Belmont Stakes 2012 Odds: Last-Minute Advice You Must Take
Don't make your final bets on the 2012 Belmont Stakes until you have read this column.
Betting lines have been in a bit of an uproar since the announcement that I'll Have Another won't be competing in the race due to tendinitis in his left leg. He had been the heavy favorite to win the race, with Dullahan and Union Rags earning significantly lower odds.
Now that he's no longer in the mix, Dullahan has become the odds-on favorite to win at 9-5, according to BelmontStakes.org. This leads me to my first word of advice for you...
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Don't Trust Vegas!
According to VegasInsider.com, the last four winners at Belmont have all been significant underdogs, and as such, they have paid $51.50, $28, $25.80, and $79—huge winners for the lucky ones who bet on them.
In fact, since Affirmed won the race to complete the Triple Crown way back in 1978, there have only been seven winners who have been the odds-on favorites before the race began, according to HorseRacing.about.com.
Besides, if you do bet on one of the favorites and they win, you aren't going to take home a ton of cash anyways. Which leads me to my next point...
Go with Your Gut
If you are betting on this race, chances are you've read all there is to read about which horses have the best chance to win. You aren't blindly going to pick a horse based on the color of the jockey's jersey, and you honestly want to make a sound decision.
If you like a horse like Optimizer at 16-1, then go with him and forget about trying to balance your opinion against the oddsmakers. After all, we've seen how reliable they are, right?
Go with your gut. Trust your instincts, and have fun watching your favorite horse give it a go.
But Don't Mortgage Your Future
Make smart decisions, folks. Don't bet the farm on a horse race. Betting is supposed to be fun, but it's easy to get sucked into the addictive nature of winning. Don't get sucked in.
Have fun with your bets. Make savvy decisions based on what you've read and what you feel in your gut. See how well you stack up against your friends, and above all, enjoy the race.
Here are the latest odds for every horse, according to BelmontStakes.org:
| Horse | Odds |
| Atigun | 24-1 |
| Dullahan | 9-5 |
| Five Sixteen | 50-1 |
| Guyana Star Dweej | 60-1 |
| Optimizer | 16-1 |
| Paynter | 9-2 |
| Street Life | 17-2 |
| Union Rags | 11-5 |
| Unstoppable U | 21-1 |
| Ravelo's Boy | 40-1 |
| My Adonis | 20-1 |
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
