The New York Racing Association unveiled its wagering menu for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, headlined by a two-day Pick 6 that begins Friday, June 4, and ends with the 153rd Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 5.
The NYRA’s wagering menu includes six, two-day wagers incorporating many of the Belmont Racing Festival’s 17 graded stakes over the three-day festival. Eight of those graded stakes are Grade 1s, all on Belmont Stakes Day.
Along with the special two-day wagers, the NYRA is offering its traditional Pick 6 each day, beginning on Thursday. That comes with a $1 minimum and carryover provisions. Saturday’s Pick 6 ends with the Belmont Stakes. Horseplayers wanting only five races instead of six have three Pick 5s on Belmont Stakes Day: an early, middle, and a late Pick 5. The middle Pick 5 features a mandatory payout and ends with the Belmont Stakes.
Two-day Pick 6: Three Friday, three Saturday races
As for the two-day wagers on the menu, that two-day Pick 6 comes with a low 15% takeout and a 20-cent base wager. It requires horseplayers to pick the winners of three Friday races: the Grade 3 True North, the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup, and the Grade 2 New York. After those three, it puts handicappers to the test with three Saturday races: the Grade 1 Jaipur, Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, and the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.
The NYRA’s two-day Pick 4 brings a $2 minimum and a 24% takeout. Hitting that requires bettors to pick the winners of Friday’s Belmont Gold Cup and New York and Saturday’s Grade 1 Manhattan and the Belmont Stakes. The four remaining two-day wagers are two-day daily doubles. The New York Double comes with a $1 minimum and 18.5% takeout. It encompasses Friday’s New York and Saturday’s Met Handicap.
Sprint, distaff doubles offered on wagering menu
The Belmont Gold Cup/Belmont Stakes Double puts your handicapping skills to the test in those two races. It features a $1 minimum and 18.5% takeout. The other pair of two-day doubles focus on different racing elements.
The Filly and Mare Double encompasses Friday’s Grade 3 Bed O’Roses and Saturday’s Grade 1 Acorn Stakes – two distaff races. The Belmont Sprint Double opens with the True North on Friday and the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on Saturday. Both doubles come with a $1 minimum and an 18.5% takeout.
The NYRA’s Belmont Racing Festival begins on Thursday, June 3 with twilight racing and a first post at 12:05 p.m. PT.  Friday’s first post is at 9:50 a.m. PT. Saturday’s Belmont Stakes Day first post is at 8:35 a.m. PT.