Belmont Stakes 2022: Projected Prize Money Earnings, Order of Finish and More
A combination of Kentucky Derby and Preakness runners with some new entrants will run in the 154th Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York.
A new competitor on the American Classic scene comes into the race as the morning line favorite. We The People made quite the impression in winning the Peter Pan Stakes and is the favorite to take home the carnations in New York.
There are others with odds that resemble those of the Rodolphe Brissett trainee. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike returns to the track after sitting out the Preakness. Early Voting, the Preakness winner, is not part of the field, but third-place finisher Creative Minister will make an appearance after finishing in the money at Pimlico.
It's a talented field of eight horses, and the Test of the Champion has been known to produce some unlikely winners.
Let's take a look at what's at stake as well as a projected order of finish.
Belmont 2022 Post Time, Prize Money and Odds
Post Time: 6:44 p.m. ET
Prize Money: $1.5 million
Payouts
Win: $800,000
Place: $280,000
Show: $150,000
Post Positions and Odds
1. We the People 2-1
2. Skippylongstocking 20-1
3. Nest 8-1
4. Rich Strike 7-2
5. Creative Minister 6-1
6. Mo Donegal 5-2
7. Golden Glider 20-1
8. Barber Road 10-1
Odds via BelmontStakes.com
Predicted Winner: Mo Donegal
Mo Donegal may not be the favorite, but as race week has gone by, he has proved to be one to watch.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has a history of success in this race, and Mo Donegal was a favorite at the Kentucky Derby before a poor trip resulted in a fifth-place finish.
Pletcher has won the Belmont three times in his career, most recently with Tapwrit in 2017.
That poor performance in the Derby doesn't seem to be scaring bettors off, and it shouldn't. While the Colt did finish in fifth, context matters, and the blazing fast pace at the beginning of the race was a unique circumstance that hurt multiple horses in the field.
It also didn't help that the Pletcher-trained horse was in 19th out of 20 at one point before charging all the way to fifth place.
With a smaller field to compete against and an opportunity to break from the sixth post, Mo Donegal is in a much better position to showcase his talent.
Live Longshot: Golden Glider
Breaking down the field and odds, there's some reason to believe that the biggest longshot in the field can defy the odds. After all, Golden Glider doesn't have nearly the uphill battle that Rich Strike saw when he stunned everyone to win the Kentucky Derby.
Golden Glider is sitting at 20-1 odds but has the pedigree to cause some trouble on the 1½-mile track. As a son of Ghostzapper, who won the 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic, he has the bloodline to win a major race across a long distance.
His long odds likely come from running well behind fellow Peter Pan Stakes runner We The People. But it's best not to look too much into one race. That run was contested on a sealed track, and Golden Glider still rallied from the middle of the pack to take second place.
Trainer Mark Casse was also charged with Sir Winston, who won the 2019 edition of this race. So he has the bloodline and trainer to theoretically do well. Now he just has to prove it.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Mo Donegal
2. Rich Strike
3. Nest
4. We The People
5. Creative Minister
6. Golden Glider
7. Barber Road
8. Skippylongstocking
Mo Donegal is a talented colt, but the stars did not align for him at Churchill Downs. The extra rest and preparation for this race were a wise decision by his connections, and he is a real contender to take home the carnations.
Rich Strike is undoubtedly a talented horse, but we will see how much he benefitted from the early pace in the Derby.
Nest is a sneaky good bet to win the race. The filly would be the first to win it since Rags to Riches in 2007, but she has been trained by Todd Pletcher, who was behind the 2007 win.
While Golden Glider has an outside shot to outperform his odds, the same can't be said for Skippylongstocking. It's tough to put forth a good effort in the Test of the Champion right after competing in the Preakness.
Given that this is the longest race of the Triple Crown, and many of the other horses in the field have had extra time to rest and prepare, don't count on him to pull off the upset.