Belmont Stakes: 2022 post position draw results and morning line odds

Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is back in the field, but not the early favorite

The final jewel of the Triple Crown is up for grabs this Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York as horse racing turns its attention to the 2022 Belmont Stakes.

After skipping the Preakness Stakes to prepare for the annual June event, Kentucky Derby-winner Rich Strike is back in the field and one of the favorites to win the 1.5 mile dirt race at 7-2.

It’s been a wild season for the former 80-1 longshot who stunned the world at Churchill Downs. Now he’ll get to face off against some familiar names. Though just eight horses were entered into Tuesday’s post position draw, the experience among them is nothing to take lightly.

We The People opens on the rail as the odds-on favorite at 2-1.

Barber Road and Mo Donegal will get a long-awaited rematch with Rich Strike following their battle at the Kentucky Derby. Preakness entrants Creative Minister and Skippylongstocking will try to improve on their respective third- and fifth-place finishes.

Early Voting, who won last month’s Preakness Stakes, has opted to skip the Belmont Stakes in order to prepare for the  Travers Stakes in August.

Here’s a look at the post position draw and morning line odds for the 154th running of the Belmont Stakes.

Early Voting wins the 147th running of the Preakness Stakes setting up Belmont matchup with Rich Strike

The Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown belongs to Early Voting

With 2022 Kentucky Derby-winner Rich Strike withdrawing from the field for the Preakness Stakes, the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown was wide open for the taking.

In just 1:54.54, Early Voting went out a nabbed it with ease.

A rather slow pace allowed jockey Jose Ortiz to hang back in the middle of the pack before taking charge with Early Voting (5-1) just before the final turn. When the pack broke down the stretch, Early Voting successfully pulled ahead with a three-lengths lead and couldn’t be caught.

The victory on Saturday seemingly sets up an epic matchup next month at the Belmont Stakes as the last leg of the Triple Crown is expected to pit the Derby and Preakness winners against each other in New York.

Epicenter (6-5) entered the week as one of the favorites after nearly pulling off the win at Churchill Downs before Rich Strike completed the second-largest upset in Kentucky Derby history at 80-1 odds. He made a late charge to take home second place while Creative Minister (10-1) grabbed third.

Race Results

  1. Early Voting ($13.40/$4.60/$3.60)
  2.  Epicenter (N/A, $2.80/$2.40)
  3. Creative Minister (N/A, N/A, $4.20)

(Based on $2 bet)

$2.00 Exacta: $25.80

$1.00 Trifecta: $66.50

$1.00 Superfecta: $162.90

Purse Payouts

  1. Early Voting $900,000
  2. Epicenter $300,000
  3. Creative Minister $165,000

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Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike will skip the Preakness Stakes to prepare for the Belmont Stakes

Rich Strike’s quest for the Triple Crown is over

The 2022 horse racing season will not see a Triple Crown winner.

After a stunning victory in the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike will not run in the Preakness Stakes on May 21 and instead prepare for the Belmont Stakes on June 11, owner Rick Dawson and trainer Eric Reed announced.

The colt was an extremely late entry into the Kentucky Derby field, drawing in on Friday after a scratch opened up a spot in the field. That saw the three-year-old’s odds languish at 80-to-1 before pulling off the second-largest upset in Derby history.

Rich Strike becomes just the third horse to win the Kentucky Derby and skip the Preakness since 1996. Justify in 2018 remains the last horse to win the Triple Crown.

Over the last 30 years, Derby champions who won with odds of 10-to-1 or longer have won the Preakness four times (I’ll Have Another in 2012, Funny Cide in 2003, War Emblem in 2002 and Charismatic in 1999). In 2019, Country House won the Kentucky Derby at 65.2-to-1 odds before skipping the Preakness after contracting a virus.

Mandaloun, which was deemed winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby following the disqualification on Medina Spirit, also skipped the Preakness.

The remainder of the 2022 Preakness field has yet to be announced.

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May Sports Betting Calendar: PGA Championship, NHL playoffs and Kentucky Derby

The NBA playoffs roll into the conference finals too.

Get your mint julep’s ready, because it’s May and that means horse racing season is upon us. Here’s your guide on what to bet this month, and nothing brings out the big spenders quite like Triple Crown races, beginning with the Kentucky Derby early in the month and Preakness Stakes later.

The NBA Playoffs also continue, with the second round giving way to the conference finals later in the month. And the Stanley Cup Playoff will get underway too, as the NHL looks to crown a champion.

Below is a look at all of these events and more coming up in May.

Odds via Tipico

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