Belmont Oaks Betting Guide

The Belmont Oaks is one of the biggest races of the season for fillies and mares. This Grade 1 will be taking place on July 3rd. You can learn more about this famous race and the betting trends to look out for in this article.

Belmont Oaks Event Details

The Belmont Oaks is a Grade 1 race, which is open the fillies that are three years old. Unlike many of the other big races in the United States, this race takes place on the turf at Belmont Park.


Horses competing in the race will turn left-handed and race over a distance of 1 ¼ miles. There is a lucrative prize purse for horses competing, as there is $750,000 available.

Belmont Oaks Preview

The Belmont Oaks will attract a talented field of horses, as the winner of this race will be entered directly into the prestigious Filly and Mare Turf race at the Breeders’ Cup. Entries won’t be made for this race until the week of the race. However, below you will be able to find some of the horses that have won the race in the recent past.


  • Magic Attitude (2020)

  • Concrete Rose (2019)

  • Athena (2018)

  • New Money Honey (2017)

  • Catch A Glimpse (2016)

  • Lady Eli (2015)


Some of the most talented three-year-old fillies in training have won this race in the past. Trainers and horses have also traveled over from far and wide to win this race. Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien trained the winner in 2018, as Athena smashed the time record to win the Belmont Oaks. However, success in this race doesn’t necessarily mean victory in the Filly and Mare Turf race at the Breeders’ Cup. Athena finished in fifth place in the prestigious Grade 1.


In fact, only three of the previous six winners of this race have gone on to compete at the Breeders’ Cup. The most successful of these was Lady Eli, who finished second behind Queen’s Trust in the famous Grade 1. Another popular route that has been taken by winners of this race is the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland. Three of the previous six winners entered the race, but none won the Grade 1.


Previous winners of the race have all had Graded form coming into the race. Five of the previous six winners have at least won a Grade 3 before lining up for the Belmont Oaks. The only exception to the rule was Athena, who had won on just one occasion from nine starts before lining up.


Two of the previous three winners have all raced in Europe prior to the Belmont Oaks. Athena competed in prestigious races such as the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Grade 1 Juddmonte Pretty Polly Stakes at Curragh. Meanwhile, Magic Attitude won her maiden in France at Lyon Parilly. She also had Grade 3 success in the Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp before racing in the Belmont Oaks.

Belmont Oaks History

The Belmont Oaks has been a popular race on the American racing schedule since being established in 1979. The race was previously known as the Garden City Breeders’ Cup. Before that, it was known as the Rare Perfume. It was also renamed the Garden City Stakes between 2007 and 2013.


The race didn’t become a Grade 1 until 1999. It is also now a race that is a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Athena holds the record for the quickest time to win the Belmont Oaks, as she won in a time of 1:58.71 in 2018. Three owners have all had the winner on two occasions. Ogden Phipps, John W. Phipps, and Tabor, Magnier & Derrick Smith all jointly hold the record.


Jose A. Santos is the most successful jockey in the history of the Belmont Oaks, as he has won on four occasions. Meanwhile, Chad Brown is the most successful trainer, as he has recorded five wins. Four of his wins came in the renewals between 2012 and 2015.

Belmont Oaks Betting Information

The Grade 1 Belmont Oaks is a hugely entertaining race on the turf for horse racing fans, and there are a wide variety of markets that gamblers can bet on the action using. Below, you can find some of the markets that will be offered with the leading sportsbooks for the Belmont Oaks.


  • Win: The most popular way to place a wager on the Belmont Oaks is to bet on the horse that will win the race.

  • Place: Instead of betting on the winner, you could place a wager on a selection that will finish in a place position.

  • Trifecta: The most difficult market to bet on is the Trifecta. Here, winnings will only be paid out if you correctly predict the horses to finish in first, second, and third in the correct order.