2014 Belmont Stakes: Assessing Latest Odds Movement Prior to Race

With the 2014 Belmont Stakes fast approaching, bettors have already begun to place wagers on the 11-horse field.

As we know, odds will continue to shift throughout the day leading up to post time due to the amount of money placed on each particular horse.

So, which horses are getting the most early action?

While we impatiently await California Chrome's attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years, let's see if the odds are swinging in his favor.

Before betting opened up, we had the morning-line odds after the post position draw. Here's a look at those odds courtesy of BelmontStakes.com.

Post	Horse	Odds
1	Medal Count	20-1
2	California Chrome	3-5
3	Matterhorn	30-1
4	Commanding Curve	15-1
5	Ride On Curlin	12-1
6	Matuszak	30-1
7	Samraat	20-1
8	Commissioner	20-1
9	Wicked Strong	6-1
10	General a Rod	20-1
11	Tonalist	8-1

Things started to change in a big way on Friday night.

David Grening of the Daily Racing Form tweeted the first bit of odds movement with a small amount of money in the pool:

After the early betting, California Chrome not only remained the favorite, but his odds shifted from 3-5 down to 1-2.

The speedy Commanding Curve was a big mover. He dropped from 15-1 down to 6-1, suddenly becoming the second favorite.

It appears early bettors had his sparkling Kentucky Derby performance in mind when placing their wagers. Take a look back at his performance in the Derby by keeping a close eye on No. 17:

Surprisingly enough, Wicked Strong fell from 6-1 odds to 8-1. That may have been a prime time to wager on the horse, as his odds wouldn't stay there.

Grening was back on Twitter at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday to give another update on the Belmont Stakes odds movement. Here's how things changed:

There's certainly some separation beginning here, as the favorites and long shots grow further apart following many more wagers.

California Chrome and Wicked Strong are back to their opening odds at 3-5 and 6-1, respectively.

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Ride On Curlin and Commanding Curve continue to be favorites, as each horse has seen his odds reduced significantly from the morning line.

Perhaps one of the more interesting trends is the odds movement of Tonalist.

He opened with 8-1 odds, moved to 13-1 on Friday night and is now up to 15-1 odds. Even though he's a newcomer to this year's Triple Crown races, he's already won at Belmont Park this year in the Peter Pan Stakes.

There may be little faith in Tonalist right now, but here's a reminder of what he's already done at Belmont Park:

The odds will continue to shift leading up to post time. This is just another of the many developing narratives leading up to what should be an exhilarating Belmont Stakes.