2026 Belmont Derby picks, odds: Horse racing writer has best bets for Saturday's race

The Will Walden-trained West End Kid will try to become a Grade 1 winner when he leaves the starting gate in the Belmont Derby on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. After losing his career debut, West End Kid has won three in a row. He is coming off a victory in the Pennine Ridge Stakes on the Belmont Stakes undercard. For Saturday he has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 2026 Belmont Derby odds. Remember Mamba (7-2), Title Role (5-1), Touch of Fire (5-1) and Pacific Avenue (6-1) round out the top five choices in the 10-horse Belmont Derby field. Post time for the race is 5:20 p.m. ET. 

With several talented runners set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2026 Belmont Derby picks or horse racing predictions considering his track record.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

Menez excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And earlier this year he struck big on Fountain of Youth day, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.

Just last week Menez had Magnitude's upset win over Sovereignty in the Stephen Foster Stakes en route to hitting the late Pick 3 at Churchill Downs.

Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Belmont Derby field and revealed his picks. One surprise: Menez is not using West End Kid at all, even though he is the 3-1 favorite. 

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who is a "good one." Menez is including this horse in his 2026 Belmont Derby bets, and so should you!

So which horse wins the 2026 Belmont Derby? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Belmont Derby picks and bets, all from the expert who finished 115th out of 643 entries in last year's Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge!

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