Belmont Stakes 2026 Horses, Entry List, Vegas Odds and Dark-Horse Favorites
One of the prevailing storylines of the 2026 Triple Crown races has been the success of underdogs.
Golden Tempo went off with 23-1 odds before his Kentucky Derby triumph.
Napoleon Solo had 8-1 morning-line odds for the Preakness Stakes, but he was the fifth horse on the odds board.
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It's a bit tough to find the ideal dark-horse candidate for the 2026 Belmont Stakes because the field is so top heavy, with Golden Tempo among the nine runners.
If we've learned anything from the first two Triple Crown races, though, it's that you can't count out a horse with longer odds.
Belmont Stakes Entry List
Golden Tempo
Renegade
Chief Wallabee
Commandment
Emerging Market
Growth Equity
Ocelli
Powershift
Ottinho
Dark-Horse Favorites
Ocelli
Ocelli will be the only horse to start in all three Triple Crown races.
Ocelli came out of nowhere to finish third at the Kentucky Derby after he was entered late into the field.
A fourth-place finish followed in the Preakness Stakes, but Ocelli didn't have a great start in that race.
Ocelli is now back among a more talented field of horses for the Belmont.
It's very unlikely that a horse that has run both Triple Crown races will win the Belmont. After all, the name of the game now is to rest the top horses for the Belmont.
The one benefit to backing Ocelli is that he took third in a loaded Derby field, so if little to no fatigue exists for the horse, he should be a contender for one of the podium positions.
Ottinho
Ottinho will have longer odds attached to his name.
However, the long-shot horse does have a chance to be the third surprise winner of the 2026 Triple Crown races.
Ottinho took second in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 4. That's as solid of a result as you'll find for the horses projected to be in the back of the Belmont field.
Ottinho at least has some experience in a bigger race. Whether or not that translates to the Belmont remains to be seen, but it's a positive enough result to consider him as a dark-horse champion.
