2025 Belmont Stakes betting in Pennsylvania

The Triple Crown races are exciting events that put horse racing’s best to the test. That’s why the Belmont Stakes, which is often considered the toughest race to win, is a significant highlight on the sports calendar. This high-profile event is held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. Attendance and viewership are typically high, especially when there’s a horse with a chance at the Triple Crown.

To accomplish this, horses have to win the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. That’s easier said than done, as only 13 horses have ever managed to achieve that feat. Unfortunately, there won’t be a winner of the Triple Crown in 2025, as Derby-winner Sovereignty will not race in the Preakness.

It’s completely legal and safe to bet on horse racing here in Pennsylvania, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. We’ll also cover all the basics of the Belmont Stakes. Let’s get to it.

How to bet on the Belmont Stakes

2025 Belmont Stakes odds

Here are the early odds for the 2025 Belmont Stakes on June 7:

Horse	Trainer	Early Odds
Sovereignty	Bill Mott	8-5
Journalism	Michael McCarthy	2-1
Baeza	John Shirreffs	4-1
Rodriguez	Bob Baffert	6-1
Hill Road	Chad C. Brown	10-1
Gosger	Brendan P. Walsh	17-1
Heart of Honor	Jamie Osborne	25-1

The 2024 Belmont Stakes was won by Dornoch, who was considered an upset winner at 17-1 odds. The horse trained by Danny Gargan and ridden by Luis Saez collected $1.2 million for the win.

Pennsylvania fans have several Belmont Stakes betting options, from horse tracks to off-track betting facilities to online wagering. There are some great online apps to take advantage of, including FanDuel Racing.

FanDuel Racing

Using your desktop computer or mobile device, you can and wager on the ponies. One of the top options for Pennsylvania horse racing fans is the FanDuel Racing app.

Through FanDuel Racing, you can place bets on races from around the globe, including the Belmont Stakes. To get started, all you need to do is click on our exclusive links to create an . From there, it’s just a matter of entering a few simple details such as your name and email address.

Once that’s all set, click on “Complete Registration.” Your new will be created right away. Mobile Apple s should take the time to the iOS app from the main website. Afterward, on mobile, and you’ll be ready to bet from wherever you are.

Android s aren’t out of luck. The site is fully optimized to work on mobile. After you have created an via our exclusive links, visit the site on your device and for mobile access.

From start to finish, you’re looking at just a couple of minutes of your time. FanDuel Racing is a top-notch operator that offers a $500 No Sweat First Win Bet.

Types of bets available for the Belmont Stakes

When betting on the Belmont Stakes, the most popular wager is to choose the horse that will win. However, there are several other wagering options to explore, and a number of them provide an exceptional bang for your buck.

Let’s walk through all the top betting options you’ll have at your disposal for one of the calendar year’s biggest racing events.

We’ll start by explaining the easiest ones:

• Win: This is a bet on the first-place winner of the race.
• Place: A place wager means you expect your chosen horse to come in first or second place.
• Show: This bet covers a horse to finish in the third, second, or first place.

You can place any of the above bets individually. You can also cover more bases with combination bets, such as win/place or win/place/show. How much you make depends on the betting handle for the race and the odds on your choices.

If you’re looking to take your chances on some even greater returns at the Belmont Stakes, you can check out the exotic wagers. With these bet types, you have to pick the winner and the top finishers:

• Exacta: A bet on the horses who finish in the top two spots.
• Quinella: Similar to an exacta, but with different payouts.
• Trifecta: A wager on the top three finishers of the race.
• Superfecta: With this wager, you have to pick the top four horses to finish.
• Super High Five: This is a bet on which horses will be the top five finishers.

You can place each of the above bets with a single selection for each spot and a small amount. You can also “box” a bet, which means your picks can finish in any order. In addition, you can add selections.

If you go that route, then the cost of your wager will rise depending on how many you pick or box. It’s not easy to win these wagers, but the returns can be fantastic if you do.

Betting on multiple races

The last category of wagers will revolve around multiple consecutive races on the card. While the Belmont Stakes will be the primary attention-grabber, there are other races to bet on the card.

Here are some of the bets:

• Pick 3: A bet on the winner of three straight races.
• Pick 4: A wager on the winner of four races in a row.
• Pick 5: You have to pick the winner in five consecutive races.
• Pick 6: Picking the winner in six straight designated races.

Just like exotic bets, these wagers are tough to win. They can be placed for small amounts if you just pick one horse for each race. You can also swing for the fences and select multiple runners. However, the cost of your ticket will rise as a result.

