Belmont Stakes Odds 2016: Examining Lines, Payouts and Picks for Belmont Field

Exaggerator enters the Belmont Stakes with an opportunity to capture the latter two gems of the Triple Crown, but a field stacked with several fresh horses promises to give him a run for his money.

While Exaggerator won't have to deal with Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness Stakes third-place finisher Nyquist, the added distance of the Belmont Stakes and the fact that much of the field skipped the Preakness could work against him despite being the heavy favorite.

Here is a look at the current Belmont Stakes odds ahead of Saturday's race, along with payout info and predictions for how the third and final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown will conclude.

Belmont Stakes Odds

Post	Horse	Jockey	Odds
1	Governor Malibu	Joel Rosario	14-1
2	Destin	Javier Castellano	9-1
3	Cherry Wine	Corey Lanerie	8-1
4	Suddenbreakingnews	Mike Smith	7-1
5	Stradivari	John Velazquez	7-1
6	Gettysburg	Paco Lopez	40-1
7	Seeking The Soul	Florent Geroux	40-1
8	Forever d'Oro	Jose Ortiz	40-1
9	Trojan Nation	Aaron Gryder	40-1
10	Lani	Yutaka Take	16-1
11	Exaggerator	Kent Desormeaux	5-4
12	Brody's Cause	Luis Saez	14-1
13	Creator	Irad Ortiz Jr.	16-1

Belmont Stakes Payout Info

Finish	Earnings
Total Purse	$1,500,000
1st	$800,000
2nd	$280,000
3rd	$150,000
4th	$100,000
5th	$60,000
6th	$45,000
7th	$35,000
8th	$30,000

Belmont Stakes Picks

Win: Exaggerator

Many had Nyquist tabbed as a Triple Crown winner after his dominant performance in the Kentucky Derby, but a late push from Exaggerator in that race provided hope for an upset in the Preakness Stakes.

That is precisely what happened, and after finally conquering Nyquist, Exaggerator enters the Belmont Stakes as the unquestioned favorite—rightfully so.

He finished second or better in three consecutive races, and no other horse in the field was as consistent in big races.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux likes what he has seen out of his colt since the Preakness and expects big things out of him at Belmont Park, according to Larry Fine of Reuters: "You couldn't get him any better than he is now. He's very sound, he's very fresh. He seems very confident. ... I talk about his antics and his energy all the time but it's controlled energy. It's not nervous. He's very confident and he should be sitting on a huge race."

The one concern regarding Exaggerator is the fact that the Belmont Stakes is the longest Triple Crown race at 1 1/2 miles.

He isn't as well-rested as the other horses in the field, and while that didn't impact American Pharoah last year, every horse reacts differently to those factors.

Assuming Desormeaux's assessment is accurate, though, Exaggerator is in top form, and that should be enough to hold off a bevy of challengers who aren't quite on his level.

Place: Suddenbreakingnews

Suddenbreakingnews skipped the Preakness despite finishing a strong fifth in the Kentucky Derby. After taking more than a month off, he is set to make a legitimate run at winning the Belmont Stakes.

Like most of the horses in the field, Suddenbreakingnews has never run 1 1/2 miles in an official race, but that doesn't seem to concern trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

According to Paulick Report, Von Hemel believes Suddenbreakingnews should be able to handle the distance without much issue:

"

It looks like with the way he ran in the Derby and with his pedigree the mile-and-a-half distance should suit him well. It's one of the few mile-and-a-half races we have left in America so I think we need to go run in it. Pace is always an issue and we'll have to see how that shapes up, but he can go a mile-and-a-half so we'll do what we can do.

"

While Suddenbreakingnews hasn't won a race since February, he has never finished worse than fifth in his career. His seven finishes of second or better suggest he is likely to at least be in the mix.

He didn't have enough left in the tank to challenge Exaggerator or Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby. While that may be the case once again in the Belmont, he has a skill set that could at least net him a second-place result.

Show: Destin

Destin doesn't necessarily have an ideal starting spot on the inside at No. 2, but the Kentucky Derby sixth-place finisher remains a horse to watch in the Belmont.

The Todd Pletcher-trained colt didn't get off to a great start in the Derby, but a late charge earned him a respectable finish. It suggests he could be a player if jockey Javier Castellano guides him to a great trip.

Destin won two consecutive races ahead of the Kentucky Derby, including the Tampa Bay Derby, and he has three victories overall in just six career races.

The No. 2 starting spot could prevent Destin from getting to a desired spot on the track, which would make an upset bid unlikely, but the manner in which he finished the Derby suggests that he is a strong bet for a top-three finish if nothing else.

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