Joel Rosario’s track record in the Belmont Stakes is impressive, as he’s had six top-three finishes in 10 career appearances. The 37-year-old Dominican jockey has won the race twice, taking the crown with Tonalist in 2014 and with Sir Winston five years later. Rosario will go for his third victory when he rides Barber Road for the first time in the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Barber Road, a 10-1 long shot, finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby last month with Reylu Gutierrez on board. We the People is the 2-1 favorite in the 2022 Belmont Stakes odds, while Mo Donegal is the 5-2 second choice. Rich Strike, which won the Kentucky Derby as an 80-1 long shot, is 7-2 among the 2022 Belmont Stakes contenders. Post time for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont 2022 is 6:44 p.m. ET. 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
One surprise: Yu likes what she sees from the Todd Pletcher-trained filly Nest, even though she’s a long shot at 8-1. Looking to become just the fourth filly to win the Belmont Stakes, she won four of her first five starts before a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Oaks last month.
Nest made her debut at Belmont Park on Sept. 25, winning the 1 1/16-mile race by five lengths, and she appears eager to run the extra distance on Saturday based on her stretch run at Churchill Downs. “Her sire (Curlin) and damsire (A.P. Indy) scream stamina, and her full brother (Idol) loves the classic distance,” Yu told SportsLine. She is using Nest prominently in her 2022 Belmont Stakes betting strategy.
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.
