Horse racing is one of the oldest sports and probably the culture of sports betting began with it. After all, derby is the oldest and most aristocratic entertainment. Thoroughbred mounts have always been objects of admiration and interest of the elites, and this is where the culture of competitions like Belmont Stakes came from.

Breeding thoroughbred animals was one of the opportunities to demonstrate the wealth and well-being of the family for any nobles in the 17 – 19 centuries. Derby wagering began to gain popularity from these times.

And even though at some periods in history the authorities tried to ban sports betting and similar competitions, the races’ increasing popularity led to the legalization of betting. So, as example, it happened in Great Britain and in the USA, which are considered the birthplace of horse racing and the modern center of wagering on derby in the world.

It is worth noting that tournaments are a rather vast field, since each country strives to create its own championship and popularize it as much as possible, there is no single world cups standard in this scope. The largest competitions are usually held in the homeland of such races, namely in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, India has not been lagging lately.

Each race in different countries has its own distinctive features and specifications, since there are many breeds and route options, which is why tournaments have their own uniqueness.

One of the oldest and most popular tournaments now is Belmont Stakes. This racing was founded 155 years ago in the distant 1867 and since then the competition has been delayed only twice in 1911-1912 due to The Hart-Agnew Law, when the authorities tried to ban gambling in general, and during this period all preventive measures were tightened so much that holding competitions became dangerous.

Basic information about Belmont Stakes

Founded in 1876 by tycoon August Belmont Sr., who adored thoroughbreds and bred them as a hobby. The tournament is also the final third of the Triple Crown in the United States. Often Belmont Stakes are called «Test of the Champion» because it is the longest 1.5-mile track in the Triple Crown series.

The competition is held for three-year-old Thoroughbreds in Elmont, New York. The contest is traditionally held after the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes on the first or second Saturday in June.

The highlights of the racing are:

• part of the Triple Crown;
• breed – thoroughbreds;
• dirt track;
• left-handed;
• three-year-old animals!

The prize purse is $1.5 million, which is attractive to many owners and breeders.

Below is a Belmont races chronology of changes in the prize fund:

Although the prize purse gradually grew, the winner did not always receive the full amount, e.g., in the 90s, out of 500,000 dollars in the prize fund, the winner received only about 400,000, but since 1998 the winning amount has become guaranteed, and the winner really receives the declared winning amount.

Belmont is the oldest of the Triple Crown and although the venue is Belmont Park in the USA, the first races were held at Jerome Park.

American Pharoah, the 2015 winner, is certainly worth mentioning as the most popular winner of recent years and has become one of the most notable horses of that season. The last mount to achieve the same results was 37 years ago and so getting the title “Thrice Crowned”, which an animal can only get once in a lifetime, has brought a lot more attention to racing around the world.

His jockey Victor Espinoza and Coach Bob Baffert distinguished themselves by winning the Triple Crown that year. It is worth noting the trainer outstanding talents:

• 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh;
• 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify;
• a record six Kentucky Derbies;
• seven Preakness Stakes;
• three Belmont Stakes;
• three Kentucky Oaks!

It’s quite impressive.

Competition results of recent years 2019–2022

2023 season preparation should be started from considering the winners of recent years and what stakes were placed in previous years.

Tournament in Belmond 2019

There were 151 tournaments, which were held 108 times in Belmont Park, because sometimes the tournament was held in a completely different place. The winner was Sir Winston with a time of 2:28.30.

Despite the smooth running of the event without incident, the results were unexpected for many, which increases the interest in such events.

Covid 19 – tournament in 2020

The Covid 19 pandemic has disrupted many competition plans and traditions. As an example, the traditionally held third Belmont tournament suddenly became the first in line and was held on June 20, while Preakness Stakes could only be held in October.

In addition, the track was shortened from 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles up to 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles. The organizers also had to reduce the prize purse established in 2014 from $1,500,000 to $1,000,000.

Due to Covid measures, only the most essential people, such as coaches, jockeys and critical personnel, were allowed into the stadium during the competition. It is noteworthy that even the owners of the animals were not allowed into the stadium.

The winning coach at the time of the competition was 82 years old, which is the Belmont record.

Also, due to the ban on the presence of spectators at the stadium, there was a high need for high-quality online broadcasting.

What do you remember in 2021?

After a rather non-standard year to the whole world in 2020 and serious difficulties faced by the organizers of any competitions or mass events, Belton in 2021 passed calmly and measuredly in its best traditions.

The length of the route, the prize fund and even the presence of spectators, albeit with restrictions, returned to normal to traditional values.

It was originally planned that Known Agenda will race with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. , who finished second in 2020 but had to be substituted 2 days before the final due to injury.

Were there any surprises in the last season of 2022?

