Horse racing has kept many fanatics sane throughout the shutdown of nearly everything during this pandemic that’s rocked the world. And now the ponies get a chance to shine on the big stage. The first leg of the Triple Crown takes place Saturday, and for the first time the Belmont Stakes will kick off the run for horse racing’s highest honor. To accommodate the reshuffled schedule the distance was shortened by three furlongs from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/8 miles.
The field lost some of its competitive edge when early favorites Nadal and Charlatan were scratched leaving the door open for others to rise to the top. Tiz the Law is now the betting favorite. What about at the other end of the odds table? Some of the biggest upsets in Belmont Stakes history have taken place in the last 20 years. Back in 2002 Sarava stunned the racing world by preventing War Emblem from the Triple Crown as a 70/1 longshot. It does happen. Are Fore Left and Jungle Runner up to the task this year?
BookMaker.eu offers odds for every notable horse race in 2020. Visit now for the updated Belmont Stakes odds and to place your wager.
2020 Belmont Stakes at a Glance
Date and Time: Saturday, June 20, 2020, 5:42 p.m. ET
Location: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Length: 1 1/8 mile ( 9 furlongs ), dirt track
Belmont Stakes TV Coverage: NBC
I guess any horse that isn’t the favorite is a longshot meaning nine horses could fall into the category. Some are obviously closer to the top of the heap than the bottom. Sole Volante, Dr Post and Tap it to Win are next in line on the odds list at 6/1 or shorter.
A small field with some of the best 3-year-olds doesn’t yield many longshot chances with Jungle Runner at the top – or bottom – of the list at +5000. That means a $100 wager pays out $5,000. The only problem is you never know when those payday opportunities are going to take place. Here are the current odds for the 2020 Belmont Stakes with the longshots listed in descending order.
Odds to win 2020 Belmont Stakes at BookMaker.eu
Jungle Runner +5000
Fore Left +3000
Farmington Road +1500
Modernist +1500
Max Player +1500
Pneumatic +800
Tap It to Win +600
Dr Post +500
Sole Volante +450
Tiz the Law +120
2020 Belmont Stakes Longshots
The favorite doesn’t always win. The longest shot on the board crosses the finish line first less often. Tacitus was a +180 favorite last year and finished a length behind Sir Winston, who went off at +1200. Things are much different this year giving the entire field at least a glimmer of hope. Normally the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont is first this year. The distance was sliced taking away any advantage a pace horse might have. And recent form on most of the entrants is void of prep races.
Experience counts, which is why Tiz the Law surfaced as the favorite. He’s won four of five races and is the only horse with a Grade 1 win on his resume. That doesn’t make him better than the rest of the field, only more experienced – and successful – in big time gallops.
Technically an underdog but just slightly at +450, Sole Volante is capable. The shortened race should help the closer, who came back from dead last to win an allowance at Gulfstream Park a little over a week ago. We’ll see how the strategy of running Sole Volante instead of taking a typical morning workout plays out for trainer Patrick Biancone.
Now, if you’re looking for a real longshot you can’t get any better than Jungle Runner at +5000. The payout is tempting, especially when dealing with a small field. And we saw the Steve Asmussen-trained colt enjoy a breakout as a juvenile winning the 2019 Clever Trevor in his stakes debut. Things haven’t gone as nicely as a 3-year-old, though. Two starts on the Derby trail produced eighth place finishes in the Smarty Jones and the G1 Arkansas Derby.
It could be that Jungle Runner is lulling the competition into a false sense of security or maybe he’s just outclassed. Asmussen knows a thing about upsets at Belmont. In 2016 he led 16/1 longshot Creator to the winner’s circle. At +800, Pneumatic is another Asmussen-trained colt in the field.
The next biggest long shot on the board is Fore Left at +3000. Saddled by Jose Ortiz, this Doug O’Neill trained colt might actually have a chance. His last race was a win in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas in February. He couldn’t compete in a pair of G1 races as a juvenile but appears to have made some strides over the last few months.
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