The final chapter of the 2018 Triple Crown is here as the Belmont Stakes is set for this Saturday. While Justify is the obvious sports betting favorite and rightfully so following dominant performances at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes this summer. Can Justify complete the sweep with a win in New York this week? Or will another horse emerge to shock the world and steal Justify’s place in Triple Crown history? Here is a look at four sleeper picks for the 2018 Belmont Stakes with odds courtesy of BetDSI.
Bravazo +900
Justify is the deserved sports betting favorite heading in to the Belmont Stakes. However, the fact that he is being forced to run his fifth race of the year this week will make his stamina a concern. Justify will also have some tough competition led by Bravazo. Bravazo placed sixth in the Kentucky Derby but finished strong at Pimlico where he placed second. Bravazo has raced 10 times and finished in the top three on six different occasions. Justify is the clear favorite right now. However, this horse is a legitimate threat to Justify’s Triple Crown push as perhaps the best sleeper option on the board that could surprise.
Gronkowski +2500
The horse named after New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is going to get a good amount of attention this weekend. Gronkowski didn’t race at the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes, but that makes this horse an intriguing sleeper pick since it is such an unknown. It’s also important to consider the fact this horse should be rested heading in to the weekend. Gronkowski has won each of its last four starts and is trained by Chad Brown, whose horses have won 80 of their 262 combined starts this year. At +2500 odds, Gronkowski should be a popular sleeper pick for the Belmont Stakes.
Noble Indy +3300
If we dig a little deeper, Noble Indy emerges as another sleeper pick that deserves some attention at +3300 odds. Noble Indy was among the sleeper picks for the Kentucky Derby but finished 17th. Is this horse due for a better performance this time around? Noble Indy hadn’t finished outside of the top three in any of its previous four career races before the Derby so there is a good chance it bounces back this weekend. At decent odds, it makes sense to sprinkle some money on the Todd Pletcher-trained entry with some significant upside.
Free Drop Billy +4000
The final horse we will consider as a strong sleeper option this week is Free Drop Billy, which breezed a bullet five furlongs in :59.20 over Churchill Downs’ main track on Sunday in preparation for this weekend’s race. Free Drop Billy disappointed in the Kentucky Derby but that one bad race is a big reason why the sportsbooks have likely been harsher on him than they probably should have been. Some books have Free Drop Billy at +3000 while others have him as high as +4000. At that price tag, it might be worth it to sprinkle some money down on Free Drop Bill as one final sleeper pick to consider ahead of the Belmont Stakes.
