Who won the Belmont Stakes in 2021? Full results, finish order & highlights from the race

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Who won the Belmont Stakes in 2021? Full results, finish order & highlights from the race image

Essential Quality has won 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes, beating runner-up Hot Rod Charlie by a length and a half after the two were neck-and-neck in the final straightaway.

Essential Quality, the favorite for the Kentucky Derby and Saturday's race at Belmont Park, hung out near the rear of the eight-horse field for the majority of the race before jockey Luis Saez made an outside move heading into the final turn. Pacesetter Hot Rod Charlie fought hard, but Essential Quality had more in the tank and eventually took the lead. The unofficial winning time for the 1 1/2-mile race was 2 minutes, 27.11 seconds.

Rombauer, winner of the Preakness Stakes, finished third.

Sporting News tracked the 2021 Belmont Stakes. Follow along below for highlights, finish order and more from Belmont Park:

MORE: Watch the Belmont Stakes live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Belmont Stakes finish order

Order Horse Win Place Show
1 Essential Quality $4.60 $3.00 $2.60
2 Hot Rod Charlie   $4.10 $2.90
3 Rombauer     $3.50
4 Known Agenda      
5 Bourbonic      
6 Rock Your World      
7 Overtook      
8 France Go De Ina      

Watch the 2021 Belmont Stakes

Belmont Stakes live updates, highlights, results

All times Eastern

6:54 p.m.: And Essential Quality wins it with an unofficial time of 2:27.11! He beats runner-up Hot Rod Charlie by a length and a half.

6:53 p.m.: Essential Quality making his way outside heading into the straightaway.

6:51 p.m.: And they're off! Hot Rod Charlie takes the lead heading into the first turn.

6:39 p.m.: And here comes Essential Quality, the favorite at Belmont Park:

6:34 p.m.: It's about that time:

5:55 p.m.: Domestic Spending wins the Manhattan Stakes:

4:57 p.m.: Silver State wins the Met Mile.

4:05 p.m.: Your winner of the Just a Game Stakes: Althiqa.

3:29 p.m.: Letruska wins the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park:

2:52 p.m.: Casa Creen wins the Jaipur:

2:14 p.m.: Search Results wins the Acorn Stakes:

1:37 p.m.: Lone Rock wins the Brooklyn Stakes:

2021 Belmont Stakes post time

Coverage of the Belmont Stakes began at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on NBCSN before moving to NBC at 5 p.m. for pre-race and post-race coverage as well as the race itself. The race has a scheduled post time of 6:49 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Belmont Stakes post positions

Eight horses will race in Saturday's Belmont Stakes after Medina Spirit was banned from running in the race and after Rebel's Romance was announced to be out of the race due to an infection, according to Godolphin.

Preakness winner Rombauer will leave from the third post position and had 3-1 betting odds to win the Belmont Stakes. Essential Quality was the early betting favorite at 2-1.

Post position Horse Odds
1 Bourbonic 15/1
2 Essential Quality 2/1
3 Rombauer 3/1
4 Hot Rod Charlie 7/2
5 France Go de Ina 30/1
6 Known Agenda 6/1
7 Rock Your World 9/2
8 Overtook 20/1

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.