Belmont Stakes Odds: Essential Quality opens as 2-1 favorite

Essential Quality has opened as your 2-1 Morning Line favorite for the 2021 Belmont Stakes. The Brad Cox trained three-year-old was your Kentucky Derby favorite as well but he would come home fourth. His connections decided against going to Pimlico for the Preakness to give him the best chance to take on the Belmont. Definitely a worthy favorite for me.

By skipping the Preakness he let in Rombauer who surprised many by winning this race. He’s opened at 3-1 for this one which seems extremely short to me. I would expect this number to drift somewhat over the course of the week.

Hot Rod Charlie brings the early speed and is a 7-2 shot having been drawn in Pos Position #4. The Louisiana Derby winner came home third in the Kentucky Derby and should the Doug O’Neill horse get out to the front early then watch out.

California invader Rock Your World is the fourth horse considered by the linemaker up at Belmont to have a real shot. He opens at 9-2 and like Hot Rod Charlie - this all comes down to getting a good break. Something he very much failed to do at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. He won the Santa Anita Derby beating (potential) Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit that day.

Elsewhere the three Todd Pletcher horses are considered as outsiders along with the Japanese invader France Go de Ina. If any of the Pletcher horses are to be involved then it is likely to be Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (6-1) but I'll find it tough using him near the top of any ticket.

Here at HorseRacing.net we'll have comprehensive coverage of the action at Belmont Park throughout the week and on Belmont Stakes day itself. Our in-house handicapper will be handicapping the cards in-depth on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with our turf-man also providing his thoughts on all the Graded Stakes races throughout. They will also provide their thoughts on all the runners in the Belmont Stakes. So keep checking back with us all week for coverage of the Belmont Stakes and all the undercard races.

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