The contest went according to plan on June 7, with We The People being the favorite, but Mo Donegal was able to snatch the victory from him.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who was unable to compete in 2021 due to a sudden injury, returned to action and picked first place in the bout.

What will Belmond ‘s anniversary bring in 2023?

The 2023 Belmond tournament will be the 155th race. It all starts with the festival on June 9–10, and the final of the competition is scheduled for June 11.

Already now you can buy tickets in different areas of the stadium, so it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the seating guide as soon as possible and buy a couple of tickets for such a significant event. Ticket prices vary depending on the sector and row in the stadium, as well as packages of offers and additional services.

The traditional Triple Crown is scheduled for the usual dates.

Perhaps, a new champion who won all 3 competitions will appear in 2023 and the celebration will take place on a large scale. Already by the beginning of Belmont it will be clear whether there are the title of king contenders.

Racing season 2022 best jockeys

To prepare for the new season, it’s necessary to study carefully the most outstanding and promising jockeys of the outgoing season.

It is possible to create Top jockeys according to various criteria, but the most popular and visual one is the percentage of wins and the amount of winnings.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. deserves the most attention, because his example is quite revealing. After failing to compete at Belmont in 2021, he has performed brilliantly in 2022. The conclusion is that before the start of the big race season, it is worth studying the current leaderboard.

Do not forget about trainers and stallions, because the victory is influenced not only by the thoroughbredness and breed of the animal, but also by the talent and skill of the jockey, as well as the skills of the coach.

Most importantly, before making bets, do not forget to familiarize yourself with the main aspects of racing and betting.

Horse racing betting today

Bets on Belmont Stakes have been the most exciting moment in the United States for half a century now, and they have also achieved wide popularity in many other countries where gamblers are interested in derby. The closer the final part of the Triple Crown, the more excitement is caused by various strategies and betting tips on the derby.

Let’s start with simple horse racing betting.

Direct betting

Direct betting is the simplest and most understandable type of betting in both card and real competitions. The key rule is: «One participant – one outcome», that is, if using an example, then the bet is formed as follows: «Horse number 6 will finish second». If the 6th rider comes second, then the bet is played, you can take your winnings.

For obvious reasons, such rates are much simpler than those that will be discussed later, but in this case, quotes may be lower.

Exotic Derby Betting

The essence of these stacks is the fulfillment of not one, as in simple predictions, but two or more. For example: «Horse 6 will come first, and horse 4 will come second». Thus, the more parameters you set, the more difficult it is to predict the winnings, therefore, of course, this type is one of the most profitable.

Wheel Bet

Wheel Bet – a type of wager for those who are confident in one of the mounts, but not in others. So, the player chooses the main mount and bets on the position that it will come in the race.

There are two main types of such bets:

• full wheel;
• partial wheel.

So what is the difference between them. When betting on a full wheel, you need to choose a key horse that will come in a certain position, while «all» bets are placed on all other horses and it does not matter which they came with.

As for the partial wheel, the circle is smaller. That is, the key horse is also selected, but further bets are placed not on all, but on several participants.

Boxing Bet

Boxing bets – the player chooses several participants, e.g., top 3 in no specific order. This method is very simple and significantly reduces the risk of losing money, but the gain here is correspondingly small.

Is Belmont Stakes worth watching and wager on competitions in this tournament?

If you are interested in rases, then the answer is yes. After all, this is one of the largest and long-awaited events of the racing season. Not only are tickets sold out almost instantly, but every year there are more and more people who want to apply for participation in tournaments.

And this, not to mention the true fans and connoisseurs of horse racing, who are happy to make the most diverse and risky bets every year at this competition.

Of course, you should pay attention to trusted bookmakers who have licenses and guarantee reliability. Here is a list of some of the best:

• Parimatch;
• Unibet;
• Campobet;
• Mostbet;
• Pure Win;
• Sportaza;
• Linebet!

All of them are reliable and well-versed in racing bookmakers. You can also contact other organizations, but do not forget to check them in advance for honesty, reliability and the availability of lines and competitions of interest to you.

As a feature it is possible to use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to bet, because they are gaining more and more popularity now. And if you want to bet in this way, then you should familiarize yourself with the capabilities of bookmakers, ease of use and the speed of crediting funds.

Also, these races are not included in the list of equestrian sports at the Olympic Games, since here it is the competition of horses, and not athletes. This sport is very gambling in this regard. He is second in the world in terms of rates. This is since the winner is very often unpredictable.

Horse racing betting is legal and profitable

Summing up, it is worth saying that betting on horse racing is not only interesting, profitable, but also legal.

Therefore, if you have not started betting yet, you should think about participating in the upcoming 2023 season, and maybe even visiting the stadium live!