The short answer
The 159th Belmont Stakes is listed for Saturday 5 June 2027 at the rebuilt Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, where it returns after three years at Saratoga. It is the final leg of the Triple Crown and is expected to go back to its traditional 1½ miles. The New York Racing Association has published the date; we have not yet seen the state Gaming Commission’s approval, which NYRA race dates normally need. You can bet it through the usual pari-mutuel routes where your state allows.
Belmont Park reopens
Belmont Park closed for racing in 2023 for a rebuild costing about $555 million, including a $455 million state loan. Governor Kathy Hochul cut the ribbon on 18 September 2026, and a sold-out crowd of about 6,000, limited by ongoing work, bet nearly $14 million on the opening nine-race card.
The upper grandstand floors are due to open in the first quarter of 2027, and capacity for the Belmont Stakes is planned at more than 50,000. The new facility has four surfaces: a 1½-mile dirt main track, two turf courses and a one-mile Tapeta track for year-round racing.
Distance: back to 1½ miles
The three Belmonts run at Saratoga from 2024 to 2026 were run at 1¼ miles. NYRA’s chief executive David O’Rourke has said the race will return to normal at Belmont Park, which means the traditional 1½ miles that earned it the name “The Test of the Champion”. NYRA has not yet published the official 2027 conditions, so treat the distance as expected rather than confirmed.
The Triple Crown in 2027
| Race | Date | Track |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Derby | Saturday 1 May 2027 | Churchill Downs |
| Preakness Stakes | Sunday 23 May 2027 | Pimlico |
| Belmont Stakes | Saturday 5 June 2027 | Belmont Park |
The Preakness’s move to a Sunday leaves only 13 days between the second and third legs in 2027. The Belmont is also part of a new six-race Thoroughbred Championship Series announced by Churchill Downs and NYRA for 2027, with a $5 million bonus pool. The series includes the Derby and the Belmont but not the Preakness.
How to bet the Belmont Stakes
Like every US Triple Crown race, the Belmont is bet through pari-mutuel pools: at the track, at an off-track or simulcast venue, or through an ADW account licensed in the state you are in when you bet. NYRA Bets is NYRA’s own racing ADW. Our guide to betting legally explains how to check your state, and the bet types guide covers the exotic bets that pay the big numbers.
The 2026 Belmont Stakes result
Golden Tempo, the 2026 Kentucky Derby winner, won the 158th Belmont at Saratoga on 6 June 2026 under José Ortiz, in 2:03.49 over 1¼ miles. His trainer, Cherie DeVaux, the first woman to train a Derby winner, became the second woman to train a Belmont winner. Commandment was second and the favourite Renegade third.
| Ticket | Combination | Stake | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 9 (Golden Tempo) | $2 | $14.00 |
| Exacta | 9-7 | $2 | $111.34 |
| Trifecta | 9-7-4 | $1 | $102.64 |
Recent Belmont winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Track, distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Golden Tempo | José Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | Saratoga, 1¼ mi |
| 2025 | Sovereignty | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | Saratoga, 1¼ mi |
| 2024 | Dornoch | Luis Saez | Danny Gargan | Saratoga, 1¼ mi |
| 2023 | Arcangelo | Javier Castellano | Jena Antonucci | Belmont Park, 1½ mi |
| 2022 | Mo Donegal | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher | Belmont Park, 1½ mi |
The 13 Triple Crown winners
Winning the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont in one spring is the hardest feat in American racing. Only 13 horses have done it.
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | Sir Barton | Johnny Loftus | H. Guy Bedwell |
| 1930 | Gallant Fox | Earl Sande | Jim Fitzsimmons |
| 1935 | Omaha | Willie Saunders | Jim Fitzsimmons |
| 1937 | War Admiral | Charles Kurtsinger | George Conway |
| 1941 | Whirlaway | Eddie Arcaro | Ben A. Jones |
| 1943 | Count Fleet | Johnny Longden | Don Cameron |
| 1946 | Assault | Warren Mehrtens | Max Hirsch |
| 1948 | Citation | Eddie Arcaro | Jimmy Jones |
| 1973 | Secretariat | Ron Turcotte | Lucien Laurin |
| 1977 | Seattle Slew | Jean Cruguet | William H. Turner Jr. |
| 1978 | Affirmed | Steve Cauthen | Laz Barrera |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
More Derby history, including records and famous upsets, is in our Kentucky Derby history guide. Belmont Park will also host the Breeders’ Cup on 29–30 October 2027, for the fifth time.
Belmont Stakes questions
When is the 2027 Belmont Stakes?
NYRA lists it for Saturday 5 June 2027 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. State approval of the date had not been published as of October 2026.
Is the Belmont back at Belmont Park?
Yes. Belmont Park reopened on 18 September 2026 after a rebuild, and the 2027 Belmont returns there after three years at Saratoga.
How long is the 2027 Belmont Stakes?
It is expected to return to the traditional 1½ miles. The Saratoga editions from 2024 to 2026 were run at 1¼ miles.
Who won the 2026 Belmont Stakes?
Golden Tempo, who also won the 2026 Kentucky Derby. He paid $14.00 for a $2 win ticket.
How many Triple Crown winners are there?
Thirteen. The most recent is Justify, in 2018.
When is the Breeders' Cup at Belmont Park?
29–30 October 2027, the fifth time Belmont Park hosts it.
Sources
- NYRA: Thoroughbred Championship Series and the 2027 Belmont date
- Governor of New York: Belmont Park reopens (18 Sep 2026)
- AP via AJC: racing returns to rebuilt Belmont Park
- AP via NY1: Belmont Stakes a year from returning home
- Covers: 2026 Belmont Stakes payouts
- Governor of New York: Belmont Park to host the 2027 Breeders' Cup