Which horse won the Belmont Stakes 2021?
The 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes was a barnburner that came down to the final lengths.
The winner? Essential Quality, the favorite ridden by Luis Saez.
Hot Rod Charlie didn’t make it easy for him.
The two horses were neck-and-neck coming down the final straight before Essential Quality managed to gain some ground and take the victory.
Essential Quality won the Belmont Stakes in 2021
Essential Quality finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness to train specifically for the Belmont. That plan paid off big time as the three-year-old colt took first place.
This was the first Triple Crown win for trainer Brad Cox, who won the 2020 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.
Hot Rod Charlie led for much of the race, but ultimately he couldn’t hold off Essential Quality’s late surge. He finished second.
Rombauer, the winner of the Preakness Stakes, came third. Known Agenda followed in fourth.
Here are the official results for all eight horses:
- Essential Quality
- Hot Rod Charlie
- Rombauer
- Known Agenda
- Bourbonic
- Rock Your World
- Overtook
- France Go de Ina
The prize for first place this year was a cool $800,000.
The payout for Essential Quality on a $1 bet was $4.60 to win, $3.00 to place and $2.60 to show.
For Hot Rod Charlie, a $1 bet to place netted $4.10 and to show $2.90.
Rombauer’s payout to show was $3.50.
A $2 exacta was worth $15. A $1 trifecta was worth $21.70 and a $1 superfecta was worth $60.70.
The Belmont Stakes has been run 153 times going back to 1867, making it the oldest of the Triple Crown races. The “Test of the Champion,” as the final of that trio, it’s also one of the most difficult as the longest of them.
This year’s 1.5-mile run is now complete. That means the 2021 Triple Crown is also done. It’s a long wait until next year.