Belmont Stakes 2022 Contenders: Odds, Jockey and Pedigree Info for Top Favorites

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There’s only an eight-horse field for the 2022 Belmont Stakes, so there will be fewer participants in Saturday’s race than there were in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes last month. However, those who watched those events will recognize some of the horses. Most notably, Derby champion Rich Strike.

After an improbable victory as an 80-1 longshot in the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike is set to return to race action in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York, after he didn’t run the Preakness. Although a Triple Crown isn’t on the line, Rich Strike could go 2-for-2 in the marquee events that he ran.

Mo Donegal and Barber Road are the other Kentucky Derby participants that will be racing on Saturday, while Creative Minister and Skippylongstocking both competed in the Preakness and are also running the Belmont.

Here’s the full field for the 2022 Belmont Stakes, followed by a closer look at the top contenders.

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1. We The People (2-1)
Pedigree: Constitution and Letchworth
Jockey: Flavien Prat

2. Skippylongstocking (20-1)
Pedigree: Exaggerator and Twinkling
Jockey: Manuel Franco

3. Nest (8-1)
Pedigree: Curlin and Marion Ravenwood
Jockey: Jose Ortiz

4. Rich Strike (7-2)
Pedigree: Keen Ice and Gold Strike
Jockey: Sonny Leon

5. Creative Minister (6-1)
Pedigree: Creative Cause and Tamboz
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

6. Mo Donegal (5-2)
Pedigree: Uncle Mo and Callingmissbrown
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

7. Golden Glider (20-1)
Pedigree: Ghostzapper and Golden Scarf
Jockey: Dylan Davis

8. Barber Road (10-1)
Pedigree: Race Day and Encounter
Jockey: Joel Rosario

Odds via BelmontStakes.com

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We The People didn’t run either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness, yet he’s the morning-line favorite to win the Belmont on Saturday. The colt has won three of his first four career races, including the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park last month, when he held off Golden Glider and raced to victory.

Flavien Prat will be We The People’s jockey, and he’ll be looking to win the race for the first time after finishing second on Hot Rod Charlie last year in his Belmont debut. Prat has already won the Kentucky Derby (Country House in 2019) and the Preakness (Rombauer in 2021), so he only needs to win the Belmont to complete his personal Triple Crown.

In We The People’s only non-victory, he finished seventh in the Arkansas Derby in April. Among the horses he finished behind was Barber Road, who placed second and is also in the Belmont Field.

But if We The People carries over the previous success he’s had at Belmont Park, then it’s quite possible he could win Saturday’s race from the No. 1 post.

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Mo Donegal didn’t have a great showing at the Kentucky Derby, but a big reason for that was the colt’s start. He began in the No. 1 post and quickly fell toward the back of the field. Despite that, he worked his way back up to a fifth-place finish.

There’s a good chance that Mo Donegal has a much better start in the Belmont, in which he’ll begin from the No. 6 post. That should give him an opportunity to contend for the victory, considering he won three of his four races prior to the Derby.

Irad Ortiz Jr. is returning as Mo Donegal’s jockey, and he’ll be looking to win the Belmont Stakes for the second time. His previous victory came on Creator in 2016. That’s the only time that Ortiz has won a Triple Crown event.

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Most people know Rich Strike’s story by now. He wasn’t originally supposed to be in the 20-horse field for the Kentucky Derby, but when Ethereal Road was a late scratch, there was an opening for Rich Strike, who entered the race with 80-1 odds, the longest of any horse in the field.

For much of the Derby, it didn’t seem like Rich Strike was going to be a factor in the finish. And then, he used a late surge and overtook numerous horses out of the final turn, before chasing down Epicenter and passing him to secure the victory.

That was also the Kentucky Derby debut for jockey Sonny Leon, who will now be participating in the Belmont Stakes for the first time as well. This time, Rich Strike won’t be a surprise winner if he ends up in first place, either.

Can Rich Strike pull off another impressive run and come away with a second win during Triple Crown season? He at least has a strong chance and should be a top contender.