2022 Belmont Stakes horses, contenders, odds, date: Proven expert who called last 2 winners reveals picks

Rich Strike took a break after winning the Kentucky Derby as an 80-1 long shot, but he will be on the track for the 2022 Belmont Stakes on June 11. He will not have the longest odds in the field this time around, as he is listed at 5-1 in the early 2022 Belmont Stakes odds. The Eric Reed-trained horse has finished in the top three in five of his past seven races, and he has had plenty of time to prepare for this race. Should you be backing Rich Strike to complete the Derby-Belmont Double with your 2022 Belmont Stakes bets?

Mo Donegal, who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness Stakes, is listed as the 5-2 favorite. He had three wins and two third-place finishes in his career prior to racing in a loaded field at Churchill Downs, with one of those wins coming at the Wood Memorial Stakes in April. With so much to consider, you’ll want to see what SportsLine’s Jody Demling has to say before entering any 2022 Belmont Stakes picks or horse racing predictions of your own, considering his spectacular track record in this race.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the Belmont Stakes 2022 having nailed the winner of this race three of the last four years. He hit the exacta, trifecta, and superfecta in last year’s Belmont Stakes with Essential Qualiy. Two years ago, Demling said Tiz the Law was clearly the class of the field, and Barclay Tagg’s horse pulled away for a convincing 3 3/4-length victory. In 2018, he was all over Justify, jockey Mike Smith, and trainer Bob Baffert to make horse racing history at Belmont Park. The result: Justify became just the 13th Triple Crown winner ever, and anyone who followed Demling’s lead cashed in too.

He’s coming off a major heater in 2020: At one point, he picked the winners of six straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world. He has hit 10 of the last 14 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but four times in the last 14 years. He’s also called nine of the last 18 Preakness winners, keenly understanding when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset, and nailed this year’s Preakness trifecta. Anyone who has followed him is up huge.

Now, with the Belmont Stakes 2022 approaching, Demling is sharing his picks and predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Top 2022 Belmont Stakes predictions

One of Demling’s surprising 2022 Belmont Stakes picks: He is fading We The People, even though he is one of the top favorites and just won the Peter Pan Stakes. We The People has shot up the betting market after winning the Peter Pan at Belmont Park last month. However, this is going to be a big step up in competition.

The 3-year-old was unable to compete with a strong field at the Arkansas Derby in April, finishing in seventh place. He is going to be facing another strong group of horses at the Belmont Stakes later this month. We The People went off as the second favorite in the Arkansas Derby, and there is no value backing him at short odds again in the Belmont Stakes. 

How to make 2022 Belmont Stakes picks, bets

2022 Belmont Stakes horses, odds