Irad Ortiz Jr. recorded his first Triple Crown victory in 2016, when a photo finish determined Creator edged Destin by a nose. The 29-year-old jockey has been flirting with a second win and was runner-up at the Belmont in 2020 with Dr Post and the Preakness Stakes last year with Midnight Bourbon. Ortiz has a chance to get that elusive second Triple Crown win when he rides Mo Donegal in the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Mo Donegal is 5-2 in the 2022 Belmont Stakes odds, while We the People is the 2-1 favorite. 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. Just the 24th filly to run in the 154 Belmont Stakes, she is looking to join Ruthless (1867), Tanya (1905) and Rags to Riches (2007) as the only females to win the prestigious race.
Nest has history on her side, as her trainer, Todd Pletcher, helped guide Rags to Riches to the winner’s circle for the first of his three career Belmont Stakes victories. She also has a bloodline that could give her an edge in the 1 1/2-mile race. “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 picks.
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.
