Belmont Stakes Odds: 3 Prop Bets That Could Pay off

Picking the winner of the grueling Belmont Stakes is always a tough task, but even tougher in a 2013 horse racing season lacking a dominant horse.

So bettors looking for value Saturday look beyond the morning line odds to some of the props and exotics. Here are three that offer wagering value as the Triple Crown races wrap up on a potentially sloppy track in New York.

Will the winner’s name start with the letter 'O'?

Orb won the Kentucky Derby and is favored, and Oxbow won the Preakness Stakes and is the second betting choice. They are the top and third betting choices respectively, according to the Belmont morning line odds, making this seem like a tempting bet at plus-140.

When you add Overanalyze to the mix as a 14-1 shot, three horses in a field of 14 seems like good value, especially when three of the top five horses meet this prop criteria.

Orb, Oxbow, Overanalyze +140

No -180

Winning time: Over-under 2:29:00

Four of the past five Belmont Stakes have run over 2:29, including three in a row. Without a dominant horse and with the potential of a greasy track, conventional wisdom suggests the time will be slightly slower than normal.

The Belmont Stakes betting history shows a tendency towards long shots in the longest of the Triple Crown races. Interestingly, five straight Belmonts from 2003-2007 all went faster than 2:29.

Over 2:29 -130

Under 2:29 -110

Head to Head Matchups: Orb vs Revolutionary      

Orb -175
Revolutionary +145

His lame performance in the Preakness had many wondering if Orb was a special horse or just had a perfect trip in Kentucky. Revolutionary ran third in the Derby and took the Preakness off, so logic dictates he will be fresher here.

Revolutionary went off as the favorite in Louisville, in part because of a solid showing in the muck . Before the Derby, he had won three straight starts and has never finished out of the money. At plus-145 in a head-to-head proposition against Orb, he seems like good value.

“He broke his maiden on a wet track and ran well in the Derby over sloppy track,” said Michael Dempsey of Turfnsport.com, a veteran handicapper and horseman. “He is bred to like it.”

2013 Belmont Stakes: Odds to win courtesy of Bovada           

1. Frac Daddy                33-1

2. Freedom Child           8-1

3. Overanalyze               14-1

4. Giant Finish               33-1

5. Orb                           7-2

6. Incognito                   25-1

7. Oxbow                      6-1

8. Midnight Taboo          33-1

9. Revolutionary             5-1

10. Will Take Charge      20-1

11. Vyjack                     22-1

12. Palace Malice          10-1

13. Unlimited Budget      9-1

14. Golden Soul             12-1