Belmont Stakes 2026: Commandment Odds, Post Position, and Race History

When the field turned for home in the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago, Commandment was in the perfect position to pounce on the tiring leaders and win the blanket of roses. But when jockey Luis Saez asked his horse to make his move, Saez got nothing. Commandment didn't have his typical late kick and ran evenly to the finish line, finishing seventh. On Saturday, the Florida Derby winner will look to regain his form from earlier in the spring when he leaves the starting gate in the Belmont Stakes.  Bet Commandment and the entire Belmont Stakes at TwinSpires with promo code CBSSPORTS. You'll get a special $400 signup bonus, double the regular offer :

7 Commandment (6-1)

- Trainer: Brad Cox - Jockey: John Velazquez - Last race: Seventh in the Kentucky Derby by 5¼ lengths - Career record: 6 starts: 4 wins - Career earnings: $1,017,339 - Best career Beyer Speed Figure: 101 (Fountain of Youth Stakes) - Sire: Into Mischief

Below, we'll dig further into Commandment as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 158th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

1 Vitruvian Man | 2 Powershift | 3 Chief Wallabee | 4 Renegade | 5 Ottinho | 6 Growth Equity | 7 Commandment | 8 Emerging Market | 9 Golden Tempo

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What to know about Commandment

His four-race winning streak came to an end in the Kentucky Derby, but he is another that may have been a victim of the hot pace in that race.

While he was 13th in the early going in Louisville, he was just 6 1/4 lengths off the hot pace that devolved into a pace meltdown. (For comparison, winner Golden Tempo was 17 lengths off the lead and runner-up Renegade was 12 lengths off at that same point in the race.)

More importantly, he made a sneaky middle move into the hot pace about a half mile into the race, which ended up backfiring on him. After expending all of that energy early, he unsurprisingly didn't have his usual late kick down the stretch. By the time he was bumped by Ocelli in the lane, he was already beaten.

For the Belmont Stakes, jockey John Velazquez replaces Luis Saez, who may have moved too early on Commandment in Louisville. A Hall of Famer, Velazquez is a master at giving his horse the proper ride, and Commandment has the versatility to adapt to whatever pace scenario develops on Saturday.

Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Commandment had proven to be fast, battled tested, versatile, game (he has won his last two starts by a neck and a nose) and consistent. If he can return to his Florida form, he would be a major player on Saturday.

He also could be the best price he has ever been. The 6-1 price at the Kentucky Derby was the highest of his career, and he's once again 6-1 on the morning line for the Belmont at  DK Horse  and  1/ST BET . With Renegade, Golden Tempo and others taking money in early wagering, there's a chance Commandment could get a little lost in the betting.

Post draw analysis

The No. 7 post position will work well for Commandment, who is projected to sit mid-pack halfway through the race. A gutsy horse who knows where the wire is, Commandment should be in contention once the horses turn for home.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/commandment-profile-2026-belmont-stakes-odds-post-position-history-and-more-to-know/)._