Who will win the Belmont Stakes? Horses, odds, expert picks & more for 2022 Triple Crown race

The last of the 2022 Triple Crown races is upon us, and while we won't be crowning a Triple Crown winner this year, there is still a chance for a dynamic finish to a strong month-and-a-half of horse racing.

The Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is returning to the track at the Belmont Stakes after sitting out the Preakness. The 80-1 longshot managed to earn one of the most dramatic comeback victories in Derby history to stun onlookers and give casual horse racing fans a thrill.

Rich Strike will be looking to add a second jewel to his crown at the Belmont Stakes. Belmont is the longest of the three races at 1 1/2 miles, and it will be a unique test of endurance for the racehorses. Of course, speed will be paramount at the track as well, especially during the closing stretch.

Rich Strike will have plenty of competition in a field that features derby horses Mo Donegal and Barber Road as well as Preakness horses Creative Minister and Skippylongstocking. Also in the field is Nest, a talented, Todd Pletcher-trained filly who is looking to make history as just the fourth filly to win the Belmont Stakes.

Who should be on your card during the 2022 Belmont Stakes? The Sporting News breaks down the odds and best bets to win the final jewel of the Triple Crown.

MORE: Post positions for the Belmont Stakes in 2022

Belmont Stakes odds 2022

We the People and Mo Donegal are currently the co-favorites to win the Belmont Stakes, according to the latest odds from Sports Interaction. Those two horses and Rich Strike all have better than 5-1 odds to win the race.

Golden Glider is the biggest longshot in this year's race. He has 32-1 odds to win despite competing in just an eight-horse field. Meanwhile, the lone filly in the race, Nest, has 8-1 odds as she looks to become the first filly to win the race since 2007.

Below is a look at where each horse was placed within the starting gate, along with the betting odds for each to win.

Belmont Stakes expert picks

The Belmont Stakes is the longest of the triple crown races, and that will make it the toughest to compete. Racehorses don't often compete in 1 1/2-mile races, so this one will be all about which horses have the stamina and can make enough of a late push to win.

With that said, two horses stand out as the ones that bettors should focus on. They are Rich Strike (+400) and Mo Donegal (+250). 

Rich Strike gained acclaim for winning the Kentucky Derby as the biggest longshot in the field, and his racing style should bode well for Belmont. He stayed near the middle of the pack for most of the race before making a move to the front in the latter half of the race.

If Rich Strike once again stalks for about a mile before kicking into a higher gear for the final half-mile of the race, he should have a chance to finish in front. He is well-rested after skipping the Preakness, so he should have the stamina to get near the front of the pack. The question is whether he and jockey Sonny Leon can time their move to the front properly in the long race.

Meanwhile, Mo Donegal was in contention at the Kentucky Derby, finishing fifth after being placed on the rail. He lost by 3 3/4 lengths but was rapidly gaining ground at the finish line. Over a longer race, he will have more time to make up ground.

It will also help Mo Donegal that he is positioned in the No. 6 gate instead of on the rail. He is a slow starter and got pinned in at the beginning of the Kentucky Derby after falling behind. He should have more room to maneuver at the Belmont Stakes, especially considering that there are only eight horses in the field.

If you're looking for a longer shot in the race, Nest (+800) looks like a solid bet. The filly is trained by the legendary Todd Pletcher, who has sent 33 horses to the Belmont during his career, including Nest's stablemate Mo Donegal. Pletcher coached fellow filly Rags to Riches to a victory in the 2007 Belmont Stakes. That was just the third ever by a filly in that race and the first since 1905.

Nest has won four of her six races and has finished top-three in the other two. She has a good pedigree as the daughter of Curlin, who twice won the Horse of the Year award, so the track record demonstrates that she should be able to compete for a title.

MORE: Why Preakness winner Early Voting isn't running the Belmont Stakes

What is the best post position in horse racing?

The best position in horse racing varies based on both the track and the type of horse running in each spot. Some horses like to have more space when they run, so they often do their best on the outside gates when they have space with which to work.

Meanwhile, the shortest path to victory comes on the rail. As such, getting the No. 1 gate can be an advantage, but it can also lead to issues for more claustrophobic horses. Why? Because they not only have to wait in the gate longer, but they are also granted little space to maneuver on either side.

As such, if those horses get nervous, they may stray from the crowd and hang back during the race to find space. Or they might have to work their way to the outside, which can cause them to lose ground.

That said, the Belmont Stakes tends to favor the horse on the rail. The No. 1 gate has produced the winning horse a whopping 24 times in the history of the race. That's nine more than the second-most favorable gates on the course, Gates 3 and 5 (15).

Suffice to say that the rail-winner will be at an advantage in this race, as they won't have to cover as much ground in the longest of the Triple Crown races.

Belmont Stakes winners by post position

The Belmont Stakes first implemented a starting gate in 1904. Since then, every gate numbered 1-13 has produced a winner while six gates have produced at least 10 winners.

While Gate 1 has produced the most winners in Belmont Stakes history, it hasn't been the most productive gate in recent years. Since 2000, two gates have produced three winners; they are Gates 3 and 7

Below is a list of all of the winners at each gate since 1904.

Post 1 — 24 winners

Post 2 — 13 winners

Post 3 — 15 winners

Post 4 — 10 winners

Post 5 — 15 winners

Post 6 — 8 winners

Post 7 — 14 winners

Post 8 — 7 winners

Post 9 — 4 winners

Post 10 — 1 winner

Post 11 — 3 winners

Post 12 — 1 winner

Post 13 — 1 winner