All 13 of the Triple Crown winners in horse racing history earned that signature victory at Belmont Park, which hosts the 2021 Belmont Stakes on Saturday evening. But none was greater than Secretariat's run in 1973, as the Triple Crown winner smoked the field by 31 lengths and set both the Belmont Stakes and world record for a 1 1/2-mile race in a blistering 2:24. That record has stood almost five decades, and at 6:49 p.m. ET, an eight-horse Belmont Stakes 2021 field will see how it stacks up to that iconic run.
Essential Quality, who has won five of six races but was a disappointing fourth at the Kentucky Derby, is at 2-1 in the latest 2021 Belmont Stakes odds. Can the favorite get it done, or will an underdog shock the horse racing world and capture the Belmont? Before making any 2021 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the latest horse racing predictions from legendary handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg.
The former horse racing analyst for ESPN and NBC, Goldberg became a legendary handicapper by going straight to the source. In 2004, he had dinner before the Belmont Stakes with trainer Nick Zito at a pizzeria in Queens. The dinner led Goldberg to play Zito's 36-1 monster long shot Birdstone to win and on top of his exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets. When Birdstone shocked the world, Goldberg won $24,000.
His success has continued at SportsLine. In the San Felipe Stakes in March, Hammer gave out a $20 exacta that paid 9-1. In the Belmont Stakes last June, Goldberg was all over Tiz the Law, who scored a convincing victory in the year's first Triple Crown race. In the Blue Grass Stakes, Hammer nailed the Art Collector-Swiss Skydiver exacta. In July, he hit the Authentic-Ny Traffic exacta in the Haskell. In August in the Pacific Classic, he gave out the Maximum Security-Sharp Samurai exacta.
Before last year's Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert told Goldberg that Authentic was his best Derby runner. As a result, Goldberg listed him among his top horses, and Authentic held off Tiz the Law by almost four lengths. Anyone who has followed Goldberg's lead is way up.
Now, Goldberg has studied the 2021 Belmont Stakes horses and released his picks and analysis only at SportsLine.
Top 2021 Belmont Stakes predictions
For the 153rd Run for the Carnations, Hammerin' Hank is fading Rock Your World, even though the horse is one of the race's favorites with 9-2 odds.
In fact, Goldberg barely has Rock Your World hitting the Belmont board. Rock Your World was undefeated heading into May's Kentucky Derby, but all that momentum evaporated on the Churchill Downs backstretch.
Rock Your World faded dramatically down the stretch at the Derby en route to a 17th-place finish. And while he hasn't been raced since May 1, it is unlikely that Rock Your World will suddenly find more tactical speed in the five weeks off. Goldberg can't quite figure out why Rock Your World is such a betting favorite, and is shying away from the colt in all of his 2021 Belmont Stakes bets.
How to make 2021 Belmont Stakes predictions
Instead, Hammer's top choice is a horse set to stun the field with a late charge. The horse's trainer is confident, and Hammer is pouncing on this surprising pick. He's sharing his predictions for the top 2021 Belmont Stakes contenders here.
So who wins the Belmont Stakes 2021? Which surprising horse is a must-back? Check out the latest 2021 Belmont odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Goldberg's picks for the 2021 Belmont Stakes.
2021 Belmont Stakes contenders, odds
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Essential Quality | 2-1 |
| Rombauer | 3-1 |
| Hot Rod Charlie | 7-2 |
| Rock Your World | 9-2 |
| Known Agenda | 6-1 |
| Bourbonic | 15-1 |
| Overtook | 20-1 |
| France Go de Ina | 30-1 |
