Todd Pletcher has won this race four times and knows how to get a horse ready. Other interesting new faces include Peter Pan (G3) winner Antiquarian, another from the Pletcher shedrow, as well as the consistent placegetter The Wine Steward.
These are the runners in the 2024 Belmont Stakes including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each horse:
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seize the Grey | D. Wayne Lukas | Jaime Torres | 8-1 |
| 2 | Resilience | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 10-1 |
| 3 | Mystik Dan | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 5-1 |
| 4 | The Wine Steward | Mike Maker | Manny Franco | 15-1 |
| 5 | Antiquarian | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 12-1 |
| 6 | Dornoch | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez | 15-1 |
| 7 | Protective | Todd Pletcher | Tyler Gaffalione | 20-1 |
| 8 | Honor Marie | Whit Beckman | Florent Geroux | 12-1 |
| 9 | Sierra Leone | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 9-5 |
| 10 | Mindframe | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 7-2 |
Belmont Contenders and Horse Profiles
The 2024 Belmont Stakes has been drawn. These are the 10 contenders, ordered by their post positions:
Post 1 - Seize the Grey (Arrogate x Smart Shopping - Smart Strike) - 8-1
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Jockey: Jaime Torres
On paper, his pedigree always read for distance, but on the track, he was very much looking like a miler, especially after winning the Pat Day Mile (G2) on Kentucky Derby day. However, whether it’s a blooming ability to stay or just a nice pace setup in the slop, Seize the Grey led them on a merry chase to seize the Woodlawn Vase at Pimlico. The pace may be a bit tougher in the Belmont depending on who draws in, but he is in good form, and D. Wayne Lukas is never shy to run horses when they’re doing well. He also has proven form at Saratoga, breaking his maiden there over a debuting Dornoch last summer.
Pros: His form is red-hot, and his pedigree is all distance, at least on paper. He has tactical speed, and he is a local winner.
Cons: He still has to prove that he actually wants ten furlongs, and the pace situation may be more demanding than it was in the Preakness.
Post 2 - Resilience (Into Mischief x Meadowsweet - Smart Strike) - 10-1
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Instead of sending the inexperienced Batten Down to the Belmont, Mott instead sends the more experienced Resilience into the fray. Resilience took four starts to break his maiden, but then ran a credible third behind Sierra Leone in the Risen Star (G2) before stepping up to win the Wood Memorial (G2). He made a menacing early bid in the Kentucky Derby, looming on the far turn, before flattening to sixth, 7 ¾ lengths behind Mystik Dan. He has yet to prove he can stay the 1 ¼ miles, and his pedigree offers mixed signals about whether he wants to go that long: his dam is a Smart Strike half-sister to After Market, a Grade 1 winner at 1 ¼ miles on turf, though there are also a lot of milers in the family. He also debuted poorly at Saratoga, though there are excuses: it was his debut, he had some late trouble, and he was running against horses like Locked and Drum Roll Please.
Pros: He can improve third off the lay, and he can improve off of a suboptimal trip in the Kentucky Derby.
Cons: His pedigree is a mixed bag for the distance, and his one race at Saratoga as a juvenile was poor.
Post 3 - Mystik Dan (Goldencents x Ma’am - Colonel John) - 5-1
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Mystik Dan bounced back from a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (G1) to win the Kentucky Derby. He then ran an extremely credible second in the Preakness Stakes behind a pace-advantaged Seize the Grey. The Preakness winner will not have that same kind of pace advantage in this race with several other speed horses likely to face the starter. A Kentucky Derby-like trip is possible to be the winning one once again, and he showed in the Derby that 1 ¼ miles was not beyond his ability.
Pros: He won the Kentucky Derby at this distance and should get the right pace setup if most of the speedy possibles go in the race.
Cons: He will be one of the shorter prices in the field.
Post 4 - The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso x Call to Service - To Honor and Serve) - 15-1
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Manuel Franco
This New York-bred is consistent, never worse than second in six starts. Previously a bridesmaid in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Lexington (G3), and Peter Pan (G3), he still needs to put it together at the graded level but he has been able to run good horses like Locked, Encino, and Antiquarian to close finishes this year. He has a solid distance pedigree on both sides, and his sire The Wine Steward won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 ¼ miles, giving him some upside to finish in the money.
Pros: He is a consistent horse with tactical speed and a classy route pedigree. He is also relatively fresh, having skipped the Derby trail.
Cons: He has yet to win at the graded-stakes level and has not faced horses of this class yet this year.
