Some of the best 3-year-olds on the turf from the United States and Europe collide when the starting gate opens in the 2021 Belmont Derby on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Bolshoi Ballet, who is based in Europe, is the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the 2021 Belmont Derby odds. The Jonathan Thomas-trained Hard Love, who is based in the United States, is getting 5-2 odds in the nine-horse 2021 Belmont Derby field.
The 1¼-mile race is the first leg of three in New York's Turf Triple Series for 3-year-olds. It will be followed by the Saratoga Derby on Aug. 7 and the Jockey Club Derby on Sept. 18; all three are $1 million races. Post time for the Belmont Derby 2021 is 5:12 p.m. ET. With a well-accomplished field set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what racing insider Bob Weir has to say before making any 2021 Belmont Derby picks.
Based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Weir has been handicapping and following horse racing since reading Andy Beyer's landmark handicapping book "Picking Winners" in the late 1980s. Weir is highly invested in the Beyer Speed Figure, a number assigned to every race run by a horse that measures how fast the horse ran. He uses the figure as the backbone of his handicapping. In fact, thanks to his proficiency with speed figures and top-tier handicapping, he landed one of just eight spots on Beyer's figure-making team in 2017, a position he holds to this day.
Weir's methodology has produced multiple five-figure days. In 2014, he hit a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar. The following year, he nailed a $31,000 Pick 6 at Gulfstream Park. In 2016 and 2017, Weir qualified for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas.
Last year, his first for SportsLine, Weir was on fire. In June, Weir hit a $2 superfecta in the Ogden Phipps Stakes that paid a whopping $1,039. He crushed the exacta and trifecta in the Forego Stakes in August for $1,134.50. He hit the late Pick 4 at Belmont Park on June 18, June 19, June 25, July 2 and July 5, with the June 25 score returning a whopping $2,159.50.
Now, Weir has handicapped the 2021 Belmont Derby horses, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can only see them here.
Top 2021 Belmont Derby predictions
Weir, who analyzed the pace scenario for Saturday's race and broke down the Beyer Speed Figures of every horse in the field, likes the chances of Du Jour, who is getting 9-2 odds, behind only Bolshoi Ballet and Hard Love. This son of Temple City is on a three-race winning streak.
Since his last start, a win in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard, he has been moved from embattled trainer Bob Baffert to Bill Mott, whose track record of success with turf runners is longer than Baffert's.
Du Jour has the tactical speed to make his own trip. "He's now had three perfect trips in a row, but he's proven capable on or off the lead and could be tough right back," Weir tells SportsLine. Weir is using Du Jour prominently in his wagers.
How to make 2021 Belmont Derby, bets
Weir's top pick is a horse who "proved his quality" in his last start. He also is high on a double-digit long shot who "could prove better" on Saturday. Weir is including these horses in his 2021 Belmont Derby bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Belmont Derby 2021? And which horse is a must-back? Check out the latest Belmont Derby odds 2021 below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for Saturday's Belmont Derby 2021.
2021 Belmont Derby odds, field, contenders
| Program # | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palazzi | 15-1 |
| 2 | Bolshoi Ballet | 7-5 |
| 3 | Safe Conduct | 15-1 |
| 4 | Sainthood | 10-1 |
| 5 | Du Jour | 9-2 |
| 6 | Hard Love | 5-2 |
| 7 | Tokyo Gold | 15-1 |
| 8 | Cellist | 12-1 |
| 9 | Hidden Enemy | 30-1 |
