Belmont Stakes 2022 Horses and Jockeys with Best Chance at Elmont Race
The 154th running of the Belmont Stakes is nearly upon us, and we have almost all the information we're going to have about how the eight horses in the field are looking heading into race day.
Tuesday's post-position draw was the last major piece of the puzzle as we assess each horse's chances of coming away victorious in the third jewel of the Triple Crown.
According to the Belmont Stakes website, post No. 1 has produced the most winners (24) since the race has been held at Belmont Park, which is good news for We the People trainer Rodolphe Brisset and jockey Flavien Prat.
Some horses' (and jockeys') styles are better suited for Belmont Park than others. At 1½ miles—or one lap around Belmont Park’s track—the race is the longest any of these horses will likely ever run on dirt.
We'll take a look at the post positions and odds for this year's shortened field of eight and then assess which riders in particular have a good chance of finishing in the money at Belmont Park.
Post time for the race is 6:44 p.m. ET Saturday. TV coverage kicks off on CNBC from 3-5 p.m. ET and moves to NBC primetime at 5 p.m. ET.
Belmont Stakes Post Positions and Odds
Belmont Stakes 2022 Post Position Draw and Odds
1. We the People, 2-1 — Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset, Jockey: Flavien Prat
2. Skippylongstocking, 20-1 — Trainer: Saffie A. Joseph Jr., Jockey: Manny Franco
3. Nest, 8-1 — Trainer: Todd Pletcher, Jockey: Jose Ortiz
4. Rich Strike, 7-2 — Trainer: Eric Reed, Jockey: Sonny Leon
5. Creative Minister, 6-1 — Trainer: Kenny McPeek, Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
6. Mo Donegal, 5-2 — Trainer: Todd Pletcher, Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
7. Golden Glider, 20-1 — Trainer: Mark Casse, Jockey: Dylan Davis
8. Barber Road, 10-1 — Trainer: John Ortiz, Jockey: Joel Rosario, 10-1
Morning line odds via BelmontStakes.com
Horses and Jockeys with Best Chance
Many of the jockeys who will be competing in Saturday's race have won the Belmont Stakes previously in their careers.
Jose Ortiz, who will be riding the sole filly, Nest, won with Tapwrit in 2017. He has also experienced the most recent Triple Crown success of the group, having won the 2022 Preakness with Early Voting.
Fillies haven't historically emerged victorious in the Belmont Stakes, however, winning just three times.
Mo Donegal's jockey Irad Oritz Jr., Jose's older brother, won the Belmont Stakes with Creator in 2016. Widely regarded as the best jockey in North America, this season Irad tops all riders in both wins and earnings.
Joel Rosario, who is riding Barber Road, has won twice—with Tonalist in 2014 and Sir Winston in 2019, which came as a surprise. He is the Belmont Park veteran of the group, having ridden in the Belmont Stakes 10 previous times.
The Ortiz brothers are next on the list of most appearances with seven each.
Manny Franco, riding Skippylongstocking, most recently won at Belmont Park in 2020 with Tiz the Law.
It's worth noting, however, that the race was shortened to 1⅛ miles that year and also began the Triple Crown series amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He has two previous rides in the Belmont Stakes.
We the People has a favorable post position this year. The three-year-old's jockey, Flavien Prat, is still looking for his first Belmont Stakes win, but he came close last year on Hot Rod Charlie.
And then, of course, there's 32-year-old Sonny Leon, who was instrumental in Rich Strike's long-shot win in the Kentucky Derby.
Leon has never raced at Belmont Park before, and some experts aren't sure Rich Strike has another upset in him given the makeup of the field for this race, which has fewer speedy horses than the Derby did (and thus may limit Rich Strike's ability to, er, strike at the last minute).
But Leon displayed some of the most dazzling riding in recent memory on the Triple Crown circuit in the first jewel, and it would be a mistake to underestimate him heading into the final one.