Belmont Stakes 2026: Expert Jody Demling

One Belmont Stakes 2026 betting trend that has emerged is favoring graded stakes winners for The Test of Champions. Eleven of the last 12 Belmonts have been won by horses that previously won a graded stakes event. All of the top contenders for the 2026 Belmont Stakes have a graded stakes victories to their name, save for Chief Wallabee. Despite being the second-favorite at 3-1, the horse's only victory came in a maiden special as he's 0 for 3 across graded stakes starts.  Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with promo code CBSSPORTS, which is higher than what's available to the general public :

Should Chief Wallabee factor into your 2026 Belmont Stakes bets or horse racing picks? Only Renegade (2-1) is a bigger favorite, while Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is priced at 9-2 in the latest Belmont Stakes 2026 odds. Before making any 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, be sure to see the 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions and best bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling .

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling hit the top three finishers in the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order. He also called 11 of the last 22 Preakness winners and predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last eight years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Anyone who has followed him on  horse racing betting sites could be way up.

Now, with the 2026 Belmont Stakes field set, Demling is sharing his 2026 Belmont Stakes betting picks and 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions over at SportsLine.  Go to SportsLine to see them .

Top 2026 Belmont Stakes predictions

One surprise in Demling's 2026 Belmont Stakes picks: Demling is not high on Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo (9-2). While the horse will forever be a Triple Crown race winner, one shouldn't overlook what happened in his prior two races. Golden Tempo neither won nor even finished as runner-up in his two races leading up to the Derby. One of those races saw Emerging Market triumph, and that horse is in the Belmont Stakes 2026 field.

It's also noteworthy that even with skipping the Preakness, Golden Tempo will have just five weeks of rest. He had six weeks of rest before winning the Derby, but the last time he had a five-week rest period, Golden Tempo placed third. In fact, the last two races in which the colt had fewer than six weeks of rest, he finished third each time. Thus, Demling is looking at other options with Belmont Stakes 2026 picks.  See which horses to back at SportsLine .  Claim your exclusive TwinSpires $400 signup offer here with promo code CBSSPORTS, which is higher than what's available to the general public :

How to make 2026 Belmont Stakes picks, bets

Demling is especially high on an epic double-digit longshot who a legendary trainer is "very high on." Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, over at SportsLine .

Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2026, and which stunning longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who has nailed four of the last eight winners .

2026 Belmont Stakes odds

Post Horse  Odds Projection 1 Vitruvian Man 30-1 SEE PICKS 2 Powershift 12-1 SEE PICKS 3 Chief Wallabee 3-1 SEE PICKS 4 Renegade 2-1 SEE PICKS 5 Ottinho 20-1 SEE PICKS 6 Growth Equity 12-1 SEE PICKS 7 Commandment 6-1 SEE PICKS 8 Emerging Market 6-1 SEE PICKS 9 Golden Tempo 9-2 SEE PICKS

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/2026-belmont-stakes-odds-horses-time-predictions-expert-who-called-4-of-past-8-winners-shares-picks/)._