Post 5: Antiquarian (Preservationist x Lifetime Memory - Istan) - 12-1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
He made his stakes breakthrough in the Peter Pan (G3) in stalk-and-pounce fashion, bouncing back well after a sixth-place try in the Louisiana Derby (G2) back in March. He broke through the gate before that race in Louisiana as well. The fact that Todd Pletcher trains him is a plus, since Pletcher has won four editions of the Belmont Stakes. Sire Preservationist was a Grade 2 winner at 1 ¼ miles, and there is enough stamina on the dam’s side as well to make the stretch out worth a try.
Pros: The stalking style can help him get a trip, and he is trained by Belmont ace Todd Pletcher. The Peter Pan also produced 2023 Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo.
Cons: He has yet to face Grade 1 company before, and his behavior before the Louisiana Derby suggests he may still have some mental coming-along to do.
Post 6: Dornoch (Good Magic x Puca - Big Brown) - 15-1
Trainer: Danny Gargan
Jockey: Luis Saez
A full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Dornoch was a well-beaten tenth in the Run for the Roses after a rough start kept him away from the lead. A clean start should get him a better trip on the pace, but it won’t be an easy run if some of the other possible runners who also have speed—most namely Fierceness and Seize the Grey—actually do enter the race. He should have no trouble handling Saratoga; on debut, he finished a credible second behind Seize the Grey in a maiden race last year.
Pros: He is bred to get this distance, and he also ran well over the course last year.
Cons: He needs the lead, and will not likely get a soft trip on the pace.
Post 7 - Protective (Medaglia d’Oro x Grace Hall - Empire Maker) - 20-1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Protective, the third-stringer from the Todd Pletcher barn, is still a maiden. However, he has some stakes experience: he was third in the Wood Memorial and then third again in the Peter Pan. He never looked a winner in either of those races, but he ran credible thirds with two different running styles. He rallied from well off the pace in the Wood, while he sat closer up in the Peter Pan. His pedigree is interesting for the stretch out to 1 ¼ miles, and his recent speed figures are competitive, giving him some exotics upside.
Pros: He is versatile from a pace perspective, his trainer is strong in the Belmont, and he has an interesting pedigree for the trip.
Cons: He has yet to win any race, much less a stakes race, and the waters are only getting deeper in this classic.
Post 8: Honor Marie (Honor Code x Dame Marie - Smart Strike) - 12-1
Trainer: Whit Beckman
Jockey: Florent Geroux
The Kentucky Derby started poorly for him, as he was bumped between horses and also steadied into the first turn. He eventually advanced from dead last into midfield, but leveled out to maintain eighth place down the lane. He will need to improve off of that to be a factor in the Belmont, but also had enough trouble early that this may not be a fair and accurate representation of his ability to handle a mile and a quarter.
Pros: He comes off a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby and he may get a sharp pace to close into on Belmont day.
Cons: He has yet to prove himself at a mile and a quarter, and was losing ground on the leaders late in the Kentucky Derby.
Post 9 - Sierra Leone (Gun Runner x Heavenly Love - Malibu Moon) - 9-5
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
If it weren’t for Dornoch’s nose in the Remsen (G2) and Mystik Dan’s nose in the Kentucky Derby, he would be perfect in five starts. That’s a big deal, especially for a late runner, suggesting he is less likely to be pace-compromised than others who share his running style. He has run well in every single start, including an ultra-impressive victory in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, and he has shown the ability to launch his run fairly early and just keep running on.
Pros: He has mile-and-a-quarter stamina, he can take his race to multiple tracks, and he has the stamina to make a truly long and sustained rally.
Cons: The price will be short in a competitive race.
Post 10 - Mindframe (Constitution x Walk of Stars - Street Sense) - 7-2
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
In two starts Mindframe has been impressive: he won a seven-furlong maiden special weight by 13 ¾ lengths on the Florida Derby undercard and wired a first-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the Kentucky Derby undercard. That shows he has talent, and shows he can either set the pace or pass horses and run a winning race. Of course, if he steps up to the Triple Crown series he will face a serious class test. But, between the Todd Pletcher factor and a solid pedigree for stretching out, he is an interesting new face.
Pros: He is trained by Todd Pletcher, he has tactical speed, and he has won both of his races impressively enough to try tough company.
Cons: He would be making just his third career start, and he has yet to face stakes horses.
TVG Belmont Park Coverage and Odds
TVG provides horse racing coverage and picks for all major races, including the Belmont Stakes in New York. Sign up with us today to receive your bonus and remember; our dedicated team is on hand to provide in-depth analysis, horse racing news, expert picks and up to date odds on the final leg of the 2023 Triple Crown at Belmont Park!