Saturday’s 156th Belmont Stakes – to be run at historic Saratoga this year and next while Belmont Park continues its rebuild – attracted 10 runners at today’s post position draw, led by Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (post 3) and Preakness upsetter Seize the Grey (post 1). It’s the first Belmont showdown of opposing Triple Crown series winners since Orb and Oxbow in 2013 and just the eighth such occurrence since 1990. But it’s Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone (post 9) expected to be favored, pegged the 9-5 choice by NYRA oddsmaker David Aragona.

Horseplayers on the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet platforms can enjoy up to a $10 money-back special on the Belmont Stakes if your win bet finishes second or third.

The pace of the 1-1/4 miles Belmont, shortened 440 yards from its usual 1-1/2 miles trip due to the track configuration at the Spa, figures to come from unbeaten Mindframe (post 10), wire-to-wire Preakness winner Seize the Grey and Remsen / Fountain of Youth front-running winner Dornoch (post 6). Seize the Grey drawing the rail obviously puts him right up into the mix once again if he breaks cleanly. Mindframe from the far outside gives the inside-outside early pace scenario that sometimes turns up the heat more than it appears on paper in the hustle to maintain and keep position.

Deep-closing Sierra Leone won’t be impacted by the starting position, but certainly would benefit from a fast early pace, as would Honor Marie (post 8), who exits a troubled trip in Louisville.

The Belmont Stakes Festival runs Thursday through Sunday at Saratoga, including a Friday card that features Kentucky Oaks heroine Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 1 Acorn for fillies. Saturday’s Belmont Stakes Day card gets underway at 10:45 am ET and features 9 graded stakes races. The undercard’s headliner is Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio’s return in the $1 million Met Mile (Race 10).

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Saratoga // Race 12 // 6:41 pm ET // $2 million Belmont Stakes // 1-1/4 miles

1-Seize the Grey (Jaime Torres // D. Wayne Lukas) 8-1
2- Resilience (Junior Alvarado // Bill Mott) 10-1
3-Mystik Dan (Brian Hernandez Jr. // Kenny McPeek) 5-1
4-The Wine Steward (Manny Franco // Mike Maker) 15-1
5-Antiquarian (John Velazquez // Todd Pletcher) 12-1
6-Dornoch (Luis Saez // Danny Gargan) 15-1
7-Protective (Tyler Gaffalione // Todd Pletcher) 20-1
8-Honor Marie (Florent Geroux // Whit Beckman) 12-1
9-Sierra Leone (Flavien Prat // Chad Brown) 9-5
10-Mindframe (Irad Ortiz Jr. // Todd Pletcher) 7-2

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Full Schedule: Belmont | Saturday, June 8, 2024

Race 1 | 10:45 am ET | allowance | start of pick 5
Race 2 | 11:18 am ET | allowance | start of pick 4
Race 3 |11:52 am ET | allowance | start of pick 5
Race 4 | 12:31 pm ET | True North Stakes | start of pick 4
Race 5 | 1:11 pm ET | Poker Stakes | start of pick 5
Race 6 | 1:51 pm ET | Suburban Stakes | start of pick 4
Race 7 | 2:36 pm ET | Ogden Phipps Stakes | start of pick 6
Race 8 | 3:22 pm ET | Woody Stephens Stakes | start of pick 5
Race 9 | 4:08 pm ET | Jaipur Stakes | start of pick 4
Race 10 | 4:52 pm ET | Metropolitan Handicap | start of pick 5
Race 11 | 5:36 pm ET | Met Mile | start of pick 4
Race 12 | 6:41 pm ET | Belmont Stakes
Race 13 | 7:27 pm ET | maiden
Race 14 | 7:02 pm ET | allowance

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Special Wagers

Thursday-Friday Daily Doubles ($5 base, 18.5% takeout)
Belmont Gold Cup-New York Stakes

Thursday-Friday Pick 4 ($2 base, 24% takeout)
Belmont Gold Cup, Just A Game, Intercontinental, New York Stakes

Friday-Saturday Daily Doubles ($5 base, 18.5% takeout)
New York Stakes-Belmont Stakes
Acorn-Belmont Stakes
Intercontinental-Belmont Stakes
Just A Game-Belmont Stakes

Saturday Daily Double ($5 base, 18.5% takeout)
Met Mile-Belmont Stakes

Friday-Saturday All Dirt Pick 6 ($1 base, 15% takeout)
Acorn (F), Suburban (S), Woody Stephens (S), Phipps (S), Met Mile (S), Belmont Stakes (S)

Friday-Saturday All Turf Pick 5 ($.50 base, 15% takeout)
Just A Game (F), New York (F), Poker (S), Jaipur (S), Manhattan (S)

Additional $3 Triple Play-All Turf Pick 3s offered daily