Essential Quality wins 2021 Belmont Stakes [VIDEO]

The 2021 Triple Crown season is a wrap and Essential Quality closed it out by winning the Belmont Stakes. Essential Quality was the favorite with morning odds of 2-1, which increased to as high as 6-5 ahead of the race.

Hot Rod Charlie and Rock Your World were the first two horses to break away from the group with Essential Quality and Rombauer, the Preakness winner, falling back early. Rock Your World fell behind at the halfway point but Hot Rod Charlie continued to keep a torrid pace at the front of the group.

Coming into the final stretch, Essential Quality began to pull forward from the group and basically entered a 1-on-1 race with Hot Rod Charlie. Both were right next to each other for much of the last quarter mile before Essential Quality had a final burst to eventually win by about a length. Trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez claim victory at Belmont.

Payouts

2 Essential Quality $4.60 $3.00 $2.60
4 Hot Rod Charlie $4.10 $2.90
3 Rombauer $3.50

$1.00 EXACTA 2-4 $7.50
$0.50 TRIFECTA 2-4-3 $10.85
$0.10 SUPERFECTA 2-4-3-6 $6.07