Only ten horses are scheduled to enter the starting gate for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8. Of those ten horses, two will offer short odds, Tacitus and War of Will. The third choice in the betting right now is Everfast at +800. Due to his odds, Everfast qualifies as a dark horse. Does Everfast deserve backing as the dark horse to win the Test of Champions? Check out the Belmont Stakes odds and analysis of the dark horse and longshot runners at the 2019 Belmont Stakes.
2019 Belmont Stakes Dark Horses and Longshots
- When: Saturday, June 8
- Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream: NBCSports.com
2019 Belmont Stakes Odds
- Everfast +800
- Spinoff +900
- Master Fencer +1100
- Intrepid Heart +1200
- Sir Winston +1600
- Tax +1600
- Bourbon War +1600
- Joevia +3300
Among Everfast, Spinoff, Master Fencer, and Intrepid Heart, which horse is the best dark horse pick?
Everfast ran very well to finish second to War of Will in the Preakness Stakes. Although he looks to be improving, he’s not as well bed as Spinoff or Intrepid Heart. Either one of those horses qualifies as a better choice over Everfast or Master Fencer.
Both are trained by Todd Pletcher. Pletcher ran Spinoff in the Kentucky Derby. He’s always felt that Intrepid Heart could win the Belmont Stakes, though. The son of Tapit had a nice education in the Peter Pan Stakes when finishing third to Global Campaign and Sir Winston. Of the two Pletcher runners, Intrepid Heart is the better choice.
Not that anything’s wrong with Spinoff. If you like him more than Intrepid Heart, back him with confidence.
Which +1600 choice, Sir Winston, Tax, or Bourbon War, has the best chance to win the 2019 Belmont Stakes?
Bourbon War is the throw out in this group of longshots. Bourbon War must improve to contend for the Belmont Stakes. He’s a closer. He’s not as good of a closer as Sir Winston. Mark Casse saddles Sir Winston. The Awesome Again sired colt ran great in the Peter Pan to lose to Global Campaign by only 1 ¼ lengths. He should get the distance since his grandsire on his broodmare’s side is Afleet Alex, the 2005 Belmont Stakes winner.
Tax had no shot in the Derby after getting stuck on the inside. He would much prefer to run closer to the pace in the Derby. Tax gave Tacitus all he could handle in the Wood Memorial. Tax’s sire, Arch, provides a ton of distance breeding.
Either Tax or Sir Winston qualifies as a better longshot play than Bourbon War.
Does Joevia have a shot to win the Test of Champions on Saturday?
The quick answer is no. Joevia won the Long Branch in Monmouth in his last. Before that race, though, he finished eleventh against Tax and Tacitus in the Wood Memorial. He’s not really bred to get the 1 ½ mile distance since his sire is Shanghai Bobby.
There’s a lot going against Joevia, but huge, massive, longshots have won the Belmont Stakes in the past 20 years. D’Tara, Commendable, and Sarava come to mind. If you want to take a huge shot, why not? If you don’t think it’s worth it, lay off.
