Belmont Park Race 1 Picks & Odds – Oct 21, 2026

Belmont Park Race 1 picks, odds and entries: maiden claiming, 7 Furlongs dirt

Post 1:10 PM ET7 Furlongs · DirtPurse $52,000Maiden Claiming3 Year Olds And Up -999°F

Belmont Park Race 1 (1:10 PM ET) is a 7 Furlongs dirt maiden claiming with 6 runners and a $52,000 purse. Our top pick is Midnight Rocket at 4-5, with Klimt Master (30-1) our value play. The full field, odds and our reasoning are below.

Who’s running in Belmont Park Race 1

#	Horse (sire – dam)	M/L	Jockey / trainer	Wt
1	Midnight RocketPractical Joke – Midnight Girl	4-5	Jose LezcanoT: William Mott	123 lb
2	Klimt MasterKlimt – Nightengale Miss	30-1	Favinho Villa PinoT: Eduardo Jones	126 lb
3	Big Time StoryMucho Macho Man – Tacit Approval	5-2	Flavien PratT: Linda Rice	123 lb
4	BlueberryhillkekeHigher Power – Lentini	15-1	Rajiv MaraghT: James Ferraro	123 lb
5	Ace in HandCharlatan – Aguilera	10-1	Christopher ElliottT: Kenneth McPeek	123 lb
6	Show Me the MunnyMunnings – Include Me Out	3-1	Manuel FrancoT: Linda Rice	123 lb

M/L is the track handicapper’s morning line. Live tote odds replace it near post; results and $2 payouts appear once the race is official.

Our Belmont Park Race 1 picks

Top pick1 Midnight Rocket 4-5

The 4-5 morning-line favorite, so the track handicapper rates this horse as the one to beat.
Jose Lezcano has won 11 of 104 rides (11%) at New York tracks in our records.
Trainer William Mott is 3-for-43 (7%) in New York, with horses in the money 42% of the time.
By Practical Joke out of Midnight Girl.

Value play2 Klimt Master 30-1

At 30-1 on the morning line, the price is bigger than this horse’s connections suggest.
Favinho Villa Pino has won 0 of 9 rides (0%) at New York tracks in our records.
Trained by Eduardo Jones.
By Klimt out of Nightengale Miss.

Longshot5 Ace in Hand 10-1

A 10-1 outsider with enough in its corner to hit the board and juice an exotic.
Christopher Elliott has won 5 of 81 rides (6%) at New York tracks in our records.
Trainer Kenneth McPeek is 3-for-18 (17%) in New York, with horses in the money 33% of the time.
By Charlatan out of Aguilera.

Belmont Park Race 1 analysis: pace, price and connections

Midnight Rocket is the 4-5 morning-line favorite, with Big Time Story next at 5-2. Prices stretch out to 30-1 on Klimt Master, so the board has real depth.

Linda Rice sends out 2 runners (Big Time Story and Show Me the Munny), which tells you the barn thinks the conditions suit.

Among the riders, Flavien Prat has the best New York strike rate in our records: 26% wins from 94 mounts.

Forecast: , high of -999°F.

Best betting value in Race 1

For a straight bet, Klimt Master is the price play at 30-1. To cover our top pick as well, a $1 exacta box of Midnight Rocket and Klimt Master costs $2.

To chase a bigger payout, use Ace in Hand (10-1) underneath in trifectas.

Morning-line odds are the track handicapper’s forecast, not the final price. Pari-mutuel odds move with the money until the gates open.

How to place a bet on Belmont Park Race 1 from New York

Online horse betting is legal in New York for adults 18 and over through licensed advance-deposit wagering (ADW) apps. You can bet Belmont Park races from anywhere in the state, then watch and cash out in the app. Our partner AmWager offers new customers a 100% first deposit match up to $50. Read our AmWager review, or compare every NY racing app.

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