The 2026 Belmont Stakes will take place this Saturday, June 6th at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Belmont Park is currently undergoing renovations, which is why the race will be run at Saratoga for the third consecutive year. This is the third and final year the race will be held at Saratoga, with Belmont Park scheduled to reopen in September of 2026 and the Belmont Stakes returning to its traditional home in 2027. The change in venue will result in this years race having a distance of 1.25 miles instead of the 1.5 miles typical of the traditional Belmont Stakes.
There will not be a Triple Crown on the line at this years Belmont Stakes. Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, did not run in the Preakness Stakes, which was won by Napoleon Solo. Napoleon Solo is skipping the Belmont Stakes, but Golden Tempo will be in the field at Saratoga, where Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade enters as the morning line favorite. The Belmont Stakes will be broadcast on FOX from 3pm to 7:30pm ET on Saturday evening, with the race having a post time of 7:04pm ET.
On this page I will look at where Kentucky and South Carolina residents can bet on the Belmont Stakes, touch on the state of betting regulation in both states, and provide a simple three step guide.
Where To Bet
Kentucky residents can bet on the Belmont Stakes online through licensed advance deposit wagering (ADW) apps such as TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing and Xpressbet, or in person at Kentucky tracks such as Churchill Downs. South Carolina does not allow betting on horse racing, so South Carolina residents do not have a licensed option in the state. Most racing apps require you to be at least 18, or 21 in some states, and they verify your identity and location when you sign up.
Other options include prediction markets such as Kalshi, which have listed winner markets on Triple Crown races, and offshore racebooks, which accept US customers but are not licensed or regulated by any state. Our horse racing betting guide explains how each option works.
Belmont Stakes Betting in South Carolina and Kentucky
At this time, it is not legal to operate a sportsbook within South Carolina. Kentucky passed sports betting legislation in 2023, with the legal betting market launching in September of 2023 and several betting apps now available to sports bettors in the state.
Kentucky is also the home of American horse racing, and residents can bet at tracks such as Churchill Downs that offer simulcast betting, or online through licensed racing apps.
2026 Belmont Stakes Odds
Here are the fixed odds to win the Belmont Stakes (odds taken on June 3rd, a few days before the race):
Bet On The Belmont Stakes Online – 3 Step Guide
Follow this three step tutorial to bet on the Belmont Stakes from Kentucky or South Carolina.
Step 1. Choose Where To Bet
In Kentucky, pick a licensed ADW app such as TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing or Xpressbet, or bet in person at a Kentucky track. From South Carolina, prediction markets such as Kalshi are the main option, or you can bet while visiting a nearby state where horse betting is legal, such as Tennessee or Virginia.
Step 2. Sign Up and Fund Your Account
Open an account with the app you picked and complete its identity check, which usually asks for the last four digits of your Social Security number. Then make a deposit, most commonly with a debit card or bank transfer.
Step 3. Bet On The Belmont Stakes
There are two ways to bet on the Belmont Stakes: fixed-odds bets before race day, and the full menu of pari-mutuel bets once the race day card opens.
Before Race Day (Fixed Odds)
Before race day, fixed-odds bets on the Belmont Stakes winner are offered by prediction markets such as Kalshi and by offshore sportsbooks. With fixed odds, your price is locked in when you place the bet. Regulated US sportsbook apps generally do not take bets on horse racing, and there is no official future wager pool for the Belmont Stakes.
On Race Day (Pari-Mutuel Betting)
Racing apps and tracks open betting on the Belmont Stakes day card a few days before the race. Find Saratoga in the track list and go to race #13 on June 6th, which has a post time of 7:04pm ET. Choose your horse and bet type, enter your stake, and confirm the bet on your bet slip. Popular Belmont Stakes bets include:
- Win, Place or Show – Your horse must finish first (win), first or second (place), or in the top three (show).
- Exacta – Pick the first and second place finishers in the exact order.
- Trifecta – Pick the top three finishers in the exact order.
- Superfecta – Pick the top four finishers in the exact order.
These are pari-mutuel bets, so your payout depends on the final pool at post time. Check out our horse race betting section for more information about this betting system and the various bets you can make on a horse race. Most licensed apps let you set deposit and time limits in your account settings. If betting stops being fun, help is available 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER.
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