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The final leg of the Triple Crown is just around the corner. The 2019 Belmont Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, June 8. For more information on the race and how to bet on the event, check out our Belmont betting guide.

Known as the “The Test of Champions” for its grueling distance of 1.5 miles, is often the most difficult of the three legs to predict. For the casual fan, the excitement of this race comes down to whether or not there is a threat to win the Triple Crown. For handicappers and those that like to bet on horse racing, it’s an opportunity to make money.

As of right now there are 10 horses with odds to win the race. I’ve also taken some time to take a quick look at the top contenders in the field.

Who Will Win the Belmont Stakes According to Experts

The odds on favorite to win the race is Tacitus at 9/5 (+180), who is returning to action after skipping the Preakness Stakes following his 3rd place finish at the Kentucky Derby. While technically the favorite, he’s just slightly ahead of Preakness winner War of Will, who is sitting at 2/1 (+200).

Tacitus is one of several horses that participated in the Derby, skipped the Preakness and set to run this Saturday. The others are Master Fencer, Spinoff and Tax. Note that War of Will is the only horse in the field that will participate in all three legs of the Triple Crown.

Everfast and Bourbon War didn’t run at Churchill, but will race at both the Preakness and Belmont. There are also three new faces to take into consideration. Intrepid Heart, Sir Winston and Joevia will all be racing for the first time in the Triple Crown.

For those of you looking for some advice on who to wager on, I’ve provided my win/place/show predictions below. You can check how I did and see if you were a winner with our Belmont payouts page.

Expert Handicapper Picks on Belmont Stakes: Win/Place/Show Predictions

Win: Tacitus (9/5)

I don’t love just taking the favorite, especially at the Belmont Stakes, but I’m taking Tacitus to win the 2019 Belmont Stakes. Tacitus finished 3rd at the Kentucky Derby and that’s the race where all the top horses are in action. I also love the fact that he skipped the Preakness. He’ll also be going toe-to-toe with his toughest competition right from the gate. Tacitus is on the far outside at the No. 10 post and War of Will is right next to him at post No. 9.

All of that is great, but the biggest reason to like Tacitus on Saturday, is where he comes from. Tacitus is the son of Tapit, who is the sire of three of the last five winners at the Belmont Stakes.

Place: Master Fencer (8/1)

While Tacitus and War of Will battle on the outside, I look for Master Fencer to take over the inside out of the No. 3 post. There’s a lot of similarities here with my pick to win and by runner-up. Master Fencer passed up the opportunity to run at Pimlico after a strong 6th place finish at the Kentucky Derby. This Japanese horse showcased his great closing speed at Churchill and now it’s up to veteran jockey Julien Leparoux to deliver the goods.

Show: Intrepid Heart (10/1)

I’m expecting an impressive Triple Crown debut for Intrepid Heart, who is one of those horses that has been bred to win this race. A tactic that trainer Todd Pletcher has used to produce 3 Belmont winners over his career. One key thing that Intrepid Heart has in common with Tacitus, is that he was also sired by Tapit.

*While I’m confident with my 1-2-3 prediction, I will be placing a trifecta box on these three horses.

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