Race day at Belmont Stakes is entertaining, whether you focus on the main event or several races throughout the day. In both cases, you’ll have several wager types to consider for a shot at making it a profitable day.

How do horses qualify for the Belmont Stakes?

The Belmont Stakes is the last leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The festivities typically begin with the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, and then the Belmont Stakes three weeks after that.

Horses that compete in the three legs of the Triple Crown are 3-year-old thoroughbreds. They have proven themselves by performing well on what’s known as “the Road to the Kentucky Derby.”

The series of graded-stakes races award horses points based on their finishing position. For the early part of the season, the top four finishers generally receive points on a scale of 10-4-2-1.

Later in the year, the points awarded rise to a scale of 50-20-10-5. The final races on the schedule are referred to as the “Super Six.” This category includes some of the best racing events of the year, such as the Florida Derby and Wood Memorial Stakes.

The horses who win these signature races receive 100 points. By the time everything is said and done, the runners who sit atop the leaderboard move on to the Kentucky Derby and possibly compete for the Triple Crown.

Several horses will usually compete in all three races, but there will be others who drop out after the first or second leg. When it’s time for the Belmont, you can rest assured that the field will be full of quality horses.

History of the Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes traces its roots back to 1867. Ruthless won the inaugural running of the race in a time of 3:05. That race was run over 1-5/8 miles. The overall length has varied over the years, but it’s been at 1-1/2 miles since 1926 with the exception of 2024 and 2020.

Since this racing event stretches back well over a century, there’s a lot of history to consider. Through the years, there have been 13 Triple Crown winners and several other legendary performances that have thrilled fans.

In recent years, the betting action has been rather impressive. Here’s a look at the last 10 winners of the Belmont Stakes and their winning times:

• 2024: Dornoch (2:01:64 on 1-1/4-mile track)
• 2023: Arcangelo (2:29:23)
• 2022: Mo Denegal (2:28.28)
• 2021: Essential Quality (2:27:11)
• 2020: Tiz the Law (1:46:53 on 1-1/8-mile track)
• 2019: Sir Winston (2:28:30)
• 2018: Justify (2:28:18)
• 2017: Tapwrit (2:30:02)
• 2016: Creator (2:28:51)
• 2015: American Pharoah (2:26:65)

In 2024, the track for the Belmont was shortened to 1-1/4 miles because the race took place at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont underwent renovations.

For the 2020 race, the race was shortened to 1-1/8 miles due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of drastic changes to the horse racing schedule, the Belmont was the first leg of the Triple Crown that year.

The last Triple Crown winner to seal the deal at Belmont was Justify in 2018. Secretariat holds the all-time speed record at the race’s current length with a time of 2:24:00 in 1973. The legendary horse also set the record for margin of victory, taking the race by a staggering 31 lengths.

Live horse racing in Pennsylvania

The Belmont Stakes and the other Triple Crown races are thrilling, but so is the rest of the year-round racing schedule. You can also catch some races on NBCSN and FS1, while NBC serves as the broadcast home for the Belmont and other big races.

If you want to kick it up a notch and catch some races in person, here are the places to go:

• The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono: 1280 Pennsylvania 315, Wilkes-Barre
• Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack: 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Chester
• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course: 777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville
• The Meadows Racetrack & Casino: 210 Racetrack Rd., Washington
• Parx Racing at Parx Casino: 3001 Street Rd., Bensalem
• Presque Isle Downs & Casino: 8199 Perry Hwy., Erie

How To handicap the Belmont Stakes

As the Belmont Stakes draws near, the favorites will be the most popular choices, but there will also be some sleepers who attract some attention.

You can consider others’ opinions, but it also helps to do a little digging of your own.

When it’s time for you to handicap the race, here are three top factors to consider:

• How much money the runners have earned: Just like in other sports, the best athletes tend to make the most money. In horse racing, horses that rack up wins and high finishes take down more of the purse. Those that do that the most often should have the largest earnings in the field. One caveat: Take a look at the total races run, as some horses may have racked up lots of money over many races.
• How they performed in recent big races: The recent form can be an indicator of what’s to come in horse racing. Take some time to examine each runner in the field and how they have performed for the season. Those with lots of high finishes or recent wins could be in line to make some serious noise at the Belmont Stakes.
• Which horses have the best stats: You’ll find several interesting stats to consider in your handicapping, but you can also take a bottom-line approach. Stats, known as speed or power ratings, attempt to quantify runners’ overall caliber in a single number. If you see how each horse rates on this metric, it can help a lot with decision-making.

If time permits, you can advance your handicapping and do further research. When you combine what you find with some well-respected opinions on the race, you’ll be on track to make your decisions with confidence on the Belmont Stakes.