Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will try to win the Belmont Stakes for the fourth time when he sends out two horses, Mo Donegal and Nest, in the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The 54-year-old Pletcher has won the Test of the Champion with Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (’13) and Tapwrit (’17). Just seven trainers have won more Belmonts.
On Saturday, Pletcher goes for No. 4 with Wood Memorial winner Mo Donegal, who is the 5-2 second choice in the 2022 Belmont Stakes odds, and Kentucky Oaks runner-up Nest, who is an 8-1 long shot in the eight-horse Belmont Stakes field. Peter Pan Stakes winner We the People is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, while long shot Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is the 7-2 third choice. Given the shocking Triple Crown season thus far, you’ll want to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2022 Belmont Stakes picks.
Few people in racing are as connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders’ Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
She also has tremendous handicapping chops. In the 2011 Kentucky Derby, she correctly tabbed Animal Kingdom to win at a hefty 21-1. In the 2017 Breeders’ Cup, she nailed 11-1 long shot Wuheida to win the Filly and Mare Turf. Last year, in a wide-open Kentucky Derby, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. And in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager this year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2022 Belmont Stakes field, made her picks and constructed her bets. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2022 Belmont Stakes predictions
After taking a close look at each of the eight horses in the 2022 Belmont Stakes field, Yu likes the prospects of Kentucky Oaks runner-up Nest. A long shot on the morning line at 8-1, Nest is one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country. She has four wins in six career starts and is coming off a second place finish in the Oaks behind Secret Oath.
But Yu believes that the longer the race, the better that is for Nest, whose bloodline is littered with stallions known for stamina in their offspring. “Her sire [Curlin] and damsire [A.P. Indy] scream stamina, and her full brother [Idol] loves the classic distance,” Yu told SportsLine. Yu will be using Nest in her 2022 Belmont Stakes bets.
How to make 2022 Belmont Stakes picks, bets
In addition, Yu is high on a double-digit long shot who “has done nothing but compete every time.” She is including this horse in her 2022 Belmont Stakes bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2022 Belmont Stakes bets? What double-digit long shot is a must-back? And what does Yu think of every horse in the race? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Belmont Stakes, and find out.
